Which bills died and which survived at the second ‘funnel’ of Iowa’s 2025 session?

DES MOINES — With a second deadline now passed, state lawmakers’ work on policy bills will be even more narrowed in the coming weeks.

That will help lawmakers turn their attention to fiscal matters, like tax policy and the next state budget that starts July 1.

Most policy bills, to remain eligible for further consideration in the final weeks of the 2025 session, needed to be passed out of one full chamber plus a committee in the opposite chamber by the end of the week. In other words, House-passed bills need to be approved by a Senate committee, and vice versa.

What follows is a highlight list of bills that emerged during the session so far and whether they advanced or died in the second funnel.

The funnel deadlines do not apply to bills dealing with state spending or tax policy; those can be introduced at any time. And legislative leaders have multiple procedural tools at their disposal if they wish to resurrect a bill that did not survive the funnel.

One such move is to place bills on the “unfinished business calendar.” Those bills did not earn enough legislative support to survive the latest funnel deadline but have been temporarily saved by majority Republican leaders.

Also, any “dead” bills are dead only for this year. The Iowa Legislature meets in two-year General Assemblies; any of these bills can be picked up next year.

Signed into law

Removing gender identity from Iowa Civil Rights Act: Senate File 418

Hands-free phone use required while driving: Senate File 22

Adding grooming convictions to sex offender registry: House File 180

Adding THC drinks to open containers law: House File 181

Apprenticeship training requirements for contractors: Senate File 603

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Advanced/survived

Banning phones in classrooms during instruction: House File 782

Voter citizenship verification, banning ranked choice voting, major political party requirements: House File 954

Pediatric palliative care license (“Mason’s Law”): House File 933

Firefighter benefits and cancer treatment: House File 969

Rural health care physician recruitment programs: House File 972, Senate File 618

Paid leave for government employees: House File 889

Medicaid expansion work requirements: Senate File 615

Legal age to purchase handgun from 21 to 18: House File 924

Professional right to carry permit expansion: House File 530

Officer-involved shooting review timelines: House File 549

Pipeline land restoration and eminent domain use: House File 639

College tuition increase cap study: House File 440

Require Iowa medical schools to consider 3-year programs: House File 386

Ban on college curriculum including identity politics, systemic racism as inherent in U.S. institutions: House File 401

Allowing lawsuits against private entities that review college quality: House File 295

Prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion positions in local government: Senate File 507, House File 856

Ban on ticket bots: Senate File 146

Removing perceived traits from state bullying definition: House File 865

Establishing state conference realignment committee: House File 783

County supervisor elections: House File 786

Limiting statute of limitations flexibility: Senate File 512

Human smuggling crime and punishment: House File 572

Increased penalty for distributing obscene material to minors: House File 306

Allow separate charges for multiple images containing child sexual abuse: Senate File 150

Legal protections for individuals who refuse medical services for religious reasons: Senate File 180

Increased penalties for assaults on officers: Senate File 397

Iowa resident quota for medical, dental residency programs: House File 516

Post-discharge services requirement for mental health and substance abuse commitments: House File 385

Exempt freestanding birth centers from certificate of need: House File 887

Allowing synthetic psilocybin prescriptions: House File 383

Open meetings violations: House File 706

Sex offenders barred from being firefighters: House File 793

Allowing public schools to employ chaplains: House File 884

Allow lawsuits over union recertification election lists: Senate File 472

Outside counsel to determine county attorney’s potential conflicts of interest: House File 862

Protecting foster parents’ religious beliefs: Senate File 473

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Failed to advance, but leadership protected

Child care continuum of care: House File 623, Senate File 445

Pharmacy benefit managers and prescription drug regulations: Senate File 383, House File 852

Require age verification for porn sites: House File 864

Prenatal instruction, video in schools requirement: Senate File 175

Allowing remote court testimony for certain children (constitutional amendment): Senate Joint Resolution 9, House Joint Resolution 9

Expedited relief on First Amendment grounds (anti-SLAPP): House File 472, Senate File 47

Require new “School of Intellectual Freedom” at UI: House File 437, Senate File 519

Improving students’ math test scores: House File 784, Senate File 450

Requiring naturalization test for high school graduation: House File 165

School lunch nutrition requirements: House File 851

Schools’ threat assessment teams: House File 163, Senate File 583

Allowing elective Bible classes in public schools: Senate File 510

Medical professionals’ moral objections: House File 571, Senate File 220

Revoking minors’ legal capacity to consent to HPV vaccine: Senate File 304

Misrepresentation of service animals: House File 615

Ban citizen police review boards: Senate File 311

Adding doxxing to harassment: Senate File 35, House File 201

Prohibiting account sharing and proxy betting in sports wagering: Senate File 395

Year-round fireworks sales: House File 702

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Failed to advance/died in the second funnel

