Agriculture

HF 2298 requires pet shops, breeders, kennels, and shelters to obtain state licenses to operate. These businesses must maintain records and cannot purchase dogs or cats from unlicensed facilities. The state will inspect facilities based on risk levels, with licenses subject to suspension for violations. This directly affects all commercial animal businesses in Iowa that handle nonagricultural animals.

HF 2299 requires retail fuel dealers in Iowa to timely file reports of total gasoline and diesel gallonage sold during a specific period. This reporting is directly tied to eligibility for three tax credits: E-85 gasoline promotion (section 422.11O), biodiesel blended fuel (section 422.11P), and E-15 plus gasoline promotion (section 422.11Y). Retailers who fail to file the required report by their tax year end lose access to these credits for that year and all future years until the report is submitted. The bill also imposes a $100 civil penalty per missed filing, with penalties deposited into the state general fund. The reports are used to calculate excise taxes on higher-blend fuels like E-15 and B-20 biodiesel.

This bill, known as the Retailer-Processor Fairness Act, prohibits large grocery retailers from owning or controlling meat and poultry processing facilities in Iowa, aiming to prevent vertical integration that could reduce competition. It defines "dominant retailers" as those with over $18 billion in annual sales or operations in more than 20 states, and bars them from exclusive contracts that force producers to sell livestock only to them or their owned processors. The Attorney General will assess retailer compliance every two years starting in 2027, publish lists of violators, and require non-compliant retailers to submit plans to divest their processing interests. The law also establishes a health and safety program for meat and poultry processing and includes penalties for violations.

HF 2727 requires fertilizer manufacturers selling registered brands in Iowa to report monthly pricing details to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (DALS). This includes costs of active ingredients, total quantities sold, price ranges for each brand, and terms of discounted sales agreements. Manufacturers who fail to comply face civil penalties of up to $50,000 per day for each ongoing violation. The bill aims to increase transparency in fertilizer pricing and is enforced by DALS with input from the attorney general.

This bill requires manufacturers of agricultural equipment to provide independent repair shops with equal access to parts, tools, documentation, and embedded software on fair and reasonable terms - matching the most favorable terms offered to the manufacturer’s own authorized repair providers. It directly affects farmers who use independent repair services, independent repair businesses, and manufacturers of farm equipment like tractors and combines. Key provisions mandate that manufacturers provide repair documentation at no cost (beyond actual printing costs), software tools without access barriers, and parts without restrictive conditions like mandatory registration or pairing with the manufacturer. The law aims to ensure independent repair providers can competently service farm equipment without artificial barriers imposed by manufacturers.