Apr 04, 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 that are open for the public to watch online. To watch the weekly meetings, please visit the Iowa Board of Regents Youtube page.
This week at the statehouse was second funnel week, one of the major deadlines legislation needs to meet in order to stay eligible. Bills originating in the House needed to make it out of Senate committees and bills originating in the Senate needed to pass out of House committees. Bills that did not meet this deadline are no longer eligible to be considered unless they are Ways and Means or Appropriations bills. 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 April 4, please see below. Bills that did not meet the second funnel deadline have been removed from the list.
| Bill | Description | Originating Committee | Notes | Status |
| HF 203 | An 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. | Ways and Means | In House Ways and Means | |
| HF 259 | An Act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body. | State Government | On Unfinished Business | Attached to SF 388 |
| HF 271 | An Act establishing the comprehensive transition and postsecondary program scholarship program and making appropriations. | Education | Previously HF 97 | In 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. | Higher Education | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| HF 299 | An Act relating to the provision of information relating to immunization exemptions. | Health and Human Services | On Unfinished Business | Attached to SF 6 |
| HF 310 | An Act relating to assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations including a health care provider, and making penalties applicable. | Health and Human Services | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| HF 386 | An Act providing for a study of transitioning certain medical schools in Iowa from four-year programs to three-year programs. | Health and Human Services | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| HF 401 | An Act providing for general education requirements for undergraduate students at regents institutions and including applicability provisions. | Higher Education | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| HF 437 | An Act establishing a center for intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa. | Higher Education | On Unfinished Business | Attached to SF 519 |
| HF 440 | An Act relating to tuition, degree programs, employment, and related matters pertaining to students enrolled at regents institutions. | Higher Education | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| HF 472 | 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. | Judiciary | On Unfinished Business | Attached to SF 47 |
| HF 516 | An Act relating to medical residency and fellowship positions, including priority for admission to the university of Iowa’s colleges of medicine and dentistry, and hospitals and clinics. | Health and Human Services | On Senate Calendar | Passed the House |
| 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. | Judiciary | On Unfinished Business | Attached to SF 220 |
| HF 584 | An Act relating to the opioid settlement fund, establishing the opioid epidemic response advisory council, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. | Appropriations | In House Appropriations | |
| HF 648 | An Act relating to a licensed sedation provider host permit for a dentist. | Health and Human Services | On Senate Calendar | Passed the House |
| HF 694 | An Act relating to the display of flags on and in public buildings, grounds, and vehicles, and providing penalties. | Ways and Means | In House Ways and Means | |
| HF 706 | An Act relating to open meetings and open records, providing penalties, and making penalties applicable. | State Government | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| 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, and including effective date provisions. | Education | On Senate Calendar | Attached to SF 450 |
| 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. | Education | On Unfinished Business | Attached to SF 442 |
| HF 806 | An Act relating to peer review committees and organ procurement organizations. | Health and Human Services | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| 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. | Health and Human Services | On House Calendar | Companion to SF 474 |
| 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. | Commerce | Previously HSB 123 | In House Ways and Means |
| HF 856 | An Act prohibiting public entities and private educational institutions from engaging in certain activities relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating a private cause of action, and including effective date provisions. | Education | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| 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. | State Government | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| HF 889 | An Act relating to government employee paid leave. | State Government | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| 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. | Veterans Affairs | Previously HF 469 | In House Appropriations |
| 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. | State Government | Previously HSB 112 | In 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. | State Government | On Unfinished Business | Companion to SF 297 |
| HF 967 | An Act relating to benefits and contributions for members of the Iowa public employees’ retirement system who are employed in a protection occupation. | State Government | Previously HSB 265 | In House Ways and Means |
| HF 969 | An Act concerning benefits associated with cancer diagnoses of members of certain public retirement systems. | State Government | On Senate Calendar | Passed House |
| HF 972 | 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. | Appropriations | Previously HF 754 | Passed the House |
| 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. | Ways and Means | In House Ways and Means | |
| HSB 313 | An Act relating to local government property taxes, financial authority, and budgets, modifying appropriations, and including effective date, applicability, and retroactive applicability provisions. | Ways and Means | In House Ways and Means | |
| SF 6 | An Act relating to the provision of information relating to immunization exemptions. | Health and Human Services | On Unfinished Business | Attached to HF 299 |
| 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. | Judiciary | On Unfinished Business | Attached to HF 472 |
| SF 180 | An Act relating to the right to refuse certain medical services for reasons of conscience. | Judiciary | On House Calendar | Passed Senate |
| 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. | Judiciary | On Unfinished Business | Attached to HF 571 |
| SF 233 | An Act relating to the right to try Act. | Health and Human Services | On Senate Calendar | Passed the Senate, Amended by House and sent back to Senate |
| SF 283 | An Act establishing the comprehensive transition and postsecondary program scholarship program and making appropriations. | Education | Previously SF 14 | In 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. | Education | On House Calendar | Passed Senate |
| SF 297 | An Act relating to contracts entered into by state agencies and including applicability provisions. | State Government | On Unfinished Business | Companion to HF 952 |
| SF 315 | An Act relating to pharmacy benefits manager reverse auctions and group insurance for public employees and including effective date provisions. | Health and Human Services | On House Calendar | Passed Senate |
| SF 388 | An Act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body. | State Government | On Unfinished Business | Attached to HF 259 |
| 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. | Judiciary | Awaiting Governor's Signature | Passed Both Chambers |
| 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. | Education | On Unfinished Business | Attached to HF 787 |
| SF 450 | 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, and including effective date provisions. | Education | On Unfinished Business | Attached to HF 784 |
| SF 469 | An Act creating an emeritus license to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. | Health and Human Services | Previously SSB 1121 | In House Ways and Means |
| SF 472 | An Act relating to retention and recertification elections for public employee collective bargaining units and including effective date and applicability provisions. | Workforce | On House Calendar | Passed Senate |
| SF 474 | 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. | Health and Human Services | On Unfinished Business | On Senate Calendar |
| 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. | Health and Human Services | Previously SSB 1137 | In Senate Ways and Means |
| SF 491 | An Act prohibiting the use of remotely piloted aircraft flying over farm property, and making penalties applicable. | Transportation | On House Calendar | Passed Senate |
| SF 519 | An Act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa. | Education | On Unfinished Business | Attached to HF 437 |
| 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. | State Government | On Unfinished Business | Companion to HF 913 |
| SF 574 | An Act relating to retention of fees for public improvement contracts. | Commerce | On House Calendar | Passed Senate |
| 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. | Commerce | Previously SSB 1112 | In Senate Appropriations |
| SF 618 | 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. | Appropriations | Previously SF 581 | Companion to HF 972 |
| 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. | Ways and Means | In Senate Ways and Means | |
| SSB 1216 | An Act appropriating federal moneys made available from federal block grants and other nonstate sources, allocating portions of federal block grants, and providing procedures if federal moneys or federal block grants are more or less than anticipated. | Appropriations | In Senate Appropriations | |
| SSB 1218 | An Act relating to and making appropriations from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund and technology reinvestment fund, and including effective date provisions. | Appropriations | In Senate Appropriations | |
| SSB 1220 | An Act relating to and making appropriations involving state government entities associated with agriculture, natural resources, and environmental protection. | Appropriations | In Senate Appropriations |