Bill Watch List / 2026 Session

Updated: 5/27/2026 12:37 PM

SUPPORT:

• HF2788 – Telehealth and Mail-Order Abortion Drug Ban – 2026
  5/19/2026 – SIGNED into law – Restricts the distribution of any abortion-inducing drugs, including mifepristone, in Iowa by requiring that they be dispensed in-person in a health care setting by an authorized provider, effectively prohibiting telehealth and mail distribution. Under the law anyone who illegally dispenses an abortion-inducing drug can be sued by an “interested party.” Physicians or pharmacists who violate the law are subject to medical or pharmacy board discipline. Unfortunately this bill still allows doctors to prescribe abortion inducing drugs to a mother during an in-person office visit, but by banning telehealth and mail-order abortion drugs, it is hoped that it will dramatically reduce the number of medication abortions in the state. (Formerly HF 2563)

• SF579 – Local Civil Rights Ordinance Limitations – 2026
  3/13/2026 – SIGNED into law – Prohibits local governments from adopting civil rights provisions that expand, redefine, or alter protected classes, standards, or enforcement mechanisms beyond those established in the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

• HF2787 – Warrant Resolution Clinic Prohibition – 2026
  5/13/2026 – Passed House and Senate – Waiting for the Governor’s signature or veto – Prohibits “warrant resolution clinics” that allow individuals to resolve arrest warrants without immediate arrest, requiring warrants to be handled through standard legal processes and establishing criminal and civil penalties for violations.

• SF2187 – Citizenship Verification for Driver’s Licenses Act – 2026
  5/15/2026 – SIGNED into law – Requires the Department of Transportation to verify an applicant’s U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status using the federal SAVE system before issuing or renewing a driver’s license or state ID, and to deny the application if legal presence cannot be confirmed. House amendment, S 5186, delays implementation until 2027 or until the state’s new system is operational.

• HF2754 – School Choice & Charter Expansion – 2026
  5/26/2026 – SIGNED into law – Restructures Iowa’s education system to prioritize parental choice and flexibility, including elevating homeschool credentials to equal legal status with traditional schools by (1) granting full legal recognition to homeschool diplomas, (2) eliminating the need for a GED, (3) affirming parental authority to issue diplomas and transcripts, (4) allowing parents to verify enrollment and academic records, and (5) preserving broad exemption from most state regulation. It also significantly expands charter schools by allowing independent statewide operation, creating clearer approval and accountability systems, and directing more per-pupil funding and services to follow students rather than school districts. It also broadens student access by allowing charter and nonpublic students to participate in public school extracurricular activities and services, while modifying programs like education savings accounts and preschool funding to include more providers.
• SF2231 – Religious Neutrality in Education & Protection of Student Religious and Political Speech in Public Schools – 2026
  5/19/2026 – SIGNED into law – Expands access to Iowa’s preschool program by requiring school districts to partner with community providers and ensuring those providers—including religious ones—can participate without altering their programs AND establishes strong protections for student religious and political expression, including prohibiting school discrimination and allowing students to bring legal action for violations.
• SF2428 – Student Disruption Discipline Standards – 2026
  5/20/2026 – Passed House and Senate – Waiting for the Governor’s signature or veto – As amended by the House, SF 2428 expands Iowa’s student discipline framework by requiring school districts to adopt structured removal and discipline procedures for students who cause violent or nonviolent disruptions, strengthening teacher authority and protections, and adding extensive special education (IEP) requirements along with policy and training guidance for schools.

• SF473 – Religious Protections for Foster and Adoptive Parents – 2026
  5/5/2026 – Passed House and Senate – Waiting for the Governor’s signature or veto – Prevents the Department of Health and Human Services from requiring foster care providers or adoptive parents to support policies on sexual orientation or gender identity if it conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs and prevents them from being denied the ability to foster or adopt based on those beliefs
• SF2096 – Foster Care Training Requirement Reform – 2026
  4/7/2026 – SIGNED into law – Allows the Department of Health and Human Services to tailor foster care training requirements based on a provider’s experience and a child’s needs rather than fixed hourly mandates.

• HF2676 – Iowa Make America Healthy Again Act – 2026
  5/22/2026 – SIGNED into law – As passed by the House, HF 2676 reshapes how Iowa approaches health and education by emphasizing nutrition, limiting certain foods and screen time in schools, expanding physical activity requirements, banning additives such as Red 40, Yellow 5 and 6, Blue 1 and 2, Green 3, potassium bromate, and propylparaben, tightening SNAP food eligibility, allowing over-the-counter ivermectin, increasing nutrition-focused medical training, and enabling interstate psychology practice; Senate Amendment S-5173 replaces the bill with the “Iowa Make America Healthy Again Act,” retaining these core policies but reorganizing and narrowing them into a more structured, health-focused package.

• HF2542 – Repeat Offender 7-Year Mandatory Sentence – 2026
  5/20/2026 – Passed House and Senate – Waiting for the Governor’s signature or veto – Requires habitual offenders to serve a mandatory minimum of seven years before becoming eligible for parole, without reduction for earned time. Defines a habitual offender as a person convicted of a class C or D felony who has two prior felony convictions, increases the maximum sentence to 20 years, requires probation officers to report violations, and restricts the availability of deferred judgments and certain sentencing alternatives for qualifying offenses.

• HF2253 – “Pregnant Female” Statutory Language Correction – 2026
  4/16/2026 – SIGNED into law – Corrects terminology throughout the Iowa code by replacing “pregnant person” with “pregnant female.”

• HF864 – Age Verification Requirement for Online Obscene Material – 2025
  5/13/2026 – Passed House and Senate – Waiting for the Governor’s signature or veto – Requires a commercial entity that knowingly or intentionally publishes or distributes obscene material on the internet to use reasonable age verification methods to verify that the individual attempting to access the material is not a minor.

• HF571 – Medical Ethics Defense Act – 2026
  5/19/2026 – SIGNED into law – Medical Right of Conscience Bill. Allows medical providers, doctors, nurses, and institutions to refuse to participate in medical procedures that violate their conscience, and allows them to speak out against wrongdoing and engage in free speech without fear of discrimination or retaliation.

• HF2296 – Prohibition on Local Government Identification Cards – 2026
  4/16/2026 – SIGNED into law – Prohibits cities and counties from issuing local identification cards to residents while allowing state-issued IDs and limited use of identification cards for government employees and elected officials.
• HF2694 – Governor Emergency Authority Reform – 2026
  5/13/2026 – Passed House and Senate – Waiting for the Governor’s signature or veto – Limits the governor’s emergency powers by prohibiting the closure or regulation of places of worship, banning vaccine mandates, and preventing regulation of private residences. The bill also prevents the governor from mandating business closures, while still allowing such closures to be recommended.

• HF2711 – Ending Affirmative Action Rules on Race, Gender, and Citizenship – 2026
  5/6/2026 – Passed House and Senate – Waiting for the Governor’s signature or veto – Modifies state affirmative action policies by eliminating or scaling back certain race- and gender-based programs, requirements, and reporting in state employment, education, and other areas. The bill emphasizes equal opportunity by requiring nondiscrimination while limiting the use of identity-based preferences.