Bill Watch List / 2026 Session

Updated: 4/18/2026 12:56 PM

SUPPORT:

• HF2579 – Religious Worship Protection – 2026
  3/11/2026 – Passed House Ways and Means Subcommittee – Still alive because it is in the House Ways and Means Committee which is exempt from “funnel dates.” – Prohibits a person from intentionally engaging in conduct that substantially obstructs, prevents, or interferes with the orderly conduct of a religious service or religious assembly, such as creating persistent or unreasonable noise, physically obstructing an entrance, or causing congregants to reasonably fear danger. Makes such conduct a Class “D” felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine.

• 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.

• HF2104 – Carbon Dioxide Pipeline Eminent Domain Prohibition – 2026
  4/16/2026 – Passed House & Senate Committee – Prohibits the exercise of eminent domain for carbon oxide (CO₂) pipelines, ensuring that private property cannot be taken by government authority for these pipeline projects. EDiITOR’S NOTE: A senate amendment to the bill allows for the use of eminent domain to which we are opposed.

• SF2187 – Citizenship Verification for Driver’s Licenses Act – 2026
  4/16/2026 – Passed Senate & House with House Amendment S-5186 – Back to the Senate for a concurrent vote – 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.

• HF2133 – Kratom Controlled Substance Classification (Formerly HSB 508.) (Companion to SF2192) – 2026
  4/8/2026 – Passed House – Companion, SF 2192, passed Senate Committee – Designates kratom (an Asian plant with leaves used for their stimulant and opioid-like effects) and its chemical compounds as a Schedule I controlled substance and establishes escalating criminal penalties—from misdemeanor to felony—for possession and repeat offenses. (Companion to SF2192)
• SF2192 – Kratom Controlled Substance Classification (Companion to HF2133) – 2026
  3/19/2026 – Passed Senate Judiciary Committee – Companion, HF 2133, passed the House – Designates kratom (an Asian plant with leaves used for their stimulant and opioid-like effects) and its chemical compounds as a Schedule I controlled substance and establishes escalating criminal penalties—from misdemeanor to felony—for possession and repeat offenses. (Companion to HF2133)

• HF2336 – Protection of Student Religious and Political Speech in Schools (Companion to SF2300) – 2026
  3/19/2026 – Passed House – Companion, SF 2300, passed Senate Committee – Prohibits schools from discriminating against religious, political, or ideological expression, and allows penalties and lawsuits against schools that violate those rights. (Companion to SF2300) 4-10-26 UPDATE: The language from this bill was amended into SF 2231 which was then passed by the House on 4-8-26 and sent back to the Senate for a concurrent vote.
• HF2538 – Discipline Procedures for Student Disorderly Conduct – 2026
  3/26/2026 – Passed House & Senate Education Committee – Sets clear rules for disciplining students who engage in disorderly conduct, gives teachers authority to remove disruptive students, outlines suspension and alternative placement options, and provides protections and immunity for school staff.
• SF2231 – Religious Neutrality Rules in Education Update & Protection of Student Religious and Political Speech in Public Schools (Amended to include HF 2336 / SF 2300) – 2026
  4/9/2026 – Passed Senate and House – Amended by the House and returned to the Senate for a concurrent vote – UPDATE 4-10-26 – The original bill as passed by the Senate, expands preschool access, requires school districts to partner with community providers, allows religious schools to participate in certain education programs and tax benefits, and removes restrictions tied to sectarian use. ON 4-8-26 the House amended the bill by adding the language from HF 2336, a bill previously passed by the House that protects public school students’ religious and political speech. After passing the amended version of the bill the House sent it back to the Senate for a concurrent vote.
• SF2300 – Protection of Student Religious and Political Speech in Schools (Companion to HF2336) – 2026
  3/19/2026 – Passed Senate Committee – Companion, HF 2336, passed House – Strengthens student speech rights by prohibiting schools from punishing religious, political, or ideological expression, including speech in classwork, clubs, clothing, and gatherings. (Companion to HF2336)
• SF2428 – Student Disruption Discipline Standards – 2026
  4/14/2026 – Passed Senate and House – Amended by the House and returned to the Senate for Concurrent Vote – As amended by the House, SF 2428 expands Iowa’s student discipline framework by creating enforceable removal and discipline procedures for disruptive students, strengthening teacher authority and protections, adding extensive special education (IEP) requirements, and establishing pilot programs and training mandates for schools.

• SF2263 – Weapon Transportation and Possession on Public Property & Prohibition on Red Flag Gun Seizure Laws – 2026
  4/16/2026 – Passed Senate & House with House Amendment S 5191 – Back to the Senate for a concurrent vote – Allows individuals to carry, transport, or possess dangerous weapons inside a locked, privately owned vehicle on publicly accessible parking lots operated by state or local government — as long as the weapon is lawful and out of sight — but excludes parking lots at jails, prisons, and correctional facilities, removes provisions related to foster child transport. The amendment, S-5191, added by the House adds new restrictions prohibiting state and local enforcement of red flag gun seizure laws with associated penalties.

• SF473 – Religious and Moral Protections for Foster and Adoptive Parents – 2026
  4/15/2026 – Passed Senate & House Committee – Prevents the Department of Health and Human Services from requiring foster care providers or adoptive parents to support policies about sexual orientation or gender identity if it goes against their religious or moral 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
  4/15/2026 – Passed House – Amended (S-5173) and passed by the Senate – Returned to the House – As passed by the House, 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.

