Robin Opsahl covers the state legislature and politics for Iowa Capital Dispatch, where this article first appeared. Brooklyn Draisley, Cami Koons, and Kathie Obradovich contributed to this article.

As the Iowa legislature advanced past the second major deadline of the 2025 session, conversations on pipelines, Medicaid work requirements and new higher education requirements are continuing through surviving bills—though agreements have not necessarily been reached between the two Republican-controlled chambers.

The session’s second “funnel” deadline is another checkpoint for lawmakers during the legislative session, culling the bills that remain eligible for consideration as the Legislature nears the end of session. During the first funnel, bills were required to gain approval by a committee in one chamber to survive. In the second funnel, bills must have passed in floor debate in one chamber and gained committee approval in the other chamber to remain eligible.

There are several exceptions to this deadline, such as bills involving taxes, spending and government oversight components, and they include the property tax legislation proposed by Iowa lawmakers. Legislative leaders can also sponsor a bill and bring it forward without abiding by the deadline.

In addition, the language of a bills considered “dead” because of the funnel can still be added, at any point, as an amendment to a surviving bill.

There are also several bills that remain eligible for consideration by being placed on the “unfinished business” calendar, allowing them to remain up for consideration during the remainder of the session.

As numerous high-profile bills were placed on the “unfinished business” calendar this year, House Speaker Pat Grassley said many of the bills were ones that “may be part of a priority, but we’re maybe not ready to work on.”

“I think our philosophy would be more, overall, if there’s bills that need more work, we can have that opportunity to do,” Grassley told reporters on April 3. “That doesn’t mean that all of them will happen, but to just let some priorities just die because of the funnel process.”

Grassley said that he believes there are “still a lot of priorities that are lying out there that need more work” before lawmakers end session, but that he did not see the legislature as operating differently in 2025 compared to previous sessions.

Though the House introduced and passed more bills than the Iowa Senate, Senate President Amy Sinclair said the chamber was focused on ensuring bills that lower costs for Iowans and businesses and “make Iowa the best place to live, work and raise your family” are passed this session.

“Moving forward, those priorities that the Senate had at the beginning of session—property tax policy, working on health care availability—all of those priorities we had to begin in session will still be our priorities,” Sinclair said. “And we have bills that are live to make that happen.”

But House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said that GOP lawmakers have not been passing bills that improve Iowans’ lives or lower costs.

“Between the chaos in Washington, the chaos in the global economy and some worries about Iowa’s economy, Iowans are concerned,” Konfrst said. “They want to know what will happen to their pocketbooks. … Republicans have done nothing to help Iowa’s economy this session. So far, they have done nothing to help Iowans when it comes to their budgets and their pocketbooks.”

Some bills have already made it through both chambers to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk. The governor signed into law the bill removing gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act in February, and this weeksigned into law legislation banning the handheld use of cellphones while driving.

School funding remains stalled

One of the major bills that has not gone to the governor yet this session is school funding. The legislature failed to meet a self-imposed deadline of passing the State Supplemental Aid (SSA) rate, providing per-pupil funding for Iowa public K-12 schools, within 30 days of the governor’s budget being released. Failing to meet this deadline has caused problems for schools in previous sessions, as school districts are required to publish their budgets in early March — deadlines which have already passed.

The holdup comes from differing SSA proposals from House and Senate Republicans. Reynolds and the Senate Republicans have supported a 2 percent SSA rate, but House Republicans have countered with a 2.25 percent funding increase alongside other spending components including a one-time boost of $22.6 million for per-pupil costs. The House amended Senate File 167 and sent it back to the Senate in February with its higher funding goals in February, but the bill has not seen action since.

Sinclair said that she believed that an agreement would be reached soon on school funding. She also added that one of the reasons for the delay was uncertainty about the state’s budget estimates for the upcoming fiscal year.

“We’ll get something passed out this coming week,” Sinclair said. “It’s important that we waited for the revenue estimating conference for March. We know that the commodity prices are down, and it impacts our overall revenues for the state – so we needed to see where that was, to see the number that’s going out for school funding.”

The Revenue Estimating Conference estimated Iowa’s revenue will be at $8.5 billion in fiscal year 2026, lower than the governor’s $9.4 billion budget proposal for the upcoming year. GOP leaders said they expected to see a drop in revenue due to the income tax cut that took effect in January and planned to make up for shortfalls using the Taxpayer Relief Fund.

As budget talks begin, impact of tariffs, federal actions remain unclear

School funding is the largest component of Iowa’s state budget, but lawmakers will begin discussing other appropriations bills on other state spending obligations in the coming weeks. 

As President Donald Trump’s announcement this week of sweeping tariffs caused major plummets in the U.S. stock market, Konfrst said that Republicans need to be “realistic” about the impact of Trump’s policies on Iowa’s economy and the state budget.

“We can’t play politics with Iowa’s economic outlook,” Konfrst said. “We have to be realistic about the impact of the chaotic tariff policy that’s happening, and we have to look at what that’s going to do to Iowans.”

