Budget & Taxes (State Budget)

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 12, 2026

SF 2085: A bill for an act relating to event-driven contracts traded on dedicated contract markets by requiring a permit to conduct business in the state, imposing a tax on adjusted revenues, making adjustments to individual and corporate income taxes, providing for fees, and including retroactive applicability provisions.

SF 2085 regulates "event-driven contracts" - financial bets on specific events like sports outcomes or elections traded on digital markets. It requires these markets to obtain a $10 million initial permit and pay $100,000 annually to operate in Iowa. A 20% tax is imposed on the market's "adjusted revenues" (total fees minus payouts, weighted by Iowa trader participation), with tax revenue deposited into the state general fund. The bill also adjusts Iowa income tax rules to treat these contracts differently from federal tax treatment, excluding them from certain federal tax calculations. It explicitly excludes existing systems like horse racing wagering (Chapter 99D), fantasy sports (Chapter 99E), and sports betting (Chapter 99F).

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes 20% tax on event-driven contracts, revenue deposited into state general fund, increasing state tax revenue and fiscal resources.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Revenue State Budget

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SF 2134: A bill for an act relating to gambling, including social gambling between individuals and the operation of poker card rooms, and providing fees.

SF 2134 updates Iowa's gambling laws to clarify social gambling rules and establish a new licensing system for poker card rooms. It expands social gambling to include card and parlor games like poker, bridge, and checkers (previously limited to games of skill), while creating a separate category for licensed poker venues. These venues must operate exclusively with poker variants (e.g., Texas hold 'em), charge a "rake" fee (capped by the gaming commission), and follow strict regulations on licensing, facility standards, and anti-money laundering measures. The bill directly affects social gamblers playing permitted games and operators seeking licenses for poker-only rooms, with licensing fees deposited into the state general fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates new fee structure for poker venues (rake fees), generating state revenue under gambling regulation, directly contributing to budget through fiscal management.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 16, 2026

HSB 584: A bill for an act relating to matters under the purview of the department of management, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

HSB 584 establishes a "technology reinvestment fund" to finance state IT projects, allocating $17.5 million annually from the general fund starting fiscal year 2026 and $18.27 million from the Rebuild Iowa fund for 2025-2026. It requires the Department of Management to prioritize projects based on strategic alignment, ROI, rural access improvements, scalability, and sustainability, then submit a prioritized list to the governor for budget recommendations. State agencies receiving these funds must report project status, costs, and progress annually to the legislature and Department of Management. The bill directly affects Iowa state agencies, IT contractors, and supported entities managing technology infrastructure projects.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $17.5M annually from general fund for state IT projects, prioritizing strategic ROI and rural access, advancing fiscal management of public spending.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyAllocates $17.5M annually for state IT projects prioritizing rural access improvements and sustainability, directly advancing technology infrastructure funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 18, 2026

SSB 3074: A bill for an act relating to indirect costs charged to state-funded grants, and including applicability provisions.

This bill sets a 5% cap on indirect costs (administrative expenses like management, payroll, and facility costs) charged to state-funded grants in Iowa, effective July 1, 2026. It directly affects grant recipients (including nonprofits, local governments, schools, and for-profits) and state departments administering grants by requiring them to: 1) Separate direct and indirect costs in budgets, 2) Prohibit reclassifying indirect costs as direct costs to bypass the cap, and 3) Maintain documentation for audits. State departments must enforce the cap during grant approval and monitor compliance, with disallowed costs recoverable from grantees.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill caps indirect costs at 5% for state grants, restricting administrative spending on public funds and limiting budget flexibility for grant recipients.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes State Budget

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Jan 16, 2026

HF 2107: A bill for an act appropriating moneys to the department of health and human services for the statewide child care solutions fund program.

HF 2107 appropriates $2.5 million from the state general fund to the Department of Health and Human Services for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. This funding will administer and provide matching state funds to the statewide child care solutions fund program, which matches private donations to expand child care access across Iowa. The program directly affects child care providers and families by increasing available funding for child care services through public-private partnerships. The bill creates no new regulations but allocates existing state funds to support this matching mechanism.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $2.5M from state general fund to fund child care program through public-private partnerships, directly increasing state funding for essential public service.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SSB 3079: A bill for an act relating to county veterans services and making appropriations.

