This Week in the Iowa Legislature
And just like that, the first legislative funnel is behind us—marking an important milestone in the 2026 Iowa legislative session. During the first six weeks, legislators introduced nearly 1,500 bills and held hundreds of subcommittee hearings and committee meetings on a wide range of issues impacting Iowans. Funnel week itself was especially busy, with extended committee meetings and significant debate on the majority party’s high-priority and closely watched proposals. Lawmakers worked diligently to advance their policy bills through the required subcommittee and committee process to ensure their continued eligibility for consideration this session.
House Sends K-12 Education Bill back to Senate
Education funding remained a central focus during funnel week as the House amended the Senate’s State Supplemental Aid (SSA) proposal, SF 2201. The House started the week by amending the Senate’s 1.75% SSA proposal by increasing it to 2.25%. Then, the House closed the week with floor debate Thursday afternoon sending what is said to be an agreed to 2 % increase for K-12 schools back to the Senate for final consideration.
Key Issues Surviving the Funnel
- Limiting civil rights protections by local governments
- Banning the distribution of medical abortion drugs
- Further reduce vaccine requirements for K-12 students and medical students participating in clinical rotations
- Implement restrictions to libraries and require them to enforce “age-appropriate materials”
- Allowing limited use of eminent domain for CO2 pipeline projects
- Work Without Worry raising the maximum income limit for Medicaid recipients with disabilities
- Economic incentives to recruit the Chicago Bears to Iowa
- Allow DNA retrieval at time of arrest
- Provide farmers the “Right to Repair” their own equipment
- Removing insurance prior authorization requirements for cancer screenings and treatments
- Expanded immigration enforcement
- Energy bills including renewable energy siting, infrastructure planning, and regulatory consistency
- Further restrictions to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs
Bills “Likely” Dead this Session
- Water quality regulations
- Total abortion ban
- Blocking vaccine distribution by manufacturers who fail to waive immunity
- Minimum pricing on alcohol beverages
- Study to merge the Dept. of Agriculture and the Dept. of Natural Resources
- Study of the environmental factors impacting Iowa’s rising cancer rates
Looking Ahead
Next week, the legislature will enter a new phase of the session. The overall pace of public committee activity will slow as lawmakers shift their focus from policy committee work to floor debate. Over the coming weeks, emphasis will be placed on advancing legislation through floor consideration and moving bills between chambers.
As the legislature works toward the second funnel deadline on March 20, each chamber will prioritize advancing its own legislation—House Files in the House and Senate Files in the Senate. Bills that have not yet been considered in the opposite chamber must pass on the floor of their originating chamber and complete the full subcommittee and committee process in the opposite chamber before March 20th to remain eligible. Because of the time required, these measures are often prioritized early to ensure they have time to meet the second funnel deadline. We will continue to provide updates as debate calendars are released and legislative priorities become clearer.
This phase of the session also marks a shift toward leadership-driven prioritization. Majority leaders in each chamber will determine which proposals are top priorities and have a viable path to passage before the end of the session.
To stay informed on scheduled committee and subcommittee meetings, including virtual access information, please follow this link.