This bill establishes a dedicated "technology reinvestment fund" to finance state IT projects that modernize infrastructure and improve public services. It allocates $17.5 million annually starting in 2026-27 from the general fund, plus $18.27 million for 2025-26 from the Rebuild Iowa fund, specifically for hardware, software, and power systems. Projects must align with state priorities, demonstrate ROI, prioritize rural access, and include sustainability plans, with the Department of Management prioritizing them for the governor’s budget recommendations. The bill also requires annual project status reports to the legislature and includes provisions for background checks on IT staff and restrictions on problematic contract terms.
HF 2218 requires Iowa school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to install video recording systems in every special education classroom. The bill mandates that these systems and all recordings comply with privacy laws like FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). School districts must fund this requirement using existing state school foundation aid, without needing new state funding. The law directly affects all public schools operating special education classrooms in Iowa.
HB 609 requires Iowa's workforce development board to create a statewide initiative addressing cyber and AI workforce needs, including developing K-12 curriculum standards for AI/cyber literacy, fostering university-industry partnerships for internships and degree programs, and establishing grant programs for training (subject to funding). It mandates the state board of education to set statewide AI/cyber literacy standards for all students from kindergarten through higher education, prioritize federal funding to bridge K-12 and college pathways, and create a voluntary school certification program based on self-attestation and limited department review. The department of education must also develop a community awareness program featuring a digital resource hub for at-risk groups and targeted educational content for demographics like seniors and law enforcement. These provisions apply directly to public schools, colleges, private industry partners, and community education efforts across Iowa.
This Iowa bill (SF 2159) requires commercial online platforms (like social media) to implement age verification for users under 18 when hosting content deemed "harmful to minors" or prohibited material. It defines prohibited material as child sexual abuse material, obscene content, and content harmful to minors that lacks age verification. Platforms must use approved methods (e.g., digital ID checks or third-party verification) to block minors from accessing such content, with strict rules against retaining user data after verification. Violators face civil lawsuits by minors or their guardians for actual damages, attorney fees, and minimum $5,000 penalties per violation.
This Iowa bill (SSB 3085) regulates how private businesses handle biometric data - such as fingerprints, facial scans, or voice recordings - of individuals. It requires private entities to create public retention policies (capping data storage at 3 years), obtain written consent before collecting data, and prohibit selling or profiting from such data. Businesses must also secure biometric data using industry-standard protections equivalent to those for passwords. The law excludes employer use of employee biometric data and imposes escalating civil penalties: $1,000 for a first violation, up to $10,000 for repeated violations.
HF 2150 requires AI-generated content advocating for or against election candidates or ballot issues to clearly disclose it was created using artificial intelligence (e.g., "this material was generated using AI"). It prohibits AI from creating fake endorsements of candidates or ballot measures and bans using AI to depict candidates engaging in unlikely behavior, staging non-existent events, or manipulating depictions of major events to influence elections or public opinion. The bill also restricts sharing third-party AI content without making a good-faith effort to remove it and disclose its AI origin. Violations can result in fines up to $50,000 for political committees or $5,000 for candidates/public officials, with penalties deposited into the state general fund.
This bill (HSB 576) requires both county assessors and recorders to redact participants' names from publicly accessible electronic documents on internet sites when requested by individuals in Iowa's Address Confidentiality Program. It mandates that recorders establish and maintain a process for handling such requests and prohibits charging fees for this service. The bill updates current law, which previously only required assessors to perform this redaction. It directly affects program participants seeking to keep their addresses private for safety reasons.
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.
SSB 3047 creates a pilot program allowing voters with disabilities that prevent hand-marking to independently and privately mark absentee ballots by mail using assistive technology like nonvisual or low-vision access tools. The program requires the state commissioner to establish rules enabling these voters to request absentee ballots by mail and to test the program in enough counties to assess statewide feasibility. The commissioner must submit annual reports to the legislature on the pilot’s progress and ends automatically on July 1, 2029. This bill directly affects voters with disabilities who cannot mark ballots by hand, ensuring greater accessibility for mail-in voting.
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People with Disabilities
This bill requires all Iowa public and nonpublic high schools to include one semester of computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) education in their graduation requirements, beginning with the 2030-2031 graduating class. Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, schools must offer AI and computer science courses meeting state standards that cover AI concepts, ethics, societal impact, and foundational skills. The bill also mandates a statewide plan for teacher training by 2027, especially for smaller schools, and establishes online course options for districts. Additionally, it modifies science and math graduation units to allow limited AI instruction to count toward requirements.
