Mar 14, 2025
This Week at the Statehouse
Every year, new legislation is introduced that may significantly impact the Iowa Board of Regents System, either directly or indirectly. On average, the Board of Regents registers a position on more than 300 bills annually. Because of this, the Iowa Board of Regents authorized the creation of the new Regent Legislative Committee at their meeting on February 27th. The committee will hold weekly meetings on Fridays at 10 am starting on March 14th that are open to the public. To watch the weekly meetings, please visit the Iowa Board of Regents website.
The first funnel has passed and the House and Senate have begun to debate bills passed out of committees. At the University of Northern Iowa, we have been closely monitoring legislation that may affect our students, faculty, and campus priorities. We have been committed to collaborating with lawmakers to ensure UNI’s voice is heard and to advocate for initiatives that support our mission and the future of Iowa’s workforce. For the list of bills the Board of Regents is monitoring as of March 14 that are still eligible for consideration post-funnel, please see below:
| Bill | Description | Status |
| HF 175 | An Act relating to in-state residency for purposes of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees at regents institutions and community colleges for certain military personnel and family members. | Passed House Floor, Awaiting Senate Action |
| HF 177 | Act relating to assaults, including assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations and inmate assaults on department of corrections employees, and providing penalties. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 203 | Act creating a Caitlin Clark and Lisa Bluder monument tax credit and fund available against the individual and corporate income taxes, the franchise tax, the insurance premiums tax, and the moneys and credits tax. | No Action |
| HF 259 | An Act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body. | Passed House Floor, Awaiting Senate Action |
| HF 269 | An Act prohibiting certain requirements for students and faculty at regents institutions relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory and including applicability provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 270 | An Act requiring regents institutions to make certain course syllabus information available to the public online and including effective date provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 271 | An Act establishing the comprehensive transition and postsecondary program scholarship program and making appropriations. | Referred to House Appropriations |
| HF 295 | An Act relating to accreditation of postsecondary educational institutions, prohibiting adverse action by accrediting agencies against certain postsecondary educational institutions for compliance with state law, providing remedies, and including effective date provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 296 | An Act providing for public availability of certain financial information of regents institutions and including effective date provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 299 | An Act relating to the provision of information relating to immunization exemptions. | Passed House Floor, Awaiting Senate Action |
| HF 301 | An Act requiring the university of Iowa hospitals and clinics to give priority to certain Iowa residents in awarding certain residencies and fellowships and to include rural rotations in certain residencies and fellowships. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 310 | An Act relating to assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations including a health care provider, and making penalties applicable. | Passed House Floor, Awaiting Senate Action |
| HF 379 | An Act relating to medical residency positions and audition clinicals for medical students and medical residency position applicants meeting certain criteria. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 386 | An Act providing for a study of transitioning certain medical schools in Iowa from four-year programs to three-year programs. | Passed House Floor, Awaiting Senate Action |
| HF 400 | An Act relating to public records requests. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 401 | An Act providing for general education requirements for undergraduate students at regents institutions and including applicability provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 402 | An Act establishing completion of a course on American history and civil government as a requirement for the completion of a baccalaureate degree program at a public institution of higher education. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 420 | An Act providing for a review by the state board of regents of academic programs offered at regents institutions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 437 | An Act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 440 | An Act relating to tuition, degree programs, employment, and related matters pertaining to students enrolled at regents institutions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 472 | 1 An Act creating a special motion for expedited relief in actions involving the exercise of the right of freedom of speech and of the press, the right to assemble and petition, and the right of association, and including applicability provisions. | Passed House Floor, Awaiting Senate Action |
| HF 516 | An Act establishing requirements relating to the residency of persons accepted for admission to the state university of Iowa’s colleges of medicine, nursing, and dentistry and requiring an annual report. | Passed House Floor, Awaiting Senate Action |
| HF 571 | An Act relating to protections for medical practitioners, health care institutions, and health care payors including those related to the exercise of conscience, whistleblower activities, and free speech, and providing penalties. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 575 | An Act requiring reporting by regents institutions of funding from certain foreign sources and including effective date provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 576 | An Act providing penalties for certain nonimmigrant visa holders attending or employed by certain institutions of higher education who express support for certain terrorist activities or organizations and including effective date provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 577 | An Act providing for a waiver of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees and a stipend at regents institutions for Iowa residents who receive the maximum score on certain standardized tests. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 584 | An Act relating to the opioid settlement fund, establishing the opioid epidemic response advisory council, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. | No Action |
