Iowa would require lawmakers to approve major agency rules

Major agency rules would generally need approval from Iowa lawmakers and the governor before taking effect. A major rule would require at least $200,000 in annual spending or at least $1 million within five years, significantly harm economic activity such as competition or jobs, or amend Iowa’s federal clean-air plan. Spending would count all affected people and the agency, but exclude money expressly set aside by lawmakers. Outside a legislative session, the governor could request temporary approval from the legislative council, a group of lawmakers, only when federal law, federal funding requirements, or a declared disaster emergency requires the rule to take effect. These provisions would cover rulemaking whose initial analysis is published, or whose emergency rule is adopted, on or after July 1, 2027. Temporary approval would expire when the next regular session ends unless lawmakers approve the rule before then.

Agencies would explain their rule classifications, and the Legislative Services Agency would publish a separate review of major rules. Legislative staff would review rules agencies classify as major. The administrative rules review committee would review major-rule proposals before agencies could adopt them. Agencies would disclose related actions, costs and benefits, sources, assumptions, and uncertainties. Reviews of other rules requested by legislative committee leaders would depend on available resources. This would cover rulemaking whose initial analysis is published, or whose emergency rule is adopted, on or after July 1, 2027. Agencies could not adopt a proposed major rule until at least 35 days after the legislative report is published.

People harmed by a major rule could ask an Iowa district court to review its classification and required approvals. People or parties harmed by a rule could ask the court to decide for itself whether the rule is major, whether required steps were completed, and when or whether it took effect. Lawmakers’ approval would not erase claims that a rule is legally flawed or give an agency additional legal authority. This would apply to rulemaking whose initial analysis is published, or whose emergency rule is adopted, on or after July 1, 2027.

Iowa would need lawmakers’ and the governor’s approval before sending proposed clean-air plan amendments for federal approval. This would cover proposed amendments to Iowa’s plan for meeting requirements under section 110 of the federal Clean Air Act. Lawmakers could approve a proposal through a joint resolution, a formal measure that also requires the governor’s approval.

Covered appointees to six state boards would serve four-year terms. Covered boards are the Iowa Finance Authority, Agricultural Development Board, voting-system examiners, public employee retirement investment board, State Board of Education, and Board of Regents. The elections commissioner appoints voting-system examiners. Appointments on or before June 30, 2026, would carry six-year terms. People filling vacancies on the finance authority and agricultural development boards would serve only the remaining term. If the Regents’ student member leaves school with more than one year left, the term would end one year later unless the member returns within that year as a full-time student in good standing. The four-year terms would apply to covered appointments on or after July 1, 2026.