• HF2361 – American History and Government Course for College Students (Companion to SF2232) – 2026
  3/19/2026 – Passed House – Companion, SF 2232, passed Senate Committee – Requires public colleges and universities to include at least three credit hours of American history and American government in undergraduate general education or core curricula. (Companion to SF2232)
• HF2487 – Ban on DEI and Critical Race Theory in Regents’ University Core Curricula (Companion to SF2303) – 2026
  3/19/2026 – Passed House – Companion, SF 2303, passed Senate Committee – Requires the state board of regents to make sure that courses related to diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and critical race theory are not part of required general education or core classes at public universities under the board’s control. (Companion to SF2303)
• HF2544 – Higher Education Antisemitism Reporting and Prohibition (Companion to SF2336) – 2026
  4/14/2026 – Passed House Committee – Companion, SF 2336, passed Senate Committee – Requires K-12 schools, public universities and community colleges to issue an annual report about antisemitism incidents on campus. Schools would also be required to “prohibit antisemitism” and treat harassment or discrimination motivated by antisemitic intent the same as other forms of discrimination. (Companion to SF2336)
• SF2232 – American History and Government Course for College Students (Companion to HF2361) – 2026
  3/19/2026 – Passed Senate Committee – Companion, HF 2361, passed the House – Requires public colleges and universities to include at least three credit hours of American history and American government in undergraduate general education or core curricula. (Companion to HF2361)
• SF2303 – Ban on DEI and Critical Race Theory in Regents’ University Core Curricula (Companion to HF2487) – 2026
  3/19/2026 – Passed Senate Committee – Companion, HF 2487, passed House – Requires the state board of regents to make sure that courses related to diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and critical race theory are not part of required general education or core classes at public universities under the board’s control. (Companion to HF2487)
• SF2336 – Higher Education Antisemitism Reporting and Prohibition (Companion to HF2544) – 2026
  3/19/2026 – Passed Senate Committee – Companion, HF 2544, passed House Committee – Requires K-12 schools, public universities and community colleges to issue an annual report about antisemitism incidents on campus. Schools would also be required to “prohibit antisemitism” and treat harassment or discrimination motivated by antisemitic intent the same as other forms of discrimination. (Companion to HF2544)

• HF2542 – Repeat Offender 20-Year Mandatory Sentence – 2026
  3/26/2026 – Passed House & Senate Committee – Creates a point-based “habitual offender” system requiring a mandatory 20-year prison sentence for repeat criminals who accumulate multiple qualifying convictions.
• HF2619 – Uniform Family Law Arbitration Act – 2026
  4/16/2026 – SIGNED into law – Creates a uniform process for resolving certain family law disputes through arbitration, while keeping major issues like divorce and child custody in court and requiring safeguards for fairness, safety, and child protection.

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

• HF2557 – Parents’ Right to Raise Children Consistent with Their Gender – 2026
  3/26/2026 – Passed House & Senate Committee – Ensures that parents and caregivers can raise children in ways consistent with the child’s sex without those actions being classified as abuse, endangerment, or a basis for adverse licensing or custody decisions.

• HF864 – Age Verification Requirement for Online Obscene Material – 2025
  3/26/2026 – Passed House & Senate Committee – 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
  3/23/2026 – Passed House and Senate – Waiting for the Governor’s signature or veto – 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 – Bans cities and counties from creating their own ID cards for residents, while still allowing state-issued IDs and work IDs for government employees and elected officials.
• HF2694 – Governor Emergency Authority Reform – 2026
  3/26/2026 – Passed House & Senate Committee – Prevents the governor from closing churches, mandating vaccines, regulating private homes, or forcing businesses to shut down during emergencies. NOTE: An amendment was added by the Senate State Government committee that, in addition to the House bill, would allow state government funding to continue into a new fiscal year if lawmakers fail to strike a budget deal by June 30.

• SF304 – Parental Consent Requirements for STD Vaccines for Minors – 2025
  4/15/2026 – Passed by the Senate in 2025 – Placed on the House calender under unfinished business on 3-26-26. – Eliminates a minor’s legal right to consent to a vaccination for a sexually transmitted disease or infection.

• HF2711 – Ending Affirmative Action Rules on Race, Gender, and Citizenship – 2026
  3/26/2026 – Passed House & Senate Committee – Ends affirmative action rules in state jobs, schools, and some licensing programs, and requires the state to treat applicants equally without giving preference based on race, gender, or citizenship.

OPPOSE:

• HF2563 – Regulation of Abortion-Inducing Drugs – 2026
  4/14/2026 – Passed House Appropriations Subcommittee – 4-7-26 UPDATE: This bill prohibits the distribution of abortion-inducing drugs in Iowa via telehealth and mail, which is good; however, it also allows for a medication-induced abortion as long as the mother meets in person with the physician who prescribes the medication. Therefore, after further review, we have changed our stance on this bill from Support to Oppose because it codifies abortion.

• SF2461 – Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Years – 2026
  3/3/2026 – Passed Senate Committee – Still alive because it is in Appropriations Committee which is exempt from the funnel – Ensures that if the legislature fails to pass a new state budget by July 1, state agencies will automatically receive the same funding as the previous year so government operations can continue without interruption.