This bill allocates state funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to support economic development agencies, including the Economic Development Authority, Iowa Finance Authority, Department of Workforce Development, and State Board of Regents. The legislation sets specific goals for these agencies to expand the state economy, increase wealth, and boost population by prioritizing business recruitment, expansion, and entrepreneurial support. It also establishes financial restrictions requiring businesses receiving state assistance to hire only individuals legally authorized to work in the United States and prohibits funding for geothermal snow-melting projects. Additionally, the bill provides separate appropriations for the World Food Prize, a tourism office, and the Iowa Arts Council, while requiring annual performance reports for the tourism office.
This Iowa bill creates a tax credit for donations made to maternity group homes, which are residential facilities providing care and support for pregnant women and new mothers with their children. Beginning in the 2026 tax year, eligible individuals and businesses can claim a credit equal to 100% of their donation amount against various state taxes, including income, corporate, and franchise taxes. The program includes annual spending limits of $3.5 million total and $500,000 per organization, with applications processed on a first-come, first-served basis and a waitlist established if demand exceeds these caps.
This bill modifies Iowa's urban renewal tax rules to clarify how property tax revenue is shared between cities and school districts. It ensures that excess taxes collected for urban renewal projects are used to pay off city debt and support low-income housing, while explicitly excluding certain school and emergency service taxes from this specific revenue-sharing arrangement. The changes apply to property taxes due in fiscal years starting on or after July 1, 2027.
This bill mandates that counties and cities in Iowa must allow at least one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on lots with single-family residences. It directly affects property owners by standardizing and simplifying the process of building ADUs, and local governments by limiting their regulatory authority. The legislation sets statewide parameters, such as allowing ADUs up to 1,000 square feet or 50% of the main house, whichever is larger. It prohibits local ordinances from imposing overly restrictive rules on aspects like design, parking, owner-occupancy, or separate utility connections. Furthermore, it requires local governments to approve compliant ADU permits without discretionary review, following the same timeline as single-family home permits.
This bill establishes and funds the Firsthome program and the Military Home Ownership Assistance Program administered by the Iowa Finance Authority. The Firsthome program provides grants up to $10,000 for down payments and closing costs to eligible first-time homebuyers who meet income, credit score, and debt-to-income requirements while completing homebuyer education. The Military Home Ownership Assistance Program receives a $2.2 million state appropriation for fiscal year 2025-2026 to continue offering financial assistance to current and former members of the U.S. armed forces purchasing homes. The bill also defines eligibility criteria, including specific service history requirements for military personnel and their surviving spouses, and requires the Finance Authority to adopt rules to implement the programs.
HF 2390 changes how Iowa's economic development authority issues tax incentives for workforce housing projects. It removes a requirement that incentives be issued on a first-come, first-served basis until the annual budget limit is reached. Instead, the authority can now determine when a project is complete and meets requirements before issuing incentives, continuing until the maximum allowable amount is achieved. This bill directly affects developers of workforce housing projects seeking tax incentives under the program and takes effect immediately upon enactment.
SF 2308 prohibits Iowa utility companies from charging customers nonusage fees like meter fees, customer charges, or franchise fees. It requires utility bills to include only actual usage charges and late payment fees, banning all other charges. The bill applies to all public utilities providing water, electricity, and natural gas in Iowa, including smaller systems like rural water districts. The Iowa Utilities Commission must enforce these rules, review existing billing practices, and impose penalties for violations, including refunds to affected customers. This directly affects all Iowa utility customers by eliminating fees not tied to actual service consumption.
HF 2367 prevents homeowners' associations in Iowa from banning unit owners from planting native vegetation (like Iowa's indigenous grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees) on their personal lawns, provided the area is kept free of weeds, invasive species, and trash, and the plants don't extend onto public areas, neighboring properties, or interfere with traffic or utilities. Associations may still set reasonable rules for planned native vegetation landscapes, but cannot impose height restrictions that hinder proper maintenance. The bill applies only to individual unit owners' lawns, not common areas or properties where owners lack landscaping authority.
This bill regulates business-owned residential arrangements in Iowa, specifically affecting individuals purchasing ownership interests in entities that manage housing (like single-family homes or small multi-unit properties). It requires clear disclosure that buyers are purchasing an interest in a business entity, not the property itself, and prohibits managing entities from restricting transfers, imposing discriminatory conditions, or charging fees for transferring ownership. The bill also bans forcing disputes to non-court forums and prohibits actions that would violate housing anti-discrimination laws if the interest were real property. Violations are treated as consumer fraud under Iowa law, allowing for penalties, injunctions, and recovery of damages.
This bill (SSB 3152) limits county zoning authority over residential construction in unincorporated areas. It prohibits county boards from restricting the construction or development of residential buildings, except for regulations necessary for safety (e.g., fire codes or structural integrity). The law defines "residential building" to include single-family homes, townhouses, and small apartment buildings (up to 12 units per building), but does not allow counties to impose rules that would hinder housing development. This change directly affects county boards of supervisors and developers working outside city limits in Iowa.
