Higher speed limits, medical conscience protections for healthcare providers and changes to how Iowans can access abortion medication are among a few legislative changes taking effect Wednesday.
The Iowa Legislature advanced 206 pieces of legislation this year, with the governor vetoing five of those bills. While some laws took effect immediately, most of the laws passed this past legislative session take effect July 1, as the state heads into the next fiscal year.
Here are a few new Iowa laws taking effect July 1:
Governor power limits: The governor would be blocked from closing or restricting places of worship for any reason, including during emergencies. The law also blocks the governor from requiring vaccinations, changing election procedures without approval from the Legislature or closing businesses in emergencies.
Abortion pill restrictions: Iowans seeking medication abortions will be required to see a provider in person for a prescription and will have to be dispensed abortion medications in a medical setting, like a hospital or pharmacy. Iowans can still order pills through telehealth from a provider who works in states like Minnesota or Illinois that have shield laws protecting doctors from legal risks.
Increasing the speed limit. Iowa’s speed limit on some state highways and rural roads will increase from 55 mph to 60 mph. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) said updating speed limit signs could take at least a week, and updating signs on county roads could take longer.
Animal torture: Torturing a companion animal or assisting someone in torturing a companion animal is now a felony. This includes mutilating, starving or causing intensive pain or death to an animal.
Age verification for porn: Porn websites will need to verify users are 18 or older, either through requiring a digital ID or through other methods, to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material. Site providers would be subject to penalties if they don’t use age verification measures.
Religious beliefs of foster care and adoptive parents: Prospective foster or adoptive parents wouldn’t be required to support policies around sexual orientation or gender identity that conflict with their religious beliefs. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services also can’t disqualify a person from fostering or adopting based on their religious or moral beliefs around gender identity and sexual orientation.
Medical conscience protections: Healthcare providers and institutions can decline to participate in services that conflict with their ethical, moral or religious beliefs. Iowa House Democrats criticized the now-law as legalizing discrimination in healthcare.
Verifying work authorization of public employees: The law requires the state, local governments and schools to use the federal E-Verify system to make sure new hires are authorized to work in the U.S. The wide-ranging law also establishes penalties for employers who knowingly hire or employ people who use false Social Security numbers. It also requires Iowans who register to vote to swear they are a U.S. citizen.
Banning local forms of ID: Cities and counties are restricted from issuing their own forms of identification. The law impacts a local ID program in Johnson County.
Increasing mandatory minimums for habitual offenders: The new law raises the mandatory minimum sentence for people convicted of a third felony offense from three years to seven years. It also raises the maximum prison sentence for a habitual offender and prohibits a deferred or suspended sentence for habitual offenders. Gov. Kim Reynolds also signed a separate bill that tightens laws around bail and pretrial release.
Eliminating anti-bias training: Law enforcement officers would no longer be required to do annual bias prevention training. The requirement was part of a police reform law passed unanimously in 2020 amid protests against the police killing of George Floyd. The new law also removes affirmative action measures and references in state law.
Parental consent for HPV vaccine: A minor now needs parental consent to get vaccines that prevent sexually transmitted diseases or infections like the HPV or hepatitis B vaccines.
Verifying driver’s license applicants through SAVE: The Iowa DOT would be required to use the federal SAVE program, or future similar programs, to verify the legal status of people applying for or renewing their driver’s license, if applicants don’t provide proof of citizenship.
