Commerce

HF 990 establishes a licensing process for medical cannabidiol (CBD) dispensaries in Iowa. The bill requires the state department to issue requests for proposals and license up to five dispensaries (with potential for up to ten) by April 1, 2018, and renew licenses by December 1 each year. It directly affects businesses seeking to operate medical CBD dispensaries by setting caps on the number of licenses and defining the application timeline. The key provision is the structured annual licensing system to regulate the distribution of medical CBD products within the state.

This bill sets new rules for how auto insurance companies handle claims involving vehicle repairs. For property insurance claims (where the insured's own car is damaged), insurers must pay based on the cost of aftermarket parts available within 100 miles of the repair shop, not original manufacturer parts. For liability claims (where someone else's car is damaged), insurers must use original parts unless the vehicle owner gives written consent to use aftermarket parts and the insurer agrees to cover modifications and defend against related claims. Violations can result in fines up to $50,000 or license suspension for insurers.

SF 2421 would have required healthcare review groups to use human reviewers - not solely artificial intelligence - for decisions denying, delaying, or downgrading prior authorizations (e.g., changing urgent requests to standard ones). It mandated that denials include written explanations citing specific criteria, along with detailed attestations about the reviewer’s qualifications and specialty expertise. The bill also required separate human reviews for appeals and prohibited the same reviewer from handling both initial denials and appeals. This bill was withdrawn on March 4, 2026, and did not become law.

SF 546 updates Iowa's oil and gas production regulations by requiring annual filings from operators (including business details, organizational plans, and contact information) and clarifying key terms like "casing," "exploratory well," and "correlative rights." It establishes new rules for confidential information (e.g., trade secrets, lease terms, geological data), limiting public access for five years, and details how pooling orders for shared wells must be managed to ensure fair production sharing. The bill directly affects oil and gas operators, drilling companies, and landowners involved in pooled production by standardizing reporting, confidentiality, and well-spacing procedures. These changes aim to improve regulatory clarity and operational transparency without altering production limits or environmental standards.

SF 376 establishes minimum distance requirements (setbacks) for renewable energy facilities like wind turbines, solar arrays, and battery storage systems in Iowa. It requires wind facilities to be placed at least three times the tower height from occupied homes or community buildings, and 1.1 times the tower height from non-participating property or infrastructure. The bill also sets maximum noise limits (47 decibels) at homes, requires repair of damaged drainage from construction, and mandates compliance with national safety and fire codes. These rules apply to all new wind facilities proposed after January 1, 2025, and affect developers seeking local approval for renewable projects.