What bills still are moving at the Iowa Capitol this year?

DES MOINES — State lawmakers have been full of ideas this year.

In fact, the lawmakers already have introduced more pieces of legislation in 2025 — with two months to go in the session that began in January — than they did in the entirety of four the past five years.

Lawmakers introduced 2,031 pieces of legislation through Friday, the first key deadline of the 2025 session of the Iowa Legislature, according to Iowa Legislative Services Agency data.

In contrast, there were 1,665 pieces of legislation introduced in all of 2024, 1,855 in 2023, 1,439 in 2022 and 1,538 in 2020, according to the agency’s data.

The prolific 2025 session thus far also is just behind the 2,146 pieces of legislation introduced in all of 2021 and 2,065 in 2019.

But not all of those 2,031 bills still are eligible for consideration as the 2025 session moves forward. Friday was the first “funnel” deadline of the session, by which most policy bills were required to advance through the first two legislative steps — approved by a subcommittee and full committee.

Bills that did not reach that benchmark by Friday are considered dead and not eligible for further consideration this year.

The funnel deadline does 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 didn’t make it through the funnel.

This is the ninth consecutive year that Republicans have possessed complete control of the state lawmaking process. They have agenda-setting majorities in both the Iowa House and Iowa Senate to go along with Republican Kim Reynolds in the governor’s mansion.

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

Signed into law

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

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Advanced/survived

Prohibition on tax increment financing for new casino projects: Senate File 511

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

Hands-free driving requirement: Senate File 22, House File 827

Legal protection for pesticide manufacturers regarding labeling: Senate File 394

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

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

Prohibiting regents from requiring diversity, equity and inclusion or critical race theory courses to graduate: House File 269

Prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion programming at community colleges: House File 855

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

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

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

Capping regents tuition increases at 3 percent: House File 440

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

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

Banning phones in classrooms during instruction: Senate File 370, House File 782

Allowing remote court testimony for certain children: House Joint Resolution 9, Senate Joint Resolution 9

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

Ban on ticket bots: Senate File 146

Firefighter benefits and cancer treatment: House Study Bill 266

Rural health care physician recruitment programs: House File 754, Senate Study Bill 1163

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

Require 80 percent of medical students at regents universities to be Iowa residents: House File 516

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

Require new “School of Intellectual Freedom” at UI: House File 437, Senate File 217

Limits on Iowa Utilities Commission sanctions: House File 237

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

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

Required insurance policy for pipeline projects: House File 639

Iowa Utilities Commissioners’ hearing attendance requirements: House File 790

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

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

Election recount requirements: Senate File 543

Election recount requirements and limits: House File 596

Voter registration cleanup and citizenship: Senate File 550

Candidate eligibility objections, banning ranked choice voting, major political party requirements: House Study Bill 281

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

Paid leave for government employees: House File 889

Prenatal instruction, video in schools requirement: Senate File 175

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

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

Human smuggling crime and punishment: House File 572

Parental consent for social media accounts: House File 278

Require age verification for porn sites: House File 62

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

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

Require convicted groomers to register as sex offenders: House File 180

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

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

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

Allowing elective Bible classes in public schools: Senate File 138, House File 448

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

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

Banning children from obscene performances: House File 891

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

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

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Medicaid expansion work requirements: Senate File 363, House Study Bill 248

Unemployment tax reduction: Senate File 504

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

Requiring naturalization test for high school graduation: House File 165

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

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

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

Natural disaster response programs: House Study Bill 246, Senate Study Bill 1188

High school athletics conference realignment procedures: House File 331, Senate File 265

Free feminine hygiene products in schools: House File 543

Increased tax credits, blood lead testing exemption for home-schooled children: House File 888

Allow more medical cannabis dispensaries: Senate File 399

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

Add THC products to open containers law: House File 181

County supervisor elections: Senate File 75

Requiring certain information for abortion patients: House File 775

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

Prohibiting air contaminants: House File 191

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

Legal age to purchase handgun from 21 to 18: House Study Bill 280

Requiring gun safety education in schools: House File 791

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

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

Requiring local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration officers: House Study Bill 285

Traffic camera vendor restrictions: House File 3

Matching dollars in SNAP program: Senate File 232

Matching dollars, eligible foods in SNAP program: House File 796

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

Schools’ threat assessment teams: House File 163, Senate Study Bill 1099

Increased penalties for assaults on officers: House File 177, Senate File 397

Energy production: House File 834, Senate Study Bill 1112

Prohibiting minors from using tanning beds: House File 524

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

Vape tax: Senate File 475

Teenage child care worker regulations: House File 382

Year-round fireworks sales: House File 702

Legalized synthetic psilocybin: House File 383

Required radon testing in rental properties: House File 377

Allow lawsuits over union recertification election lists: Senate File 472

Ban citizen police review boards: Senate File 311, House File 641

Ban on cities hiring lobbyists: Senate File 493

Outside counsel to determine county attorney’s potential conflicts of interest: House File 414

“Don’t Tread on Me” license plates: Senate File 488

Protecting foster parents’ religious beliefs: Senate File 236

Grain indemnity fund update: House File 508

Failed to advance/died

Moratorium on new state-licensed casinos: House File 144

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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

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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