Iowa House passes bill to end pit bull bans

DES MOINES — Iowa cities would not be allowed to ban residents from owning specific dog breeds under a bill House lawmakers passed Tuesday.

Rep. Jacob Bossman, R-Sioux City, said the bill is intended to focus on “responsible dog ownership” rather than specific breeds.

“What we’re trying to do, we’re taking this off the table, steering it in the direction of focusing ordinances on responsible dog ownership,” he said.

The bill, House File 651, passed the House 82-16. Eight Democrats and eight Republicans voted against it. It would need to pass the Iowa Senate before becoming eligible to be signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

If made law, the bill would invalidate breed-specific bans, mostly on pit bulls and similar breeds, in dozens of Iowa cities.

Last fall, a federal appeals court ruled that Council Bluffs’ ban on owning pit bulls does not violate the U.S. Constitution. Sioux City officials repealed a ban on the breed in 2019 after a similar lawsuit challenged the ordinance.

The city of Keystone last year gave notice to pit bull owners they would need to get rid of their dogs because of a city ordinance banning the breed, but officials later reversed course.

“This bill will allow Iowans to responsibly own the dogs of their choice, live where they choose, and will instead focus ordinances on dogs that have problems rather than specific breeds,” Bossman said.

The bill would ban cities from adopting an ordinance that “restricts or hinders a person’s right to own or keep a dog based on the breed” or physical characteristics. Cities still could implement ordinances that apply to all dogs.

If an individual dog is classified as “high risk” or “dangerous,” a city would be allowed to require a higher homeowner’s or renter’s insurance premium for the owner.

Insurers also would be allowed to impose higher premiums and other insurance changes based on actuarial data. The bill would not expressly block insurance companies from imposing higher premiums based on dog breed.

The bill was supported by the Humane Society and the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association. The Humane Society argues there is no evidence that breed-specific bans reduce dog attacks, and they are costly to administer.

"That sort of aggression isn't based on breed," said Angela Caulk, a lobbyist for the Humane Society. "It's more based on owner behavior and individual animal behavior."

The Iowa League of Cities was among the opponents of the bill.

Rep. Ross Wilburn, a Democrat from Ames who voted against the bill, said it takes away local control and there was uncertainty around what the bill does.

“Local folks know who the offenders are, they get the calls, and so giving them the opportunity to manage and to control what happens at the local level is, I think, important for an issue like this,” he said.