Konfrst said Republicans should consider areas where costs can be saved in Iowa’s existing budget that are currently being drawn from GOP-supported policies like the Education Savings Account program, which will begin providing public funds for private school tuition and associated costs with no family income cap in the 2025-2026 school year.

“When Republicans are drafting their budget, they have to be able to understand that next year doesn’t look like it’s going to be much better, or, if anything, it’ll be worse … than this year,” Konfrst said. The Democratic leader called GOP lawmakers to consider, “What can we do to prepare for an economy that isn’t doing very well right now? Instead of just saying yes, this is all great, let’s cut more taxes to corporations, which is what Republicans seem focused on doing.

Grassley said that Republicans are drafting their budget using the Revenue Estimating Conference’s estimates, but said that he believed the state is in a sound economic position to weather economic hardships because of GOP leadership’s practices that left the state with a $2 billion budget surplus in 2024 alongside other reserve funds.

“I think that as a state, we’ve done a good job of making sure that we leave ourselves a cushion, you know, with an ending balance, with the Taxpayer Relief Fund, having the rainy day and a surplus full,” Grassley said. “… We’ve always talked about (having funds) for unforeseen things like, potentially, what the short-term impacts on this may be. That’s why we’ve budgeted the way we’ve had the last seven years.”

Before lawmakers move fully into the budgeting process, there are still many policy proposals left to be debated. Here is a rundown on the bills that remain on the table following the second funnel deadline – and which bills did not make the cut.

BILLS THAT SURVIVED THE SECOND FUNNEL

Agriculture

Grain indemnity: House File 508, would increase the grain indemnity fund maximum to $16 million to cover farmers’ losses when their buyers go broke and would allow farmers with credit-sale contracts to partake in the fund’s protections. HF 508 advanced through the second funnel as a committee bill from the House Ways and Means Committee. 

A grain indemnity bill in the Senate, would only increase the fund to a $12 million maximum and would also include credit-sale contracts. Senate File 608 was placed on the unfinished business calendar.

Reducing nitrogen fertilizer: House File 942 aims to reduce the statewide average use of commercial nitrogen fertilizers by 15 percent with the creation of a pilot program in the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The bill, formerly House Study Bill 165, advanced to the House Appropriations Committee which is excluded from funnel deadlines.

Drones: Senate File 491 would prohibit remote-piloted aircraft from flying over a “farmstead” or within 400 feet of farm animals, farm equipment or structures. Senators advanced the bill to the House where it is now eligible for floor debate. 

Education

Absence exception for religious instruction: House File 870, which the Iowa Senate Education Committee passed unanimously in late March, would alter state attendance laws to exempt students attending religious instruction. 

Bullying definition: Current Iowa Code defines bullying and harassment as actions or conduct toward a student that target them based on real or perceived traits, listing characteristics like race, religion, sexual orientation, and familial status as potential traits that a student could be bullied over. House File 865 would change the definition of bullying to remove language that bullying is based on “any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student.”

Career education: House File 316 would require career planning curriculum be taught in fifth and sixth grades and expand criteria for career education in seventh and eighth grades, as well as have the Iowa Department of Education develop a list of industry recognized credentials, create a seal and provide it to schools to add onto student transcripts and other documents if they have earned a credential before graduating.

Cellphones in school: Governor Kim Reynolds’ bill to set a statewide minimum policy banning the use of cellphones in K-12 school classrooms, House File 782, has gained approval in both chambers, but the Iowa House still must approve an amendment from the Senate before the measure can head to the governor’s desk. The Senate proposed changes requiring the Iowa Department of Education director to share a model policy on banning the use of personal electronic devices during instructional time by May 1, before districts’ deadline to adopt their own policy by July 1 ahead of the 2025-2026 school year. This version of the bill also removed an earlier requirement for students in grades 6 through 8 to take training on the “effects of social media.”

Charter school boards: House File 785 would change requirements for charter-school boards so that no more than one member can live outside of Iowa, and all members must be U.S. residents. The legislation made it through the second funnel after the Iowa Senate Education Committee passed it on April 3. 

Child abuse investigations: House File 389, passed by the Iowa House and attached to a companion Senate bill placed on unfinished business, would give the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services the authority to investigate alleged child abuse cases at schools and work with the state Board of Educational Examiners if these instances involve school employees.

Concussion diagnoses: House File 471 would expand the list of professionals who can direct a student to be removed from extracurricular activities based on them showing signs of brain damage or concussion to include those with a doctorate in psychology and specialized training in concussion management or neuropsychology. 

Dropout prevention funding: House File 579 would increase the limit modified supplemental amount ratio school districts can levy for dropout prevention programs to 5 percent if decided upon at an election, with the amount not allowed to increase more than 0.5 percent every fiscal year. 

Fetal development instruction: In February the Iowa Senate passed Senate File 175 by 31 votes to 13. The bill would require fetal development videos and graphics depicting “the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal human development, starting at fertilization” to be shown in human growth and development and health classes for grades 1 through 12. The measure has been linked by opponents to the “Meet Baby Olivia” video produced by an anti-abortion organization, and said that the legislation could allow non-scientifically accurate information to be shown in public school courses. The Senate bill’s companion, House File 391, was moved to unfinished business for further consideration.