| HF 694 | An Act relating to the display of flags on and in public buildings, grounds, and vehicles, and providing penalties. | No Action |
| HF 701 | An Act relating to a review of anti-obesity medications by the department of health and human services for purposes of the medical assistance program. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 703 | An Act concerning information regarding certain state and federal student loan programs. | Passed House Floor, Awaiting Senate Action |
| HF 706 | An Act relating to open meetings and open records, providing penalties, and making penalties applicable. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 754 | An Act relating to health care including a funding model for the rural health care system; the elimination of several health care-related award, grant, residency, and fellowship programs; establishment of a health care professional incentive program; Medicaid graduate medical education; the health facilities council; and the Iowa health information network, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. | Referred to House Appropriations |
| HF 768 | An Act relating to the filing of complaints with the Iowa public information board. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 784 | An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to mathematics instruction, practitioner preparation programs, and the duties of the director of the department of education. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 787 | An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the calculation of the teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil, teacher preparation requirements, out-of-state placement of certain specified students requiring special education, the duties of the department of education, and minimum teacher salaries, and including effective date provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 802 | An Act relating to the right to try Act. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 806 | An Act relating to peer review committees and organ procurement organizations. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 807 | An Act creating the compassion and care for medically challenging pregnancies Act. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 833 | An Act relating to services and support for youth, including treatment, physical assessments, and behavioral health evaluations for youth involved in involuntary commitment, juvenile delinquency, child in need of assistance, and family in need of assistance proceedings; the licensing and certification of certain residential facilities; the provision of home and community-based services and habilitation services to certain youth by residential programs; administration and supervision of juvenile court services; and the suspension of Hawki eligibility for inmates of public institutions. | Referred to House Ways and Means |
| HF 834 | An Act relating to energy systems by modifying electric power generation, energy storage, and transmission facility ratemaking principles, creating tariffs for public utility innovation programs, implementing land restoration standards, including right of first refusal, modifying the energy infrastructure revolving loan program, and creating regulations for anaerobic digester systems, making appropriations, providing penalties, and including effective date and applicability provisions. | Referred to House Ways and Means |
| HF 853 | An Act relating to interpretation of law in administrative and judicial proceedings under the Iowa administrative procedure Act. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 856 | An Act prohibiting state entities from expending moneys to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or to hire individuals to serve as diversity, equity, and inclusion officers, creating a private cause of action, and including effective date provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 868 | An Act providing for a study of establishing an institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents in Pottawattamie county or a contiguous county. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 869 | An Act providing for the conduct of licensed veterinarians when involved in certain legal matters involving the alleged mistreatment of animals, including by providing for immunity from administrative, civil, or criminal liability when acting in good faith; providing for administrative, civil, or criminal liability when not acting in good faith; and making penalties applicable. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 889 | An Act relating to government employee paid leave. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 891 | An Act relating to obscenity, including the exposure of a minor to an obscene performance and admittance of a minor to a premises with obscene performances, establishing a private civil cause of action, and providing penalties. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 902 | An Act concerning the display of the national league of families POW/MIA flag. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 912 | An Act relating to state services and benefits provided to veterans, including state grants, public assistance programs, business fee waivers, substance use disorder programs, mental health and disability services, undergraduate tuition and fees, disabled veteran tax credits, department of natural resources’ licenses and fees, permit to carry weapons fees, vehicle registration fees, and driver’s licenses, making penalties applicable, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. | Referred to House Appropriations |
| HF 921 | An Act relating to administrative investigations under the peace officer, public safety, and emergency personnel bill of rights, civil service disciplinary hearings and appeals, and communications in professional confidence, and including effective date provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 913 | An Act providing for the continuation of health insurance in certain circumstances for the surviving spouse and each surviving child of employees of the state of Iowa and including retroactive applicability provisions. | Referred to House Appropriations |
| HF 952 | An Act relating to state grounds and contracts, including by providing for required and prohibited contract terms and regulating events on the capitol complex, and including applicability provisions. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HF 955 | An Act relating to government ethics of employees of a state agency, and making penalties applicable. | Eligible for House Floor Debate |
| HSB 225 | An Act providing for regulation of certain noncoal mine sites, including the reclamation of land above active underground mine sites disturbed by the formation of sinkholes, making penalties applicable, and including effective date provisions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HSB 266 | An Act concerning retirement and employment benefits associated with cancer, and making appropriations. | Passed Committee |
