Iowa Bill Tracking And State Guide
Everything you need to know to engage with the Senate and House
How does a bill become law in Iowa?
- Idea Generation: Ideas for bills can come from legislators, constituents, businesses, government agencies, and other groups. When a problem arises, a legislator formulates it into a bill.
- Bill Drafting: The Legal Services Division of the Legislative Services Agency drafts the bill, incorporating necessary legal research and reviews of current laws.
- Introduction: The completed bill is filed with the Secretary of the Senate or Chief Clerk of the House, assigned a number, and read to the relevant chamber. It's then sent to a standing committee for further review.
- Standing Committee Work: A committee reviews the bill, recommends changes, or sends it to the floor for debate.
- Calendar: The bill is placed on the regular calendar, and the Majority Leader decides the order of debate.
- Debate: The bill is debated in the chamber where members can propose amendments. A majority vote is required to pass the bill to the other chamber.
- Second Passage: If the other chamber makes amendments, the bill returns to the original chamber for approval. If there are disagreements, a conference committee may be appointed to finalize the bill.
- Conference Committee: A committee comprised of members from both chambers resolves differences and presents a compromise bill for both chambers to vote on.
- Enrollment: The final version of the bill is prepared and signed by chamber leaders before being sent to the Governor.
- Governor’s Action: The Governor can sign, veto, or take no action on the bill. If vetoed, the Legislature can override the veto with a two-thirds majority.
- Iowa Law: If the Governor signs the bill or if it passes over a veto, it becomes law, typically effective July 1 unless specified otherwise. Enacted laws are published in the Iowa Code.
How can a member of the public get involved in the legislative process in Iowa?
To get involved in the legislative process in Iowa, a member of the public can consider the following actions:
1. Contact Legislators: Individuals can reach out to their elected Senator or Representative to express their opinions on current issues or propose ideas for new bills. Citizen input is valuable, and legislators often rely on feedback from constituents.
2. Attend Legislative Sessions: Members of the public can attend sessions at the Iowa State Capitol to observe the legislative process, including debates and discussions on bills.
3. Participate in Committee Meetings: Many legislative committees hold hearings that are open to the public. Attending these meetings can provide insight and offer opportunities to voice opinions on specific legislation.
4. Engage in Grassroots Advocacy: Citizens can organize or join interest groups, professional associations, or advocacy organizations that align with their views, which can promote specific causes or legislation.
5. Provide Testimony: Individuals may have the opportunity to testify during committee hearings to share their experiences or expertise related to a bill, offering a personal perspective on the issue at hand.
6. Stay Informed on Legislation: Keeping track of proposed bills and legislative actions allows citizens to understand what is being discussed or decided.
7. Vote: Participating in elections ensures that citizens have a say in the choice of their representatives, who make legislative decisions on their behalf.
How can FastDemocracy help me with that?
Tracking bills is hard, especially if you rely on state legislature websites, which are often hard to navigate. Thousands of bills get filed in Iowa every year (and about 180,000 bills nationwide). If you want to be an effective advocate, you need to know where legislation of interest stands, and act quickly.
FastDemocracy's free version allows you to track an unlimited number of bills - no strings attached. We'll send you a daily or weekly email on your priority bills and give you tools to research bills and legislators.
FastDemocracy Professional is for anyone who tracks bills in a professional capacity. It features
- real-time bill, amendment and hearing alerts
- automated reporting
- team collaboration
- bill tagging for clients and stakeholders
- bill similarity detection
- ...and much more
How do I track bills in Iowa?
1. Sign up here for a free FastDemocracy account.
2. Head to Tracked Topics to select issue areas you care about.
3. Use the search bar on top if you're looking for something specific.
4. Click "Track Bill" for any legislation you'd like to monitor a bit closer. That's how you add it to your Tracked Bills. You can also click on a bill to learn more, see the bill summary, most recent actions, votes, news and tweets. You can also contact legislators or share your bills on social media.
5. You can track an unlimited number of bills for free and we'll send you a daily or weekly email if your tracked legislation moves.
6. Do you need real-time alerts, outreach tools, bill lists, and professional functions? Then FastDemocracy Professional is the right fit for you.
7. Track bills on your smartphone using our free mobile app.
How do I find my local Iowa Senator and Representative?
You can use the Find Your Legislators tool to find them, see their voting records, and contact them.
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Most recent bill actions in Iowa, 2025-2026 Regular Session
A bill for an act requiring primary elections for the nomination of candidates for city, school district, and merged area elections, and including applicability provisions.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Westrich, Driscoll, and Knox.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to the double up food bucks program, and making an appropriation.
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Health and Human Services.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to the provision of water service for manufactured home communities.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Sires, Driscoll, and Wahls.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to city civil service employees and related procedures and including effective date provisions.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Webster, Driscoll, and Weiner.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to discovery and postconviction procedure.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Dawson, Blake, and Schultz.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to family interactions during an ongoing child in need of assistance proceeding.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Bousselot, Knox, and Taylor.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to the placement of a child who is the subject of a pending delinquency petition in a supervised apartment living arrangement pursuant to a consent decree, and the circumstances under which the placement is paid by the state.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Taylor, Bousselot, and Knox.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act authorizing the waiver of preplacement investigations and reports in certain adoption proceedings.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Taylor, Evans, and Petersen.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to awarding the costs in administrative hearings or court proceedings involving the collection of tax, penalties, and interest by the department of revenue.
Last Action
Subcommittee Meeting: 01/15/2025 9:30AM Senate Lounge.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act establishing the offense of assault by criminal groping, and providing penalties.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Westrich, Bisignano, and Dickey.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act providing for an expedited filing service for filers of business documents administered by the secretary of state, and providing fees.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Webster, Blake, and Dickey.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to medical income assistance trust fees.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Shipley, Blake, and Green.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to the place of trial for certain criminal offenses.
Last Action
Subcommittee: Taylor, Quirmbach, and Rowley.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act modifying the costs eligible for emergency medical services fund expenditures, and including effective date provisions.
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Local Government.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to a barbering and cosmetology establishment training program.
Last Action
Introduced, referred to State Government.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act requiring the installation and maintenance of train defect detectors on railway branch lines, and providing penalties.
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Transportation.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to required railway crossing signs, signals, and gate arms.
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Transportation.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to the operation of railroad trains by a crew of two or more persons, and providing penalties.
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Transportation.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to the driving privileges of unsupervised persons issued a special minor’s restricted driver’s license, and making penalties applicable.
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Transportation.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
A bill for an act relating to motor vehicle special registration plate decals created by a nonprofit veterans’ organization or associated with military service, and providing fees.
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Veterans Affairs.
legislature • Jan 14, 2025Latest Version
All Legislators in Iowa (Senator and Representative)