Iowa Bills

in committee · Iowa · House Jan 14, 2026

HF 2054: A bill for an act relating to age requirements for an individual to provide child care without supervision.

HF 2054 amends Iowa law to allow 15-year-olds to provide unsupervised child care at licensed facilities under specific conditions, instead of requiring providers to be at least 18 years old. It directly affects minors aged 15-17 who complete department-approved training in safe sleep, first aid, and child abuse reporting, plus document 10+ hours of supervised childcare experience. The bill requires facilities to follow these new age rules while maintaining all other existing health and safety standards for child care operations. This change creates a pathway for older minors to work in childcare roles without direct adult supervision, subject to strict training and experience requirements.

in committee · Iowa · House Jan 14, 2026

HF 2060: A bill for an act relating to the compensation of county officers.

HF 2060 requires Iowa counties to set salaries for elected county officers (including sheriffs, auditors, treasurers, and supervisors) based on average pay for comparable roles in other Iowa counties, neighboring states, private businesses, and federal government positions. For sheriff salaries specifically, counties must compare to city police chiefs in communities with populations within 1,000 people of the county's size, using the average of those salaries. County compensation boards must document their calculations and secure majority approval for proposed pay schedules. Noncompliant counties can be sued by the Attorney General to enforce the rules.

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SSB 3022: A bill for an act relating to veterans commemorative property.

This bill repeals Iowa Code section 37A.1, which previously made it a misdemeanor to sell, trade, or transfer veterans commemorative property on personal property without authorization from the Department of Veterans Affairs. It also removes a requirement that the department must authorize such transactions. The law change eliminates both the penalty for unauthorized transfers and the need for departmental approval. This directly affects veterans or property owners who possess veterans commemorative items (like plaques or monuments), allowing them to sell or transfer these items without seeking government permission.

Topics ✓ Veterans

in committee · Iowa · House Jan 14, 2026

HF 2063: A bill for an act creating a study committee on implementing wildlife crossings at certain highway locations.

HF 2063 directs Iowa's Department of Transportation (DOT) to create a study committee to examine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of installing wildlife crossings at highway locations with high rates of vehicle-animal collisions. The committee must analyze costs from human injuries, property damage, and potential savings to determine if crossings are viable. The DOT must submit a report to the legislature by January 11, 2027, and the bill expires on July 1, 2027. This is a procedural study bill with no immediate policy changes, solely focused on gathering data for future decisions.

Topics ✓ Transportation

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SF 2038: A bill for an act exempting remotely piloted aircraft used directly and primarily for agricultural purposes from aircraft registration requirements and sales tax.

This bill exempts agricultural drones used directly for farming from Iowa's aircraft registration requirements and sales tax. It amends two laws: removing the need for farmers to register these drones with the state transportation department (which currently charges fees up to $5,000 annually) and waiving the standard 6% sales tax on such purchases. The exemption applies only to remotely piloted aircraft specifically used for agricultural purposes, as defined in state law. This directly affects Iowa farmers who operate drones for crop monitoring, spraying, or other farm-related tasks. The policy change simplifies compliance and reduces costs for this specific agricultural use case.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Technology

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SF 2015: A bill for an act relating to the publication of notice of political party precinct caucuses.

This bill (SF 2015) changes how political parties in Iowa must announce local party meetings called "precinct caucuses." It allows parties to publish the date, time, and location of these meetings on their official social media accounts instead of (or in addition to) using a local newspaper. Parties must still make two separate notices: one 7-15 days before the caucus and another 7 days before up to the caucus date. The bill directly affects political parties organizing these meetings, as they now have the option to use social media for notices, with the party covering any associated costs.

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SF 2016: A bill for an act relating to the maximum age of a peace officer for the department of public safety.

This bill amends Iowa law to increase the maximum age for employment as a peace officer in the Department of Public Safety from 65 to 67 years. It directly affects current and future peace officers who reach these ages while serving in the department. The key mechanism is a straightforward change to Section 80.36 of the Iowa Code, updating the age limit without altering other employment requirements. The change applies to all peace officers within the department, not specific roles or exceptions.

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SF 2031: A bill for an act relating to arbitrator awards concerning base wages in public employee collective bargaining and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This bill increases the maximum annual base wage increase that arbitrators can award in public employee collective bargaining agreements from 3% to 5%. It directly affects public employee unions that do not have at least 30% of members in public safety roles (like police or firefighters). The key provision changes the legal limit on wage awards during arbitration for base pay, allowing higher increases within a single year of a bargaining agreement. The change applies to all new bargaining agreements initiated after the bill's effective date.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SF 2009: A bill for an act relating to certain employees of the department of corrections, including collective bargaining, health insurance for a surviving spouse and children of certain employees of the department, and certain operational and employment matters involving the department, and including applicability provisions.

SF 2009 affects nonsupervisory Iowa Department of Corrections employees with ongoing direct contact with inmates. It designates these workers as "public safety employees" for collective bargaining under state law, requiring the state to cover full health insurance costs for surviving spouses and children. The bill mandates new training in de-escalation techniques, uniform safety practices at correctional facilities, and paid leave (5-90 days) for employees experiencing trauma or hostage situations. It also prohibits the department from offering contractors better pay or benefits than comparable state employees performing similar work.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SF 2046: A bill for an act relating to wage payment collection issues arising between employers and employees, providing penalties and remedies, and including effective date provisions.

This Iowa bill requires employers to prove wage deductions are lawful and mandates written notices about pay schedules, wage calculation methods, and changes affecting pay. It demands detailed pay statements showing hours worked, sales, miles, or other metrics for each pay period. Employers face penalties including liquidated damages for intentional nonpayment of wages, and the law prohibits retaliation against employees who file wage complaints. The bill directly affects Iowa employers and employees by strengthening wage transparency and enforcement.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SF 2036: A bill for an act requiring pilot car escorts for the movement of certain implements of husbandry, and making penalties applicable.

This bill requires a separate pilot vehicle to lead or follow farm equipment exceeding 22 feet in width or extending over the road centerline when traveling on most Iowa highways. It applies to large agricultural machinery (like combines or large trailers) moving on multi-lane roads or two-lane roads with one lane in each direction, but exempts trips under one mile on primary, farm-to-market, or paved secondary roads. Violating this rule is a $45 misdemeanor fine. The law changes existing safety rules by adding this escort requirement for farm equipment on non-interstate highways, where current regulations did not address such size or positioning.

Topics ✓ Transportation

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SF 2041: A bill for an act providing for payroll deduction for membership dues to an employee organization under public employee collective bargaining, and including applicability provisions.

This bill requires public employers in Iowa to negotiate whether to allow payroll deductions for union membership dues as part of collective bargaining agreements. It directly affects state employees who are union members and their public employers. The bill establishes that such deductions continue for one year or until the collective bargaining agreement expires, unless an employee transfers to a different position or becomes a management employee. Employees can terminate deductions with 30 days' written notice, and the law applies to bargaining under Chapter 20 starting from its effective date.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill results