HBA of Iowa Legislative Recap
The 90th General Assembly 2024 Regular Session was a huge success for our Association and industry. The HBA of Iowa tracked several hundred pieces of legislation and had a significant role in killing many bad bills. Our priorities will always include workforce, regulatory relief, tort reform, and doing everything possible to create a healthy pro-business and pro-citizen tax environment. Our coalition with like-minded groups has never been stronger in the state.
Here are a few highlights:
- SF455: Storm Water
This was our biggest victory in several years and we worked very hard on it for the past three legislative sessions. Governor Reynolds signed the bill on April 10. Many cities throughout Iowa are out of control with their control of new development ground, requiring enormous costs to solve problems upstream and downstream that are not the fault of the developer. The environmentalists had many lawmakers believing that the entire state would be wiped off the face of the earth with flooding.In the end cities are still able to mandate their extreme rules, but the costs must be borne by the city and not the developer. This was a huge win for housing affordability. We appreciate the hard work and leadership of Senator Scott Webster and Representative Jon Dunwell, who managed the bill in their respective chambers.
- SF2154: Design Standards
Although we worked hard for the past few years on Design Standards SF2154, and it does remain alive, a new bill was introduced from the Vinyl Siding Institute that we were in favor of. That was HF2388—relating to the regulation of styles and materials used for residential building exteriors.The brick industry fought hard to keep this from moving forward, but there were never any arguments that they would sell a single less brick. The climate change agenda has worked hard to keep fossil fuel-based products out of the mix and vinyl siding does use petroleum. The true argument is that there is no better local control than that of a homeowner and vinyl does offer a cost-effective alternative.
Other Bills of Interest Passed:
- SF2368: Charter School Expansion
Adjusts per pupil funding to support educational freedom opportunities and allows vacant or underutilized public school district facilities to be available for lease or purchase by nonpublic or charter schools. - SF2370: Government Regulation Review
Cuts red tape and improves Iowa’s regulatory environment, requires a regulatory analysis of all new rules, and sunsets rules unless they undergo a substantive review and are re-adopted at least every five years. - SF2411: Expanding Work-Based Learning
Establishes a $30 million Workforce Opportunity Fund, provides schools more flexibility to offer core credit for Work-based Learning opportunities, finalizes the transition to a State Apprenticeship Agency, and allows Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship participants to accrue classroom time toward student teaching requirements. - SF2442: Income Tax Cuts
Accelerates the flat income tax at a reduced rate of 3.8 percent, lowering the tax liability for every Iowan who pays income taxes. Returns over $1 billion to the hard-working men and women of Iowa. - HF2326: Real Estate
A bill for an act relating to real estate brokers, the rental or leasing of real estate, and brokerage agreements, and including effective date and applicability provisions. - HF 2612: Teacher Pay Increases
Increases the minimum salary for teachers in Iowa to $47,500 and sets a $60,000 minimum salary for teacher with 12 or more years of experience for FY25 and grows those minimums to $50,000 and $62,000 starting in FY26.
Jay Iverson is Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association of Iowa, which represents over 1,800 members in construction, land development, design, and remodeling who employ over 25,000 people in the State. Contact Jay at (515) 278-0255 or JayIverson@HBAIowa.org.