Grooming behavior: Senate File 273, passed by the Iowa Senate and surviving as “unfinished business” in the House, would require mandatory reporting of licensed school employees to the Board of Educational Examiners if they engage in “grooming behavior” toward students, defined as the process of “building trust or emotional connections with a student with the intent to exploit such student.” 

Math, civics education: The House passed the governor’s proposal on math education in March. House File 784 would implement  early screening and targeted intervention strategies for students struggling with math in Iowa’s K-12 schools, with the state Department of Education providing schools and districts support with constructing personalized mathematics instruction plans. The companion to the bill, Senate File 450, includes a component requiring Iowa students pass the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Naturalization Test with 60 percent or higher to graduating high school which is not present in the House legislation.

Schools and natural disasters: House File 315, passed unanimously by the Senate Education Committee, would allow school districts impacted by a natural disaster to have an additional year of budget adjustments. 

Nonpublic school athletics: House File 189, which the Senate Education Committee advanced on April 3, would direct school districts to allow students living in the district but attending a nonpublic school to participate in athletics the district offers but the nonpublic school hasn’t for the past two years.

School chaplains: The Senate Education Committee approved House File 884, which allows public school districts, charter schools and innovation school zones to hire or allow religious chaplains to volunteer providing “services” for students. Democrats have criticized the measure as a breach of the separation of church and state.

School performance profiles: House File 393 would change how school performance grades for school districts are calculated by no longer requiring each time a student drops out of school after the first time be counted against the school. 

Tampons, pads in school bathrooms: House File 883 proposes providing free feminine hygiene products in women’s restrooms at Iowa schools for 6th through 12th grade students, with state funding available from the summer of 2025 through June 2028. The bill, referred to the House Appropriations Committee, is not subject to the funnel deadline.

Threat assessment teams: The Iowa Senate passed Senate File 583 unanimously in March, a bill that authorize K-12 school districts, private schools and charter schools to create threat assessment teams to coordinate resources and interventions for preventing school shootings. The teams would consist of school officials, law enforcement officers as well as mental health and social services workers, who would be allowed to share “reasonably necessary” information on students when a student exhibits behavior that could pose a safety risk to other students or school staff.

Year-round academic calendar: Passed unanimously by the Iowa Senate Education Committee at the end of March, House File 392 would allow school districts to apply to implement year-round school calendars for ninth through 12th grade. 

Higher education

DEI in state entities: House File 856 would bar state entities, including community colleges, from spending private or public dollars on opening or maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion offices or officers. The Iowa Senate Education Committee approved an amendment to remove private universities from the legislation before passing the bill to the Senate floor April 3. 

Accreditation retaliation: House File 295 was one of several bills passed out of the Iowa Senate Education Committee just before the funnel deadline. It would bar national accrediting agencies from taking negative actions against state universities for complying with, or refusing to disobey, state law. If authorized by the attorney general, universities with cause would have the option to file a civil suit against the accreditor. 

College reporting requirements: Senate File 520 would change where community colleges report program-level data to from the state community colleges bureau to the Iowa Department of Education. The Iowa Department of Administrative Services and Department of Education must also develop an annual compensation schedule and set employee benefits for all employees of the Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Iowa School for the Deaf. It has been attached to House File 890 and placed on the calendar as unfinished business. 

General education requirements: House File 401 would, as amended by the Iowa House, establish general education requirements for Iowa’s public higher education system, codifying requirements to take courses in social studies, math and statistics, natural and social sciences, a world language, the humanities, Western heritage and American heritage. According to the bill, these classes cannot “distort significant historical events or include any curriculum or other material that teaches identity politics or is based on theories that systemic racism, sexism, oppression, or privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States of America or the state of Iowa.” It passed out of the Iowa Senate Education Committee on April 3.

National Guard financial aid: House Files 117 and 118, both passed out of the House and received approval from the Iowa Senate Education Committee, expand scholarship offerings for members of the Iowa National Guard and their families. HF 117 would establish a new scholarship program for National Guard members pursuing certifications rather than traditional degrees. HF 118 would change monetary limits on the existing National Guard Service Scholarship program to “the difference between the tuition rate at the institution attended by the national guard member less any financial aid the national guard member receives under certain specified federal programs,” according to the legislation. The bill removes language that bars recipients’ drill location, unit or placement in Army or Air National Guard from affecting their award amount. 

School of intellectual freedom: House File 437 and its companion, Senate File 127, have both been labeled as unfinished business. The House bill would have the University of Iowa establish a center for intellectual freedom, while the Senate version would direct the university to form a school instead. They would require the new center or school focus on “the historical ideas, traditions and texts that have shaped the American constitutional order and society,” according to bill language, and promote free speech, civil discourse, civic education and intellectual diversity.

Tuition freeze: House File 440 would, as amended by the Iowa House of Representatives, direct state universities to study the potential impacts of freezing tuition for students during their first year. Universities would also need to establish at least one three-year degree program and institute work plus programs, where students can work part time and have their tuition paid for by a qualified employer. It passed out of the Senate Education Committee on April 3. 

