Sen. Art Staed

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Iowa county treasurers to accept partial payments for property taxes as an alternative to annual or semiannual payments, rather than having the option to do so. It specifies that partial payments must be applied to each semiannual tax installment before due dates, with unpaid balances accruing interest and remaining balances carried forward. Taxpayers must request this option, and any interest earned on partial payments funds county administrative costs. The change applies to property taxes due in fiscal years starting July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill regulates how manure from animal feeding operations (including both confinement operations storing liquid manure and open feedlots) can be applied to land. It requires manure to be injected or incorporated into soil within 24 hours of surface application, prohibits application on saturated, snow-covered, or frozen ground except during specific emergencies, and bans spray irrigation without dilution rules. During emergencies (like storage failures), operators must follow pre-approved protocols, contact the department, apply only on land with low phosphorus risk, and block drain tiles for two weeks. These rules directly affect farmers and ranchers operating animal feeding facilities in Iowa who manage manure application.

Maddy summarySF 2356 requires owners of larger livestock operations (those needing manure management plans) to monitor manure application near surface water or groundwater sources. If weather or conditions increase spill risk, they must report potential discharges to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR will publish these reports online and investigate affected sites. This applies to operations exceeding 500 animal units, which are already required to submit manure management plans under existing law.

Maddy summarySF 2344 creates a $3 million Parkinson’s disease prevention, research, and care fund in Iowa’s state treasury, managed by the Department of Health and Human Services. The fund allocates $1 million each for research grants (prioritizing cure development), caregiver support programs (including respite care and mental health resources), and developing a statewide plan addressing Parkinson’s disease. It requires an advisory council with diverse stakeholders (researchers, patient advocates, caregivers, medical professionals) and annual reports from grantees and the department. The bill mandates a comprehensive state plan covering prevention, diagnosis, care coordination, workforce development, and research priorities, with updates every five years. This legislation directly supports Iowans living with Parkinson’s disease, their caregivers, and research institutions conducting Parkinson’s-related work.

Maddy summarySF 2244 amends Iowa's education savings account program to establish clearer rules for qualified nonpublic schools and increase transparency. It requires these schools to meet accreditation standards, adhere to teacher licensing rules, and report student admissions/denials confidentially. The bill also mandates third-party administrators to submit detailed annual reports on fund spending (including educational materials and services) and undergo annual audits. School districts must notify families of approved students and report enrollment data, while contracts with vendors must include competitive bidding and limit fees to 3% of funds. These changes directly affect families using savings accounts, participating nonpublic schools, and third-party program administrators.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 2241) sets new requirements for Iowa charter schools, directly affecting charter schools and their relationships with school districts. Key provisions include limiting charter schools to one per 10,000 students statewide per grade level (elementary/middle/high), mandating that governing boards include at least 50% parents of enrolled students and a school district representative, and requiring detailed annual reports on student enrollment, withdrawals, finances (including management fees), and academic performance. Charter schools must also comply with public fund restrictions and assessment reporting similar to traditional public schools. The state board of education will develop oversight standards to monitor academic, financial, and operational performance, with enhanced monitoring for underperforming schools.

Maddy summaryThis Iowa bill prohibits the use of paraquat in pesticides for most agricultural purposes, banning sales, applications, and use starting January 1, 2027, except for strictly regulated research. It requires current users (like farmers and agricultural businesses) to report their paraquat usage details - including quantities, locations, and crop types - by December 31, 2026. The bill also creates a work group with farmer representatives, researchers, and environmental advocates to study paraquat's health impacts and identify safer alternatives, requiring annual reports until 2031. These provisions, including the reporting requirements, expire on July 1, 2032.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Iowa motion picture theaters to provide closed captioning for films available with closed captions, directly affecting deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons. Large theater chains (5+ locations) must offer specific open captioning screenings based on film release timing (e.g., at least two screenings in the first two weeks, including evening/weekend options), while small chains (1-4 locations) must either provide open captioning within eight days of a patron request or meet large chain standards. Theaters must advertise these screenings using "OC" symbols, maintain compliance records for a year, and post online contact information for captioning requests. These provisions align with federal accessibility standards but apply specifically to Iowa theaters.

Maddy summaryThis Iowa bill requires public accommodations (such as restaurants, stores, and theaters) to enable closed captions on all TVs and online broadcasts shown to the public during business hours. Businesses must keep captions enabled unless a customer specifically requests to disable them on a single device, and must restore captions when that customer stops viewing or leaves. Violations carry a $25 civil penalty per incident, with collected fines deposited into the state general fund. The bill directly affects any business displaying video content to customers in public spaces.

Maddy summarySF 2261 requires owners of larger confinement feeding operations (excluding small animal feeding operations) to install and operate water pollution monitoring systems that track pollutants discharged to groundwater or surface water. These operators must report the collected data to Iowa's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) every 90 days, with the DNR publishing the data online and sharing it with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The bill applies to operations exceeding 500 animal units (e.g., large swine or cattle facilities), which are currently subject to less stringent regulation under Iowa law. Violations could result in daily civil penalties of up to $10,000.