2017 legislative action concludes

May 18, 2017

Action on the 2017 legislative session officially came to a close last Friday. Gov. Terry Branstad finalized action on all legislation, including budget bills that totaled $7.2 billion in spending for fiscal year 2018, which begins July 1, 2017. The end of 2017 action also signals the last of Gov. Branstad’s bill signings. Iowa’s longest-serving governor is expected to be approved soon by the U.S. Senate to his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to China.

ABI and its members had a fantastic session as many pro-jobs bills were signed into law. Gov. Branstad signed 21 bills ABI supported during the 2017 legislative session. Read more on bills that ABI tracked that were just signed by the governor:

SF1: Codifies an executive order Gov. Branstad signed in 2011. It requires a jobs impact statement and cost benefit analysis prior to publication of the notice of intended action for an administrative rule. The statement must quantify the impact on private sector jobs and employment opportunities as well as the cost of the rule to agencies, local governments and businesses.

SF260: Codifies Iowa common law on trespass to ensure a court cannot unilaterally expand the duty of care a property owner owes to a trespasser.

HF478: Makes the Property Assessment Appeals Board (PAAB) permanent by eliminating the sunset. This law institutes education requirements for assessors. Assessors can no longer request business sales information to use in determining property values after 2018. It also allows a taxpayer to petition directly to district court.

SF488: Allows small cities to take advantage of workforce housing tax credits under the existing cap.

HF69: Increases the penalties for trespassing by making it a scheduled fine. It also clarifies notice requirements for criminal trespassing.

HF524: Repeals Iowa’s current medical cannabidiol program and replaces it with a more expansive medical cannabidiol law. The bill:

  • allows for the manufacturing and dispensing of cannabidiol
  • contains a reciprocity program with Minnesota
  • provides some employer protections for drug testing
  • limits THC level to no more than 3 percent
  • expands illnesses that can be treated with medical cannabis to include cancer, multiple sclerosis, AIDS or HIV, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and others
  • establishes a medical cannabidiol board that can make recommendations to state lawmakers regarding further expansion or changes to the program

Gov. Branstad, in a statement when he signed the legislation, advised the Legislature should revisit certain sections of this bill next year. You can read his full statement here and more from The Gazette here.

HF608: A Department of Revenue technical bill that clarifies that not coupling with federal tax law does not affect the Research Activities Tax Credit.

HF621: The Economic Development Authority (IEDA) omnibus bill makes technical changes concerning the sports tourism program. The second division transfers duties from the Department of Inspections and Appeals to the IEDA concerning the responsibility for certifying targeted small businesses under the small business procurement goal program. The last division makes technical changes concerning the targeted jobs withholding credit pilot project.