This bill establishes a statewide "Veterans Services Excellence Fund" to support county veterans service offices. It requires county staff to obtain federal certifications and access credentials within 12 months of hire, mandates use of a new electronic claim system for all VA benefit applications, and sets performance-based funding allocations. The fund receives $990,000 annually from the state general fund plus $300,000 from lottery funds, with money distributed to counties for training, accreditation, and maintaining the electronic system. Counties must report on fund usage and face reimbursement if they fail to meet VA application standards. The bill directly affects county veterans service offices and their staff in Iowa.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $990k from state general fund and $300k from lottery funds for veterans services, directly funding a public program through appropriations.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransCreates $1.29M Veterans Services Excellence Fund, mandates VA claim system upgrades, and requires staff certifications to improve veteran service access and efficiency.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Veteran Benefits

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Jan 21, 2026

HF 2131: A bill for an act relating to the timing for establishment of the state percent of growth and the categorical state percent of growth, and including effective date provisions.

HF 2131 modifies the timing for setting annual funding growth rates in Iowa's state budget. It establishes specific growth percentages (e.g., 3% for 2023, 2.5% for 2024) for the "state percent of growth" and "categorical state percent of growth" through 2027, then requires these rates to be set by law within 30 days after the governor submits the budget for future years. For budget years starting July 1, 2026-2027, the rate must be set within 30 days of the governor's 2026 budget submission. For years starting July 1, 2028 onward, the rate must be set within 30 days after the governor's budget submission during the legislative session preceding the budget year. This directly affects how Iowa calculates state funding for programs like education and transportation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes fixed annual budget growth rates through 2027, promoting fiscal predictability and stability in appropriations for school finance.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes specific annual funding growth rates (3% for 2023, 2.5% for 2024) for school finance through 2027, indicating consistent funding support for educational institutions.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 28, 2026

SF 2103: A bill for an act relating to the cessation of appropriations to the Iowa resources enhancement and protection fund.

This bill removes the expiration date for an annual $20 million appropriation from Iowa's general fund to the Resources Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Fund. Currently, this funding is set to end June 30, 2028, but the bill makes it permanent. The REAP Fund, which supports conservation and environmental projects, will continue receiving this $20 million annually unless lottery funds are also appropriated to the fund (in which case the general fund amount would be reduced by the lottery contribution). The bill directly affects the long-term funding mechanism for the REAP Fund's conservation programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMakes $20M annual REAP Fund appropriation permanent, ensuring continued conservation funding from general fund without sunset clause.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentPermanently funds REAP Fund for conservation/environmental projects, preventing end of $20M annual appropriation to support environmental protection programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget Conservation

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 11, 2026

SSB 3001: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial authority, and budgets, modifying divisions of revenue, modifying appropriations, and including effective date, applicability, and retroactive applicability provisions.

SSB 3001 modifies Iowa county property tax rates for general and rural services. It sets a base rate of $3.50 per $1,000 assessed value for general county services (effective 2024-2027) and $3.95 for rural services, with adjustments tied to inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The bill requires counties to maintain tax revenue at 101.5% of the prior year's actual levy, while allowing rates to adjust if assessed property values grow by over 2% annually. This directly affects all Iowa counties collecting property taxes for local services, with changes applying to fiscal years starting July 1, 2024, through 2028.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires 101.5% revenue maintenance with CPI adjustments, ensuring stable county funding without tax cuts per fiscal responsibility indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Debt & Bonds Property Tax State Budget

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Jan 26, 2026

HF 2151: A bill for an act making appropriations to the department of education for the therapeutic classroom incentive grant program.

This bill allocates $5 million from Iowa's general fund to the Department of Education for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to establish a therapeutic classroom incentive grant program. It directly provides funding to school districts to create therapeutic classrooms for students aged 3 to 21 whose emotional, social, or behavioral needs interfere with their success in regular school settings. The program enables school districts to receive grants to set up specialized classrooms designed to support these students' learning and development. The funding is specifically designated for this purpose and cannot be used for other educational programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $5M from general fund to fund therapeutic classrooms program, directly increasing state education budget for public service.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $5M for therapeutic classrooms supporting students with emotional/social needs, directly funding school programs to improve educational access and student support.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill funds therapeutic classrooms for students with emotional/behavioral needs, directly supporting mental health services within schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

Track