Health care

Child care access: While the bills on Reynolds’ child care proposal, Senate File 445 and House File 623, were placed on the “unfinished business” calendar, Sinclair told reporters Thursday that amendments were expected on the measure before it would come to the Senate floor. The governor proposed shifting funding from existing Early Childhood Iowa funding and federal Child Care and Development Fund Wrap Around Child Care funds to create three-year grants for full-day care for children, providing up to $100,000 annually for preschool providers and child care centers. The bill also would shift roughly $3.6 million in funding from the Shared Visions program for at-risk children from birth to age 5 to grants for at-risk 3- and 4-year-old children.

Health care training, access: The Iowa House passed Reynolds’ bill on health care, House File 972 in March. The bill directs Iowa HHS to draw down more than $150 million in federal funds to create 115 new medical residency slots at state teaching hospitals as part of an effort to address health care workforce shortages. The bill also seeks to increase rural health care access through efforts like increasing Medicaid rates for providers serving mothers and infants and establish a “hub-and-spoke” funding model for rural health care systems based off the Centers of Excellence Program.

HPV vaccine for minors: Senate File 304 and House File 384, placed on unfinished business, are a proposal to remove an exemption currently in Iowa law that allows minors to get vaccinations related to the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of sexually transmitted diseases or infections–primarily, the  human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The bill would require minors have parental consent to receive these vaccines, in line with current requirements for most other vaccinations.

Medicaid work requirements: Senate File 615, legislation setting work requirements for Iowa’s expanded Medicaid program, has passed through both chambers, but has not yet made it to the governor’s desk. The bill would require people receiving health coverage through the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan, or IHAWP, work least 80 hours each month to retain eligibility. The requirement would apply to people between the ages of 19 to 64, with some exceptions, including people with a serious illness or injury and those with children under age 6.

Medical conscience: House File 571, passed by the Iowa House, would allow health care professionals, institutions and payors to not perform or pay for a health care service that goes against their conscience. While there are exemptions for emergency medical services, the bill states these entities cannot be held civilly, criminally or administratively liable if they say in “good faith” that they not to provide a service due to their beliefs.

Pharmacy benefit managers: Senate File 383 and House File 852, placed under “unfinished business,” would set new regulations on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the businesses that negotiate prescription drug costs between drug manufacturers, health insurance companies and pharmacies. The bills would require PBMs reimburse pharmacies for drug costs at the national or Iowa average acquisition cost and limit certain PBM practices like limiting the ability for these entities to restrict which pharmacies or pharmacists fill a person’s prescription based on certain criteria.

Nutrition

Double Up Food Bucks: Senate File 232 was assigned to an appropriations subcommittee in February to appropriate $1 million to the Double Up Food Bucks program which allows recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to double their spending on produce. A House version of the bill, which would have created new rules for SNAP eligible foods, did not advance ahead of the funnel.  

House File 796 advanced from the House Floor as House File 970 and would appropriate $1 million to the Double Up Food Bucks program, but only if a waiver is granted to limit SNAP eligible foods. 

Rural grocery initiative: House File 550, would allocate $2 million to establish a grocer reinvestment program and a local produce processing grant program. The bill is in a House Appropriations Committee. 

School nutrition: Senate File 525 and House File 851, which advanced from the House, were attached and placed on unfinished business. The bill would seek a waiver from federal nutrition guidelines to create Iowa-specific guidelines that would focus school meals and nutrition education on the food sources of Iowa, like corn, pork and dairy. 

State government

Citizenship verification for voting: House File 954, passed by the House and approved by the Senate State Government committee, is legislation brought forward by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate following controversial guidance ahead of the 2024 election challenging the ballots of  2,176 registered voters as “potential noncitizens” based on state information. In March, Pate’s office said 277 of these individuals were confirmed to not hold U.S. citizenship.

The bill would allow the Secretary of State’s office to contract with state and federal agencies to verify the citizenship status of registered voters, a measure Pate said would help prevent situations like in 2024, when his office was unable to confirm these individuals’ citizenship status because the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not share access to citizenship information. The bill also would ban ranked choice voting and increase the eligibility requirements for gaining “political party” status on Iowa ballots.

County funding: House Study Bill 310 proposes a three-year moratorium on all programs and related funding from the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) the four Iowa counties with the highest population–currently, Polk, Linn, Scott and Johnson counties. The bill, a Ways and Means proposal, is not subject to the funnel deadline.

Election recounts: House File 928 would make multiple changes to Iowa’s election recount system. Candidates would need a threshold of a 1 percent difference in votes—or 50 votes, whichever is less—in order to request a recount, and the state would only cover costs if the margin of initial results were within 0.1 percent. The bill, placed on “unfinished business” in the Senate, also would change the composition of election recount boards and set an earlier deadline for requesting recounts.