Speed limit increase: Senate File 378

Traffic camera vendor restrictions: House File 764

Increasing salaries of governor, state agency heads, legislators: Senate File 464

Legal protection for pesticide manufacturers regarding labeling: Senate File 394

Prohibition on eminent domain for pipelines: House File 943

Limits on Iowa Utilities Commission sanctions: House File 237

25-year limit on CO2 pipeline operations: House File 780

Allow court challenges to eminent domain requests while permits pending: House File 763

Making Office of Consumer Advocate an independent agency: House File 578

Requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration officers: House File 946

Further banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs at regents universities: House File 269

Requiring American history and civil government course for regents university graduation: House File 402

Prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion positions at private colleges whose students use the Iowa Tuition Grant: House File 854

Require Board of Regents to review all academic programs: House File 420

Prohibit pro-terrorist demonstrations on college campuses: House File 576

Require medical residency interview slot at University of Iowa for Iowa natives: House File 379

Earlier school start date: Senate File 205

Prohibiting disciplinary action against teachers who do not use student’s preferred name or pronouns: Senate File 8

Requiring country, state mottoes on school buildings: House File 166

Ban margarine, certain dyes in school meals: House File 212

Sexual abuse awareness education in schools (Erin’s Law): Senate File 172

Requiring gun safety education in schools: House File 791

Increased tax credits, blood lead testing exemption for homeschooled children: House File 888

Revoke libraries’ exemption from state obscenity laws: House File 251

Banning children from obscene performances: House File 891

Withholding state funding from libraries with membership in national organization: House File 284

Judicial nominating commission changes: Senate File 407

Revoking casinos’ exemption from smoke-free law: House File 781

Prohibiting air contaminants: House File 191

Eliminating cost-sharing for supplemental, diagnostic breast exams: House File 318

Prohibiting minors from using tanning beds: House File 524

Requiring certain information for abortion patients: House File 775

Penalties for unsolicited, obscene images: House File 899

Artificial intelligence images included in prohibition of child pornography: House File 826

Murder charge for delivery of lethal fentanyl dose: House File 792

Allowing remote court testimony for certain children (state law change): House File 602

Teenage child care worker regulations: House File 382

Requiring citizenship status on driver’s license: House File 439

Allowing police to file protective order: House File 523

Banning schools as satellite voting sites in school bonding votes: Senate File 140

“Stand Your Ground” pretrial hearing process: House File 945

Expunging crimes committed while a victim: House File 926

Involuntary commitment early intervention: House File 312

Contract indigent defense attorney protections: House File 317

Removing state’s goal of reducing air pollution from fossil fuels, climate change considerations: House File 302

Add vaporized flower to legal forms of medical cannabis: House File 105

Legalizing psilocybin as PTSD treatment: House File 620

Criminal defense subpoena constraints: Senate File 571

City lawsuits to contest special election petition: House File 510

Ban on cities hiring lobbyists: Senate File 493

Required radon testing in rental properties: House File 700

Right to hunt, fish and trap: Senate Joint Resolution 7, House Joint Resolution 7

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Failed to advance/died (first funnel)

Moratorium on new state-licensed casinos: House File 144

Expanding restriction on LGBTQ+ topics in schools to grades 7-12: House Study Bill 84

Repeal Natural Resource and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, create property tax relief fund: Senate Joint Resolution 6

Firefighter benefits and cancer treatment: Senate File 272

Ban on manufacturing or dispensing medicine for medication abortions: House File 423

Pipeline requirements and eminent domain restrictions: Senate Study Bill 1166

Prohibition on eminent domain for pipelines: Senate File 92

Requiring written agreement between local law enforcement and federal immigration officers: House Study Bill 187

Surgical castration as punishment for certain sex crimes against children: House File 17

Prohibiting air contaminants: Senate File 142

Removing gun ownership restrictions on certain individuals: House Study Bill 280

Death penalty for killing law enforcement officer: Senate File 320

Requiring vaccine manufacturers to waive federal legal protections: House File 712

Prohibiting gene-based vaccines: Senate File 360

Penalties for homeless encampments: House Study Bill 286, Senate Study Bill 1195

Prohibit public buildings from hosting obscene performances: Senate File 116

Gulf of America and Mount McKinley references in educational materials: House Study Bill 97

Allow lawsuits against school boards, officials, over adherence to state law: Senate File 178

Limiting mobile home rent increases: House File 481

Increased penalties for assaults on referees: House File 52, Senate File 50

College athletics name, image and likeness provisions: House File 628

Increased penalties for concealing identity during crime: House File 25

Child care assistance eligibility, tax credit, grant program: House File 661

Refund half of fee for denied rental applications: House File 266

Citizen-led ballot initiatives: House Joint Resolution 5

Land redevelopment trusts: Senate File 144

Neighborhood housing revitalization assistance program: Senate File 347

Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com