ElkHunter
Life Member
Iowa Bowhunters Association
2024 Legislative Update
Week 1.5
2024 Legislative Update
Week 1.5
Each piece of legislation is hot linked so that you can read actual legislation.
Just do a Ctrl + Click on the legislation number.
HF - House File HSB - House Study Bill SF - Senate File SSB - Senate Study Bill
(O) – Oppose
(S) – Support
(M)- Monitoring (waiting for a clarification)
(NR)- Not registered; meaning our lobbyist has not declared our position yet.
If you have questions or concerns, Senate and House Natural Resource Committee members are listed at the bottom of this letter.
SF2040 - Animal Welfare License Plates –(NR) This bill authorizes the DOT to design and issue special
registration plates with an animal welfare distinguishing processed emblem. The bill requires the DOT to
design the animal welfare emblem, which must depict a black cat nested within a white dog, nested within a
black paw print. The bill requires the Iowa Department of Agriculture to use the moneys collected from the
issuance of animal welfare license plates to increase the frequency of inspections of “animal shelters, boarding
kennels, commercial breeders, commercial kennels, dealers, pet shops, pounds, public auctions, or research
facilities.
Referred to Transportation
SF2036 - Deer Hunting Trespass Penalty Increase – (M)The bill increases fines for a person knowingly
trespassing upon the property of another, or who commits a trespass while hunting deer. The bill provides that
the scheduled fine is $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second violation, and $1,500 for a third or
subsequent violation.
Referred to Judiciary
SF2013 - Deer Baiting (S) - This bill prohibits hunting, taking, or attempting to take deer on or in a baited area.
The bill also provides that if a person places feed in a baited area, all feed must be removed from that area at
least 10 days before the opening day of the first fall deer hunting season. An area remains a baited area for 10
days following complete removal of all feed from the area, except for salt, minerals, or any other feed that will
dissolve and leach into the soil, in which case the area is considered a permanently baited area until such time
as all contaminated soil is removed or until there is no longer evidence that deer are artificially attracted to or
are accessing the site. A person shall not hunt, take, or attempt to take deer within 200 yards of a permanently
baited area until such time as all contaminated soil is removed from the area or until there is no evidence that
deer are artificially attracted to or are accessing the area.
Referred to Natural Resources
SF553 (formerly SF 363 and SF 277) - Nonresident Family Members Deer Tags (O) - This bill creates a
special deer hunting license available to certain nonresident family members.
The bill allows a nonresident who is a family member of a resident to purchase a nonresident family member
deer hunting license for a fee that is one-half the fee of a nonresident deer hunting license established by the
Natural Resource Commission by rule. A nonresident may only use a nonresident family member hunting
license while hunting with a resident who is a family member of the nonresident
Approved by Natural Resources. Referred to Ways and Means. Subcommittee: Driscoll, Dickey, and Dotzler
SF548 (formerly SSB 1129) - Forest Reserve Program Changes (O) - The bill provides that for the assessment
year beginning January 1, 2024, the amount of the exemption for each qualifying reservation shall be that
portion of the actual value of the reservation that exceeds an amount equal to the product of the number of
acres of the reservation multiplied by 25 percent of the county valuation per acre of agricultural property
determined pursuant to Code section 441.21(1)(e) for the same assessment year.
For the assessment year beginning January 1, 2025, and each succeeding assessment year, the amount of
the exemption for each qualifying reservation shall be that portion of the actual value of the reservation that
exceeds an amount equal to the product of the number of acres of the reservation multiplied by 50 percent of
the county valuation per acre of agricultural property determined pursuant to Code section 441.21(1)(e) for the
same assessment year.
Subcommittee: Klemish, Dawson and Dotzler
SF255 - Nonresident Deer Tags for Outfitters (O) - The bill requires the Natural Resources Committee to
reserve 500 of the nonresident antlered or any sex deer hunting licenses for nonresidents who have made a
reservation with an outfitter, as defined in the bill, that is currently registered as a business entity with the
secretary of state and has maintained registration since prior to July 1, 2022.
Approved by committee 2-1.
HF2015 - Special Landowner Deer Tags (M) - The bill allows the two special deer hunting licenses issued to
resident landowners or tenants, or their family members, to be used without first designating the season of use
for the license. The bill allows the licenses to be used in any open season using a method of take authorized
for that season. Current law specifies that the licenses may only be used during any bow or firearm deer
hunting season and for harvesting deer during two different seasons.
Referred to State Government
HF2014 - Deer Depredation Licenses (M) - Current law requires the DNR to allow deer depredation licenses to be used in the months of September, October, November, and December. The bill requires that the DNR also allow the use of deer depredation licenses in any county during the same time period as the January antlerless deer only hunting season, even if the county in which the license is used does not qualify for the January antlerless deer only hunting season.
Referred to State Government
HF2011 - Deer Hunting Trespass Penalty Increase (M) - The bill increases fines for a person knowingly
trespassing upon the property of another, or who commits a trespass while hunting deer. The bill provides that
the scheduled fine is $500 for a first violation, $1,000 for a second violation, and $1,500 for a third or
subsequent violation.
Referred to Public Safety
HF582 - Disabled Vet Crossbows (M) - The bill adds a person who served in the armed forces of the United
States and has an injury arising from that person’s military service to the definition of “permanent disability”.
The bill requires the Natural Resource Commission to adopt rules allowing a person who has a permanent
disability based on an injury arising from that person’s military service to use a crossbow while hunting with a
tag designated for use in any archery season.
Referred to Veterans Affairs
HF175 - Adding Black Bear to Furbearers (NR) - The bill designates black bears as a fur-bearing animal. The
bill prohibits a person from willfully disturbing, pursuing, shooting, killing, taking or attempting to take, or having
in possession a black bear outside of an open season established by the Natural Resource Commission. The
Commission may allow for the hunting of black bears subject to limitations the commission imposes.
Approved by the House 90-5. Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Trone Garriott, and Zumbach
Natural Resources and Environment (S)
Senate Members
Annette Sweeney (R, District 27), Chair
Tom Shipley (R, District 9), Vice Chair
Izaah Knox (D, District 17), Ranking Member
Liz Bennett (D, District 39)
Claire Celsi (D, District 16)
Chris Cournoyer (R, District 35)
Rocky De Witt (R, District 1)
Dawn Driscoll (R, District 46)
Lynn Evans (R, District 3)
Jesse Green (R, District 24)
Ken Rozenboom (R, District 19)
Sarah Trone Garriott (D, District 14)
Dan Zumbach (R, District 34)
Natural Resources (H)
House Members
Thomas Jeneary (R, District 3), Chair
Ken Carlson (R, District 13), Vice Chair
Adam Zabner (D, District 90), Ranking Member
Ako Abdul-Samad (D, District 34)
Timi M. Brown-Powers (D, District 61)
Dean C. Fisher (R, District 53)
Dan Gehlbach (R, District 46)
Thomas D. Gerhold (R, District 84)
Helena Hayes (R, District 88)
Heather Hora (R, District 92)
David Jacoby (D, District 86)
Kenan Judge (D, District 27)
Shannon Latham (R, District 55)
Elinor A. Levin (D, District 89)
Norlin Mommsen (R, District 70)
J.D. Scholten (D, District 1)
Brad Sherman (R, District 91)
Art Staed (D, District 80)
Sharon Sue Steckman (D, District 59)
Luana Stoltenberg (R, District 81)
Mark I. Thompson (R, District 56)