Property taxes: House Study Bill 313 and Senate Study Bill 1208 are companion bills on the proposal from Ways and Means Committee chairs Representative Bobby Kaufmann and Senator Dan Dawson to address rising property taxes in the state. While there are many components to the bill, one of the top changes included is a move from the state’s “rollback” to a “revenue-restricted” system for calculating local property tax costs, capping the increase of most property tax levy rates to 2 percent each year. The measure would also shift $426 million funding for K-12 schools from local property taxes to the state.

While Republican legislative leaders said they aimed to move on property taxes this session, they said that the legislation was being reviewed to ensure that the measure will have its intended impact of lowering property tax costs for Iowans. Sinclair said, she would “like to see it get done this year, but we want it done right, rather than fast.”

Religious beliefs of adoptive, foster parents: Senate File 473 would prohibit Iowa HHS from requiring a prospective foster or adoptive parent to accept policies that conflict with their moral or religious beliefs on gender identity and sexual orientation when determining eligibility for becoming a child’s caretaker. Opponents to the bill said the measure could subject children in these circumstances to practices like conversion therapy, though supporters said language stating the department is allowed to consider the child and family of origin’s beliefs related to gender and sexuality when determining placement addresses these concerns.

Labor and the workforce

Public sector union lists: Senate File 472 would allow Iowans to seek court action compelling government employers to provide a list of employees within a bargaining unit to the Employment Appeal Board, a step needed before union recertification votes. Some Republicans said the bill was needed because some employers have intentionally not submitted lists to preserve union representation in contract negotiations. The legislation was approved by the Senate in March and by the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday.

Justice and public safety

Age verification for obscene materials: House File 864, passed by the House and placed on “unfinished business” in the Senate, would require pornography websites and other obscene-material distributors to implement “reasonable” age verification methods to ensure minors cannot access materials on their platforms.

Anti-SLAPP lawsuits: The House approved House File 472 in March, a bill providing protections against “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” or SLAPP lawsuits by allowing for expedited relief in court for actions related to First Amendment rights, like the freedom of speech and press. These lawsuits, typically filed against entities such as newspapers and activists, attempt to stop individuals and organizations from speaking publicly about certain issues by engaging them in expensive litigation. Senate leaders this bill’s companion (Senate File 47) to the unfinished business calendar.

Exposing minors to obscene materials: House File 306 would raise penalties for knowingly disseminating or exhibiting obscene materials to a minor. The first offense of the crime would be charged as a serious misdemeanor, raised to an aggravated misdemeanor for the second offense, and raised to a Class D felony for a third or subsequent offense with additional mandatory minimum confinement sentences. Minors charged for exhibiting or sharing obscene materials to another minor would face a serious misdemeanor charge but would not face the heightened charges for additional offenses.

Firearm age limits: House File 924, passed by the House and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, would lower the age limit for carrying a firearm from 21 to 18. The bill was amended to remove the ability for people between ages 18 to 21 to obtain a concealed carry permit.

Human smuggling: House File 572 would establish human smuggling as a criminal offense, defined as acts including transporting an undocumented person with the intent to conceal them from law enforcement, encouraging or coercing them to stay in the U.S. against the law by concealing or harboring them, and directing multiple individuals to be on agricultural lands without the landowner’s consent. The crime would be charged as a Class C felony with heightened penalties for cases involving monetary gain and the risk or cause of serious bodily injury or death. Some immigrant rights and religious advocates expressed concerns that the bill could lead to people providing aid to undocumented immigrants facing criminal charges.

Minors testifying in court: House Joint Resolution 9 and Senate Joint Resolution 9, placed under “unfinished business,” are Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s proposed constitutional amendment to allow minors and adults with certain disabilities to testify remotely against their alleged abusers using a closed-circuit television system. Bird said the measure, the first step in the process of amending the state constitution, was necessary to address an Iowa Supreme Court ruling that ruled children could not provide remote testimony in these circumstances because it violated the defendant’s constitutional right to confront their accuser.

Open records, meetings: House File 706 would raise penalties for violations of Iowa’s open meetings laws and require newly elected and appointed public officials to complete training on the state’s open meetings and records laws.

Police review boards: Senate File 311 would ban cities that have a civil service commission from adopting or establishing citizens’ boards that review the conduct of law enforcement officers. The measure, passed by the Senate and placed on “unfinished business” in the House, also makes changes to city civil service commissions and some processes for the legal processes surrounding disputes with a commission’s decisions or actions.

Service animals: House File 615 would make it easier for law enforcement to charge individuals for misrepresenting an animal as a service animal. The bill, passed by the House, would remove current requirements in state law that a person must first be given a warning that misrepresenting an animal as a service animal is illegal, and that the person being charged must know the animal is not actually a service animal or service animal in training.

Natural resources

Governor’s energy bill: House File 834 and Senate File 585, known as the governor’s energy bill, would grant existing utility companies the right of first refusal to build new electric transmission lines, create requirements for advanced ratemaking, and task DNR with regulating anaerobic digesters. The bills are in a House Ways and Means subcommittee and the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

Pipelines

Eminent domain: House File 639 combined a number of pipeline-related bills, including House File 939 which would have adjusted the definition of a common carrier, House File 944 which broadened who could intervene in Iowa Utilities Commission proceedings, House File 923 which restricted the IUC from imposing sanctions on intervenors, House File 780 which limited hazardous liquid pipelines to one 25-year term, House File 240 which expanded insurance requirements for a pipeline and House File 790 which required IUC presence at all meetings and hearings.