| SF 6 | An Act relating to the provision of information relating to immunization exemptions. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 47 | An Act creating a special motion for expedited relief in actions involving the exercise of the right of freedom of speech and of the press, the right to assemble and petition, and the right of association, and including applicability provisions. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 180 | An Act relating to the right to refuse certain medical services for reasons of conscience. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 220 | An Act relating to protections for medical practitioners, health care institutions, and health care payors including those related to the exercise of conscience, whistleblower activities, and free speech, and providing penalties. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 231 | An Act relating to prior authorizations and exemptions by health benefit plans and utilization review organizations. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 233 | An Act relating to the right to try Act. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 274 | An Act relating to forms of payment for entry into an extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 283 | An Act establishing the comprehensive transition and postsecondary program scholarship program and making appropriations. | Referred to Senate Appropriations |
| SF 288 | An Act relating to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education governed by the board of regents and community colleges. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 297 | An Act relating to contracts entered into by state agencies and including applicability provisions. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 315 | Act relating to pharmacy benefits manager reverse auctions and group insurance for public employees. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 319 | An Act relating to certain cost controls for health care services. | Passed the Senate, Awaiting House Action |
| SF 386 | An Act relating to the filing of complaints with the Iowa public information board. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 388 | An Act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 389 | An Act relating to public records requests. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 397 | An Act relating to assaults, including assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations and inmate assaults on department of corrections employees, and providing penalties. | Passed the Senate, Awaiting House Action |
| SF 442 | An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the calculation of the teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil, teacher preparation requirements, out-of-state placement of certain specified students requiring special education, the duties of the department of education, and minimum teacher salaries, and including effective date provisions. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 450 | An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to mathematics instruction, civics assessments, practitioner preparation programs, and the duties of the director of the department of education. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 469 | An Act creating an emeritus license to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 472 | An Act relating to retention and recertification elections for public employee collective bargaining units and including effective date and applicability provisions. | Passed the Senate, Awaiting House Action |
| SF 474 | An Act relating to services and support for youth, including treatment, physical assessments, and behavioral health evaluations; exemptions from children’s residential facility certification; the director of juvenile court services and chief juvenile court officers; and suspension of Hawki eligibility for public institution inmates | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 475 | An Act imposing a tax on certain products containing nicotine or nonnicotine substances, creating the Iowa cancer research fund, and including effective date provisions. | Referred to Senate Ways and Means |
| SF 487 | An Act relating to employer recordkeeping and auditing requirements for purposes of unemployment insurance and including applicability provisions. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 491 | An Act prohibiting the use of remotely piloted aircraft flying over farm property, and making penalties applicable. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 519 | An Act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 552 | An Act relating to a review of anti-obesity medications by the department of health and human services and the department of administrative services for purposes of the medical assistance program and health insurance plans for public employees. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 565 | An Act providing for the continuation of health insurance in certain circumstances for the surviving spouse and each surviving child of employees of the state of Iowa and including retroactive applicability provisions. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 574 | An Act relating to retention of fees for public improvement contracts. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 575 | An Act relating to health care including a funding model for the rural health care system; the elimination of several health care-related award, grant, residency, and fellowship programs; establishment of a health care professional incentive program; Medicaid graduate medical education; the health facilities council; and the Iowa health information network, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. | Referred to Senate Appropriations |
| SF 581 | An Act relating to the reporting of serious reportable events, and providing penalties. | Eligible for Senate Floor Debate |
| SF 585 | An Act relating to energy systems by modifying electric power generation, energy storage, and transmission facility ratemaking principles, creating tariffs for public utility innovation programs, implementing land restoration standards, including right of first refusal, modifying the energy infrastructure revolving loan program, and creating regulations for anaerobic digester systems, making appropriations, providing penalties, and including effective date and applicability provisions. | Referred to Senate Appropriations |
| SSB 1208 | An Act relating to local government property taxes, financial authority, and budgets, modifying appropriations, and including effective date, applicability, and retroactive applicability provisions. | No Action |