Rep. Travis Sitzmann

Maddy summaryHF 2160 allows Iowa political candidates and their committees to use campaign funds for reasonable personal and home security expenses, including costs for firearms, equipment, and training. Candidates must maintain detailed logs of each expense (date, provider, cost) and include total security costs in campaign finance reports, preserving these records for five years. Violations of this rule could result in civil penalties up to $2,000 or criminal charges for willful breaches. The bill directly affects candidates and their committees managing campaign finances in Iowa.

Maddy summaryThis resolution honors Staff Sergeants William Nathaniel Howard and Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Iowa National Guard members killed in action during a December 13, 2025, enemy attack in Palmyra, Syria. It recognizes their service, sacrifice, and posthumous promotions to staff sergeant, while also acknowledging three wounded Iowa National Guard soldiers from the same incident. The resolution formally expresses the House of Representatives' respect for their lives and sacrifice, and directs copies to be sent to their families as a gesture of recognition. This is a commemorative resolution with no policy or funding changes, solely intended to honor the fallen service members and their families.

Maddy summaryHF 442 amends Iowa law to require the disclosure of lead service lines during real estate transactions. This bill directly affects individuals selling and buying real property in Iowa. It adds definitions for "service line" and "lead service line" to the state's real estate disclosure code. Sellers will now be required to include information about the presence of lead service lines as part of their standard property disclosure statements.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HF 247) removes the state sales and use tax on purchases of honeybees in Iowa. It directly affects beekeepers, apiaries, and businesses that sell honeybees by eliminating the tax they would otherwise pay when buying these insects. The key provision amends Iowa’s tax code to specifically exempt honeybee sales from both the sales tax (under Code section 423.3) and the use tax (under Code section 423.5, due to existing tax code rules). This change means customers buying honeybees will pay no state tax on the purchase price.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reimburse counties $50 per day for holding or confining a sexually violent predator (SVP) who commits a new public offense while under a civil commitment order. Counties would receive reimbursement for both temporary jail holds during criminal proceedings and for sentences served in county jails. HHS must fund these reimbursements using existing budgeted funds for SVP treatment at the state mental health institute or transferred funds under Code section 218.6. The policy directly affects counties bearing these costs and HHS, shifting the financial responsibility for SVPs' temporary confinement during criminal cases.

Maddy summaryHF 920 appropriates $1 million from Iowa's general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026 to support the Double Up Food Bucks program. The program provides matching funds for SNAP recipients to purchase fresh produce at participating farmers markets and grocery stores across Iowa. Starting January 1, 2026, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services must submit annual reports to the legislature detailing program participation, locations, and redemption rates. The funding does not expire at year-end but remains available for the program's continued operation.

Maddy summaryHF 191 prohibits the intentional emission of air contaminants within Iowa for the purpose of deliberately altering temperature, weather, or sunlight intensity (geoengineering). It directly affects any entity or individual conducting such emissions in the state, overriding conflicting existing laws. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Commission to adopt implementing rules, including emergency rules for immediate enforcement. Key mechanisms include a clear prohibition on weather-modification emissions and a mandate for the Commission to develop specific regulations under existing rulemaking procedures. The bill focuses solely on preventing intentional atmospheric manipulation, not general air pollution control.

Maddy summaryHF 436 exempts purchases of child restraint systems (like car seats) from Iowa's sales and use tax, reducing costs for parents buying them. It also requires insurance companies to include the value of these systems in auto insurance settlements when a vehicle suffers partial or total damage. The bill defines "child restraint system" as federally compliant seats meeting safety standards (per 49 C.F.R. §571.213) and applies to auto losses occurring on or after July 1, 2025. This directly affects families purchasing child seats and insurers handling auto damage claims.

Maddy summaryHF 479 allows Iowa county boards of supervisors to hire professional engineering firms as county engineers, rather than requiring them to hire individual licensed civil engineers directly. The bill specifies that the firm must employ one or more licensed civil engineers to perform all required county engineer duties under an agreement with the board. It also modifies bond requirements so that a single bond covering the firm’s licensed engineers (valued between $2,000 and $5,000) will satisfy the existing bond obligation, as if the firm were a single engineer. This change provides counties with greater flexibility in sourcing engineering services while maintaining accountability through licensed personnel and bond coverage.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HR 3) is a symbolic statement by Iowa's House of Representatives affirming the state's support for Israel. It does not create new laws or directly affect individuals or entities; instead, it expresses solidarity through shared values, condemns antisemitism and terrorism, and encourages cultural and economic collaboration between Iowa and Israel. The resolution highlights Iowa's partnership with Israel's Western Galilee region, economic ties in agriculture and technology, and support for Israel's sovereignty following the October 7 attacks. It was adopted unanimously (76-10) on February 13, 2025, with no binding policy changes.