The Senate Commerce Committee significantly amended the bill to strike the common carrier definition, permit limits, and intervenor requirements. It also adjusted the insurance requirements, added a clause to allow operators to seek voluntary easements outside of the project corridor and would apply to all projects seeking eminent domain.

The bill is eligible for floor debate in the Senate.

Review of eminent domain: House File 763, would allow Iowa landowners to seek a legally binding explanation of their rights from a district court in the event of an eminent domain claim. The bill is in the House Ways and Means Committee. 

BILLS THAT DIED

Education

Academic reviews: House File 420 would have required that state universities conduct reviews of all undergraduate and graduate academic programs, determine if and how they align with state workforce needs and submit a report to the General Assembly with recommendations for whether programs should be changed, eliminated or kept the same. The bill was never brought up on the House floor after being passed out of the House Higher Education Committee.

DEI courses in public universities: House File 269, formerly House Study Bill 53, would have barred state universities from requiring students to take a course related to diversity, equity and inclusion or critical race theory to satisfy general education requirements or earn any level of certification or degree, with certain exceptions. Employees of the institutions are also prohibited from requiring or incentivizing faculty to participate in DEI or critical race theory-related practices or include those topics in content. The bill died after Senate subcommittee passage. 

DEI in community colleges: House File 855 would have added community colleges to legislation passed last year barring state universities from funding or maintaining DEI offices. While this legislation did not make it through the second funnel, community colleges are included in other legislation that would prohibit state entities from using money to start or keep DEI offices and officers. 

DEI in private universities: House File 854 would have prohibited private universities from opening, funding or otherwise maintaining offices of diversity, equity and inclusion as a prerequisite for participation in the Iowa Tuition Grant program. It failed to make it through the second funnel. 

Financial information: House File 296 would have required universities to report and post online budgets lines, expenditures and goods and services totaling $50,000, as well as written contracts, salary reports and any expenditures made related to diversity, equity and inclusion. It has been referred back to the Iowa House Higher Education Committee alongside several other bills after failing to make it through the second funnel. 

Foreign funding: House File 575, which would have required state universities to put together an annual report on foreign funding sources, amounts and how funds were used, did not make it through the second funnel deadline. 

Iowa Tuition Grant changes: House File 867 would have required Iowa College Aid to allocate half of Iowa Tuition Grant dollars to students enrolled in degree programs connected to high-wage, high-demand job fields. Passed by the Iowa House Higher Education Committee in early March, the bill died in the second funnel before House debate took place.  

Loan programs: House File 703 would have required the Iowa student loan liquidity corporation, or ISL Education Lending, to report certain loan data to Iowa College Aid relating to the annual percentage rate of the Federal Direct PLUS loan compared to college family loans and partnership loans. If the loans had a lower APR than the federal loan program, Iowa College Aid would have needed to post the information online and share it with universities, which would add it to financial aid offers. The bill did not survive the second funnel after being passed by a Senate subcommittee.

Civil government course: House File 402, which failed to make it through the second funnel, would have required college students to take a course on American history and civil government in order to earn their baccalaureate degree. 

Penalties for pro-terrorism language on campus: House File 576 would have enabled public and private colleges to penalize certain nonimmigrant visa-holders for voicing support for, or encouraging others to support, terrorist organizations or actions. Penalties included suspension, expulsion and job termination. 

Tuition waivers: House File 577 would have resulted in state universities waiving tuition and fees and providing a $5,000-a-semester stipend for undergraduate students who earn the highest-possible scores on the ACT or SAT. It failed to pass through the second funnel. 

Syllabus reports: House File 270 would have directed state university instructors to post syllabi information online in a way the public can access, including the instructor’s name, planned lessons, course requirements and materials that will be used in class. The legislation stalled after being passed through the Iowa House Higher Education Committee and did not make it through the second funnel. 

Baseball: House File 153 would have directed Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to reinstate men’s baseball teams. The bill did not survive the first funnel.

Bible studies in public schools: Legislation that directs the Iowa Board of Education to establish course standards for elective social studies classes on “Hebrew Scriptures or the Old or New Testament of the Bible” for students in grades 9 through 12 made it was approved by education committees in both chambers, but did not advance further in either chamber. House File 845 and Senate File 510 would have required the state board and school districts that chose to host classes on the Bible to remain in compliance with state and federal religious neutrality requirements.

Gulf of America: House lawmakers had considered House Study Bill 97, a proposal to require Iowa schools to replace references to the Gulf of Mexico with “Gulf of America” and “Denali” with “Mount McKinley” in classroom instruction and handouts in line with President Trump’s order earlier in 2025.

Home schooling: Legislation that would have made changes to Iowa’s regulations on homeschooling that included allowing more than four unrelated children to receive private instruction from one person and requiring homeschooled students have proof of immunization and blood lead tests submitted by their parents did not advance past the committee level. House File 888 also proposed prohibiting Iowa world language classes from using gender-neutral language for languages that have a grammatical gender system, like Spanish.

