Statewide Iowa — Several new laws were passed by the Iowa legislature this year, and many of them have now taken effect, as of July 1st — the first day of the fiscal year for many entities.
Some of the highlights include an increase of 2.5 percent per student in the state’s public education budget for fiscal year 2023; a change in tax code makes state income tax flatter at 3.9 percent by 2026, and the allowance of retired IPERS members to earn more money.
The legislature also decided that only female students, based on their biological sex, may participate in any team, sport, or athletic event designated as being for females, women, or girls.
Under a new law, county assessors can now be shared by more than one county. People are now allowed to butcher their own meat and poultry without a license.
One of the new laws is a bit controversial. The Iowa Supreme Court has recently ruled that police cannot search a defendant’s trash for evidence while it’s on the defendant’s property without getting a warrant. The new law attempts to allow law enforcement agencies to search and seize garbage placed outside your home without a warrant.
Another new law makes it easier to share personnel or consolidate emergency response districts to make fire and emergency medical response more efficient.
The penalties for manufacturing, possessing, or delivering heroin are now the same as those for methamphetamine.
As of today, a person arrested on a sexual abuse charge can’t be released from custody until they appear before a magistrate judge.
A new law says K-12 public or charter schools may not perform health screenings on students without written permission from their parents or guardian.
All Iowa gas stations will have to sell E15 by 2026.
People who live in mobile homes now have to be given 90 days’ notice of rent increases instead of the previous 60 days.
A new law is also now in effect that makes it more difficult to steal and sell catalytic converters for scrap.
Another law strengthens the requirements for convicted sex offenders. Even if they’ve gone through the appropriate channels, they now have to wait longer to have their names taken off the registry.
There are several other new laws as well, plus one we’ve already told you about, making the use of ATVs and UTVs easier. Click here for that story.
For more information and the text of the new laws, click here.
