This bill establishes a new property tax framework for Iowa counties that takes effect between 2024 and 2028, setting minimum tax rates for both general and rural county services. The legislation requires counties to collect at least 101.5% of current property tax revenue for budget years starting in 2028, while also allowing adjustments based on changes in the consumer price index to account for inflation. Counties must choose between meeting a fixed dollar amount per thousand dollars of assessed value or maintaining a specific percentage increase in tax revenue, whichever is greater. The bill also includes provisions that limit tax rate increases if property assessments rise significantly, ensuring that tax burdens do not grow faster than property values.
SJR 11 proposes an amendment to the Iowa Constitution that would change the requirements for passing certain state tax laws. It mandates that any bill increasing state individual or corporate income tax rates, or establishing a new state tax on income or reserves, must receive a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate. This requirement does not apply to taxes imposed by local governments. The amendment also sets a one-year limit for legal challenges to the enactment of such tax bills. If passed by two consecutive General Assemblies, Iowa voters would consider this amendment in the November 2026 general election.
SF 628 allocates specific state transportation funds to renovate the Waterloo maintenance garage for Department of Transportation (DOT) employees. It directs money from the road use tax fund, primary road fund, and statutory allocations fund toward this facility upgrade. The bill directly affects DOT maintenance staff working at the Waterloo location by improving their workplace. Signed by the Governor in June 2025, it became law to fund this specific infrastructure project.
HF 975 amends multiple economic development and community programs in Iowa, affecting local governments, businesses, and residents participating in initiatives like brownfield redevelopment, historic preservation, tourism marketing, and homelessness services. It modifies tax credit programs for brownfields, grayfields, and historic preservation, adjusts funding for tourism and community attraction, and updates the Iowa Reinvestment Act. The bill also clarifies applicability and retroactive provisions for these programs. Signed into law by the Governor on June 6, 2025, it updates existing frameworks rather than creating new programs.
This bill enacts changes across several areas overseen by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. It introduces definitions for "behavioral health districts" and "disability access points" and establishes new restrictions on who can serve as an advocate for involuntarily hospitalized patients, excluding those affiliated with administrative services organizations (ASOs) or care providers. The bill also updates child foster care laws to formally include "approved kinship caregivers" alongside licensed foster parents, granting them decision-making authority under the "reasonable and prudent parent standard" and ensuring their participation in care planning. These provisions directly affect individuals receiving mental health and disability services, children in foster care, and the various organizations involved in providing these services.
SF 297 sets new rules for contracts state agencies in Iowa must use when buying goods or services. It bans 19 specific contract terms that could unfairly burden the state, such as clauses requiring the state to cover a vendor’s legal costs, using foreign law, hiding payment terms, or forcing arbitration. The bill also requires all contracts to follow Iowa law and be litigated in Iowa courts. These rules apply to all state agency contracts signed or renewed after the bill takes effect, directly affecting how state agencies negotiate and manage vendor agreements.
This bill primarily mandates that individuals and businesses required to file sales and use tax returns must do so electronically. It directly affects all taxpayers subject to sales and use tax filing requirements. A key provision states that any return not filed electronically, when required, will not be considered valid by the department unless an exception is granted. Taxpayers unable to file electronically can request permission from the director to use an alternative filing method. The bill also allows the department to adopt rules to administer these new electronic filing requirements and takes effect immediately upon enactment.
SF 604 modifies how units of cigarettes and tobacco products are measured for state regulation and taxation purposes. This bill directly affects businesses involved in the sale of these products and the government agencies responsible for their oversight and tax collection. It changes the specific criteria or definitions used to determine the volume of sales for these products.
SF 635 authorizes property tax abatements for eligible volunteer emergency services providers on their homesteads. To qualify, volunteers must have served for at least five years, earn less than $5,000 annually from their service, and be in good standing with their agency. They can petition their county board of supervisors, who will review the request and notify local taxing authorities, allowing them to object to the abatement. If approved, the abatement reduces property taxes and special assessments by 10%, up to $500 per year. Volunteers with ten or more years of service may receive this abatement for the remainder of their lives, provided their homestead remains in the service area.
SF 625 modifies Iowa's gambling tax revenue allocation. It directs $8 million annually from sports wagering receipts to the public safety equipment fund starting July 1, 2026, for enforcement activities like boat and racetrack inspections. The bill also establishes a gaming enforcement revolving fund to cover direct costs for criminal investigation agents, adjusts regulatory fees based on prior-year unspent funds, and creates an Iowa horse racing fund to distribute tax revenue from simulcast horse races to counties and the commission. These changes affect gambling licensees through fee adjustments and ensure specific tax revenues fund public safety and horse racing operations.