Library associations: House File 880 would have changed library eligibility for Enrich Iowa funds provided through the State Library of Iowa to exclude members of a nonprofit organization—such as the Iowa Library Association or American Library Association—that “promotes federal and state legislation related to libraries and engages in advocacy efforts at the federal, state or local level.”

Sexual abuse education: Senate File 172, also called “Erin’s Law,” proposed directing the Department of Education to make guidelines for schools to use for teaching K-6 students about child sexual abuse. 

School technology: Senate File 516 proposed directing the Iowa Department of Education, alongside Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, to create a working group focused on school technology and its impacts on students’ “social and behavioral development, attention span, mental concentration and learning ability.”

Use of names, pronouns: Senate File 8 would have prohibited discipline for a teacher or another student who does not use a transgender student’s preferred name or pronouns if it differs from their legal name or pronouns corresponding with their legally assigned sex. Parents of transgender children said the measure conflicted with legislation passed in previous sessions that allowed families to direct schools to use a name different from their legal name.

Food dyes and margarine: House File 212 would have banned synthetic food dyes, margarine and other artificial additives from school meals, snacks and beverages. The bill was modeled after a similar law in California. 

Health care

Child care workers: House File 382 proposed expanding Iowa’s laws limiting the use of minors in child care. In Iowa, minors as young as age 16 can work in child care centers without adult supervision. The bill proposed allowing minor workers to provide “flex care” for children from infancy to age 2 without direct supervision.

Abortion protection: A proposed constitutional amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 1, dealing with the right to reproductive care, died during the first funnel deadline. 

mRNA vaccines: A proposed ban on gene-based vaccines, like the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, died during the first funnel deadline. Senate File 360 would have set penalties for healthcare providers that administer vaccines that use nucleic acids like messenger RNA (mRNA), with fines of $500 for each violation.

Medication abortion restrictions: House File 775 proposed restrictions on abortion medication by mail. The legislation would have required abortion medications be distributed in-person exclusively, and would have required patients give written consent for the medication acknowledging they understand the risks and potential to reverse an abortion through medication.

Nursing homes inspectors: Senate File 532 proposed several nursing home care changes, including a $600,000 increase in state funding for 30 additional care-facility inspectors and an increase in penalties for violations of certain regulations by health care facilities. The bill also proposed banning Medicaid-certified nursing homes in Iowa from requiring that residents or families agree to arbitration instead of seeking legal action over negligent care claims.

Personal needs allowance: Senate File 476 proposed raising the monthly personal needs allowance for Medicaid beneficiaries in nursing homes from $50 to $65 per month. The allowances are used by residents at care facilities to pay for items such as cellphone service, hairdressing, clothing, cable TV and snacks.

Vaccine manufacturer immunity: House File 712 was a proposal requiring vaccine manufacturers waive their immunity from lawsuits over certain vaccine injuries that are currently covered through a federal, no-fault compensation program under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act.

State government

Annexing southern Minnesota: Senate File 354, introduced by Senator Mike Bousselot, would have directed the state to begin negotiations with Minnesota for the purchase of nine southern Minnesota counties. The bill did not receive a subcommittee hearing.

Artificial intelligence: House Study Bill 294, which representatives noted was a “work in progress” would have created protections from election materials produced with artificial intelligence, or “algorithmic discrimination” caused by AI. The bill advanced from the House Economic Growth and Technology Committee before the first funnel, but chairman Rep. Ray Sorenson told committee members Monday he expects to continue working on the bill next year. 

Citizenship on IDs: House File 439 would have required that driver’s licenses and non-operator identification cards list a person’s citizenship status. While critics said the measure could lead to discrimination, some poll workers told lawmakers the inclusion of citizenship status on IDs could help them confirm a person’s eligibility to vote.

Homelessness: A proposal discussed in early March that would criminalize sleeping and camping on public property did not advance. House Study Bill 286 and Senate Study Bill 1195, supported by the Austin, Texas-based Cicero Institute, would have allowed cities and counties to create designated spaces for homeless encampments and create “drug-free homeless service zones.” The legislation also would have allowed for criminal charges against facility operators providing shelter and services to individuals experiencing homelessness that also allow people to possess or use a controlled substance in their facility.

Justice and public safety

Age verification for social media: House File 798 proposed requiring social media companies to obtain parental permission before a minor was allowed to create an account on their platform. Parents and guardians would also have been  required to have access to a minor’s posts and messages on the platform, with the ability to revoke access at any time to the account.

Booking photos: House File 47 would have limited the public release of police mugshots until after the person arrested was convicted of the crime for which they were arrested, with exceptions in cases where a person was a fugitive or when the photo’s release would help law enforcement apprehend the individual.

Death penalty: Iowa lawmakers did not advance Senate File 320, a bill to reestablish the death penalty in Iowa in cases where a person was convicted of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer.

