This bill requires individuals who are court-ordered to pay delinquent child support to provide proof of where the money came from when making those payments. Under the new law, payers must submit paystubs, receipts, or other documentation showing the source of funds for each payment. If no such documentation is available, the individual must instead provide a sworn statement explaining where the money originated. The measure directly affects parents or guardians who owe past-due child support and are making payments to catch up on arrears.
This bill (HF 2273) updates Iowa law to clarify that insurance fraud investigations involving adjusters, appraisers, and umpires fall under the commissioner of insurance's authority. It expands the scope of existing investigation powers by adding Chapter 522C (adjuster licensing) and Chapter 522F (appraiser/umpire licensing) to the list of chapters authorizing such investigations. This change directly affects insurance fraud investigators and professionals in these specific roles, ensuring their activities are covered under the commissioner's jurisdiction during fraud probes. The bill does not create new penalties or requirements but clarifies investigative authority for these professions.
HF 2276 requires parents whose rights are terminated due to domestic abuse (as defined in §236.2) or assault against a family member (as defined in §708.1) to pay court costs and reasonable attorney fees incurred by the other parent during termination proceedings. The bill also clarifies that individuals with terminated parental rights under these circumstances remain liable for child support if a court order was in place before termination and the child is under 18. It directly affects parents whose rights were terminated for abuse or assault, shifting financial responsibility to them rather than the other parent or the state. The key provisions amend Iowa Code §232.121 (requiring payment of costs/fees) and add §252A.3 (defining ongoing support liability). The bill is currently in committee referral.
HF 2271 modifies Iowa's world language instruction requirements for grades 9-12 in public school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools. It prohibits educators from altering languages that use grammatical gender (like Spanish or French) to incorporate gender-neutral terms. The bill specifically requires that instruction maintain the language's original grammatical structure, including gendered nouns and pronouns. This policy change directly affects how world language courses are taught in participating schools across Iowa.
HF 2282 requires school districts to obtain approval from a city council (if the building is within a city) or county board (if outside a city) before selling any building or structure with 2,500 square feet or more of floor space. The bill also mandates that state agencies and cities must consider leasing vacant school buildings owned by public school corporations before leasing, purchasing, or constructing new facilities. It does not apply to sales or agreements finalized before the bill’s effective date. These provisions aim to ensure local oversight for large school property sales while promoting the reuse of existing school facilities.
This Iowa bill (SF 2053) helps military parents with court-ordered visitation rights during short military deployments. It allows a deploying parent (a uniformed service member with a deployment under 30 days that prevents family travel) to make up missed visitation time within 30 days before or after deployment, without exceeding the actual missed days or a 30-day total. The bill requires the deploying parent to notify the other parent in writing within seven days (or as soon as possible if service prevents it) and provide a written plan for the make-up time, which must also be filed with the court overseeing the child custody arrangement.
SF 2069 imposes a tax on pipeline companies transporting liquefied carbon dioxide (CO2) through or within Iowa. It charges $2.50 per metric ton for general transport and $1.00 per metric ton when CO2 is used for enhanced oil recovery (an oil extraction technique). Pipeline companies must file annual returns by March 31 detailing transported volumes and EOR usage, with revenues deposited into the taxpayer relief fund. The bill includes penalties for late filings or inaccurate returns, administered by the Iowa Department of Revenue.
SF 2013 would classify kratom (any part of the Mitragyna speciosa plant, including its compounds) as a Schedule I controlled substance in Iowa. This would directly affect anyone possessing kratom, with penalties escalating based on prior offenses: first offenses face a serious misdemeanor (up to 1 year jail, up to $2,560 fine), subsequent offenses become aggravated misdemeanors (up to 2 years, up to $8,540), and third+ offenses would be class D felonies (up to 5 years, up to $10,245). The bill establishes these specific penalty tiers through amendments to Iowa's controlled substances code. The bill was introduced in January 2026 and referred to the Judiciary Committee for review.
This bill changes Iowa's vehicle registration rules for nonresidents who own property in the state. It allows nonresident property owners to use an out-of-state driver's license number instead of providing the primary user's full details (like name, address, and Iowa ID) when registering a vehicle primarily used at their Iowa property. To qualify, applicants must submit reasonable proof of property ownership, and the state transportation department will establish rules for acceptable proof. The change applies only to vehicles registered under this exception, not general registration requirements.
HF 2154 modifies Iowa law regarding sibling placement in foster care. It removes the requirement for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or a placement agency to place siblings together when custody has been transferred to HHS, *if* all three conditions are met: (1) custody was previously transferred to HHS and HHS placed one sibling, (2) HHS placed the child or sibling, and (3) HHS determined the siblings have little or no established relationship. This bill directly affects children in foster care under HHS custody whose siblings are also in care. The change applies specifically to cases where HHS has already made a placement decision and assessed the sibling relationship.
SF 2117 requires thoroughbred and quarter horse racing seasons to operate separately, with thoroughbred seasons lasting at least 67 days and quarter horse seasons at least 26 days. The bill mandates that races for each breed cannot occur on the same calendar day or overlap in timing, meaning one season must end before the other begins, unless a written agreement is reached between the racing owner associations and the Polk County racetrack licensee. This directly affects horse racing associations and racetracks in Polk County, particularly the licensee operating at the racetrack there. The bill corrects a recent commission interpretation that allowed overlapping races without such agreements.
This bill classifies black bears as "fur-bearing animals" under Iowa law, bringing them under existing wildlife regulations. It allows the Natural Resources Commission to permit hunting or trapping of black bears through a special fur harvester license, subject to commission rules. Unlawfully taking a black bear incurs a $2,500 civil penalty, and the bear may be seized by the Department of Natural Resources. The law directly affects hunters, trappers, and wildlife management authorities in Iowa.
