Bills Associated with Iowa State Reserve Law Officers Association

Appropriates $714.3 million for the public safety, public defense, emergency management, justice, and victim services programs and agencies for fiscal year 2027, which begins July 1, 2026. This is an increase of $11.2 million. Attorney General: Increases funding for victim services by $365,115 (total appropriation $5,541,708) - $75,000 of these new funds are used to boost services to human trafficking victims (total appropriation $225,000). Adds $165,000 to fund business specialty courts (if SF 638 is signed into law). Maintains $150,000 transfer from victim compensation fund to victim services. No change for Office of Consumer Advocate ($3.8 million). Prisons/Community Based Corrections: Increases funding for prisons by $3,214,000 and Department of Corrections' administration by $1,854,222.  Increases community based corrections by $706,778 and continues requirement for drug courts. Other: Increases funding for the Office of Drug Control Policy by $21,327 ($249,219 total). No change in funding for the office to combat human trafficking ($200,742). Reduces indigent defense funding for the public defender's office by $1,150,000. Increases court-appointed counsel rates by $5/case ($93/hour for class A felonies; $88;/hour for class B felonies; $83/hour for all other cases). Creates an Attorney Loan Repayment Program in the Iowa College Student Aid Commission to encourage lawyers to stay and practice in Iowa (must have gone to a law school in Iowa, be practicing in Iowa, have graduated law school within five years of applying for loan repayment, and agree to provide a base number of hours for indigent defense, with priority for those practicing in rural areas). Repayment of up to $10,000/year is available for up to 25 attorneys/year (not to exceed a total of 150 in the program at one time). Ends the program on July 1, 2041.  Increases civil filing fees, divorce filing fees, small claims appeals, motions to show cause, liens, real estate titles, and other similar court documents by $20. The revenues from the $20 fee increase for all but divorce filings goes to indigent defense (50%) and attorney loan repayment program (50%).  Beginning July 1, 2026, 20% of the entire divorce filing fee goes to sexual assault and domestic violence programs (victim services), which was supposed to be happening but all was going to the general fund. Beginning July 1, 2027 and each year after, the 20% of divorce filing fees shifts to the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) Center grant program (contingent upon passage of HF 2794). You can read more detail at: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/NOBA/1605165.pdf. Effective 7/1/2026.

Changes standing (automatic) appropriations, makes other appropriations left out of other budgets, fixes mistakes in other bills, and drops in changes that were part of last-minute negotiations. Education: Maintains current reductions in standing appropriations - AEAs ($7.5 million) and non-public school transportation ($9 million). Requires state universities require all undergraduates to complete two three-credit courses as part of their general education requirement (American History and American Government), but this does not apply to any degree that is completed in three years or less. Applies to students beginning college on or after July 1, 2028. Requires the ISU Center for Cyclone Civics and the UI Center for Intellectual Freedom are to designate which courses meet these requirements. Continues incentives for school mergers through July 1, 2035 (expired July 1, 2024). Makes an exception for a school district to increase their cash reserve levy if a single property in their district's change in valuation caused a loss of more than $100 million (effective upon enactment).  Health/Human Services: Appropriates $1 million from the sports wagering fund for Double Up Food Bucks. Appropriates $3 million to the University of Iowa for pediatric cancer research. Requires a report detailing how funds were used to be filed with Legislature by 10/1/2027. Prohibits funding provide for pediatric cancer research from being used for administrative/overhead costs not directly related to research. Makes public assistance reforms enacted in SF 2422 effective when new eligibility systems go live. Requires a trained child protection worker to screen a child for commercial sex abuse if HHS identifies known risk factors in the child's background. Changes the effective date of moving victim restitution from category "B" to "A" in HF 1036 (Human Trafficking) from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2027.  Fund Balance Transfers: Allows use of $12 million in federal incentive payments from FY26 to be used for administering the unemployment compensation insurance program and for modernization efforts. Transfers COVID funding balances in HHS to the HHS Information Technology Fund and appropriates the following from that fund: $31 million for the Medicaid management information system, $30.5 million for the eligibility determination system, $34 million for child welfare IT projects, and $5 million for implementation of SF 2422 (public assistance reforms). Allows special funds (gambling enforcement, road use tax fund, fish and game, IPERS, etc) to be used for salary adjustments. Allows funds remaining in the Future Ready Iowa Apprenticeship Fund to be used to support the Iowa Office of Apprenticeships. Requires state agencies and the judicial branch to notify the House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairs and Ranking Members and the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Federal Funds Appropriations Subcommittee of any federal grant or loan in excess of $5 million received or applied for in the previous month (but exempts the Iowa Department of Defense & Board of Regents) and any grant or loan applied for or received that requires a state match.  Other: Adopts national electrical code. Amends Civil Rights legislation (SF 579) to not only prohibit the enactment of civil rights ordinances/regulations that go further than the state law, but also prohibit enforcement of existing ordinances and regulations. Prohibits a state political party's platform from prohibiting an elected official from serving on the state party central committee, and requires each party's state central committee to adopt a Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. Makes Japanese Knotweed a noxious weed. Requires the Iowa State Fair Foundation to issue 126 (instead of 125) nonresident deer hunting licenses, with the 126th license to be used at the discretion of the fair. Regulates proprietary water treatment systems. Renames the poultry association. Eliminates cap on full-time county attorney salaries (currently 45-100% of district court judge salary). Creates a new civil cause of action for "civil litigation abuse," defined as filing lawsuits between two private parties intended to harass, cause financial harm, or interfere with business relationships in done for "ulterior purposes." Corrections: Makes technical corrections for a number of bills passed earlier in session (non substantive). You can read more detail at: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/NOBA/1605279.pdf. Effective 7/1/2026. LINE ITEM VETO:  The Governor vetoed the transfer of remaining COVID relief funds to the Information Technology Fund, limitations on use of information technology funds by HHS, changes to the HMO tax that would have held Wellmark harmless (and risked $120 million in federal funding coming into Medicaid next year fiscal year), and the new civil cause for "litigation abuse."  You can read the Governor's veto message here.