ICE agreements: House Study Bill 187 proposed requiring all Iowa law enforcement agencies to enter into agreements with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to participate in immigration law enforcement efforts. The bill did not advance past the first funnel following concerns expressed by Latino and immigrant rights advocates as well as law enforcement officers.

Immigration law enforcement: House File 946, which passed the House, would have stated that law enforcement officers who “knowingly and intentionally” fail to comply with the state laws on federal immigration enforcement would be subject to investigation by the attorney general. The measure was significantly amended from its initial language, which would have stated law enforcement in violation of the state law could face a Class D felony charge. The bill was not taken up by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Obscene performances: House File 891 would have created a new criminal charge for knowingly exposing a minor to an obscene performance or admitting a minor to premises with obscene performances, following obscenity definitions under existing Iowa code. The bill was amended heavily from an earlier version that focused on penalties related to minors attending drag shows, which were defined as “performances where “the main aspect of the performance is a performer who exhibits a gender identity that is different than the performer’s gender assigned at birth through the use of clothing, makeup, accessories, or other gender signifiers.”

Obscenity laws in libraries: House File 521 would have repealed current obscenity law exemptions for educational institutions and libraries. Opponents said the measure could have subject public libraries to costly litigation over material that is not “obscene” under Iowa law, but that members of the community did not want to be available through public libraries.

Pesticide lawsuits: Grassley told reporters Thursday that legislation providing legal protections for pesticide manufacturers from certain lawsuits, including claims that pesticide products gave individuals cancer, did not have the support needed to pass in the Iowa House. Senate File 394 was passed by the Senate in late March.

Traffic cameras: House File 764 proposed banning local governments from contracting with third-party vendors to collect traffic camera fines.

Natural resources

Chemtrails: House File 927 proposed a prohibition on the intentional emission of air contaminants that intentionally impact “temperature, weather, or the intensity of sunlight,” legislation that some critics said was tied to the chemtrails conspiracy theory. One of the suggested amendments to the bill, introduced by Representative Adam Zabner, would have directed the Iowa Department of Natural resources to conduct a study to “research the existence of Bigfoot in the state.”

Beneficial use water permits: House File 861, formerly House File 480, would have required the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to evaluate the “beneficial use” of a water use permit application on a case-by-case basis, rather than a categorical determination. The bill was sent back to the House Natural Resources Committee. 

Community solar: House File 404, would have connected small solar fields, built in brownfield sites, on top of commercial warehouses or in underutilized farmland, into the electric power grid. Community members could purchase shares of the solar project and then receive waivers on their electric bills from the operating utility company. The bill did not see floor debate despite being eligible since early February. Existing utility companies were opposed to the bill and said non-affected ratepayers would have to shoulder some of the maintenance costs.  

Land acquisition: Senate File 553 and House File 714, which would have blocked the DNR from purchasing land at auction, or acquiring land from anyone other than a willing donor or seller, did not advance to the floor of either chamber.

PFAS: House File 723, which would have required water treatment plants to test sewage sludge for PRFAS, or perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl, and notify landowners if the sludge, destined for land application, contained PFAS. The bill gained a subcommittee meeting after the first funnel, but was not heard by the House Environmental Protection Committee. 

Gardening: Senate File 494 would have prohibited state and local governments from enacting rules or ordinances that prohibit Iowans from establishing or maintaining a residential garden. The bill advanced from the Senate floor and from a House subcommittee, but was not heard in the House Local Government Committee. 

Pipelines

Climate change language: House File 302, would have precluded the Iowa Utilities Commission from considering climate change when issuing a permit for a hazardous liquid pipeline. 

Eminent domain for CO2 pipelines: House File 943 was one of two pipeline-related bills to advance from the House. This bill would have blocked pipelines carrying liquified carbon dioxide from receiving eminent domain rights in the state. 

Office of the Consumer Advocate: House File 578, which would have restored the Office of the Consumer Advocate as an independent office, advanced from the House, and was assigned to a subcommittee which did not schedule a hearing.

Sent to the governor

Gender identity protections: The first bill the governor signed this session was Senate File 418,removing gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act. Previously under the state civil rights code, transgender people and others were given protections against discrimination on the basis of their gender identity in areas such as employment, housing, public accommodations and education. The law also removes transgender Iowans’ ability to change their designated sex on their birth certificate after receiving gender-affirming medical treatment, and changes definitions in Iowa law for “sex” and “gender.”

Hands-free cellphones: Reynolds signed into law Senate File 22, a ban on the handheld use of cellphones and other electronic devices while driving outside of voice-activated or hands-free modes. The distracted driving bill was approved by the Iowa House in March after several years where the bill failed to advance through the chamber. 

Open beverage containers: In March, Reynolds also signed into law House File 181, a measure expanding Iowa’s ban on open containers of alcoholic drinks in vehicles’ passenger compartments. The law now includes beverages containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. 

Workforce training contract requirements: The governor signed Senate File 603, a bill that prohibits state agencies and local governments from mandating requirements related to  apprenticeship training for contractors outside of legal obligations. Other “restrictions, qualifications, or requirements” imposed by local entities on contractors, subcontractors, developers and apprentices would also be barred.