Learn
State agencies
The Governor runs the executive branch through departments like these. Each page says what the department does, what it spends from the state’s General Fund, and which bills would change the laws it carries out.
Health, schools and work
Health and Human ServicesRuns Medicaid, food assistance, child welfare and public health programs, and the state’s mental health and disability services.EducationOversees Iowa’s public schools and community colleges: standards, teacher licensing and the money that flows through the school funding formula.Board of RegentsGoverns the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, plus the Iowa School for the Deaf and the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School.Workforce DevelopmentPays unemployment benefits and runs the state’s job centers and training programs.Veterans AffairsHelps veterans and their families get the state and federal benefits they’ve earned.Department for the BlindTrains blind and low-vision Iowans in skills for work and daily life, helps them find jobs, and runs a library of braille and audio books.
Safety and justice
CorrectionsRuns the state’s prisons and, with local judicial district departments, probation and parole supervision.Public SafetyHome of the Iowa State Patrol, the Division of Criminal Investigation and its crime lab, and the State Fire Marshal.Homeland Security and Emergency ManagementPlans for disasters and coordinates the state’s response with counties and federal agencies.Public Defense (Iowa National Guard)Runs the Iowa Army and Air National Guard, which the Governor can call up for emergencies at home.Law Enforcement AcademyTrains and certifies Iowa’s police officers, sheriff’s deputies and jailers.Board of ParoleDecides when people in prison can be released on parole, and reviews requests for clemency for the Governor.Justice (Attorney General)The state’s law firm.
Taxes, money and business
RevenueCollects the state’s income, sales and other taxes, and the local option sales taxes counties vote for.ManagementThe Governor’s budget office.Insurance and Financial ServicesRegulates insurance companies, banks, credit unions and securities sellers in Iowa, and handles consumer complaints about them.Economic Development AuthorityRuns the state’s business incentives, tax credits and grants for communities and housing.Iowa Finance AuthorityThe state’s housing finance agency.
Farms, land and roads
Agriculture and Land StewardshipInspects food and farms, regulates pesticides and animal health, checks scales and fuel pumps, and works with farmers on soil and water conservation.Natural ResourcesRuns state parks and forests, sells hunting and fishing licenses, and enforces the state’s air, water and waste rules.TransportationBuilds and maintains state highways and bridges, issues driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations, and shares road money with cities and counties.
Running government
Administrative ServicesHandles the business side of state government: payroll and benefits for state workers, buying, state buildings and vehicles, and the state’s accounting.Inspections, Appeals, and LicensingInspects nursing homes, hospitals and restaurants, licenses many professions, and runs the hearings where people appeal state agency decisions.Public Information BoardAnswers questions about Iowa’s open meetings and public records laws, and handles complaints for free when someone thinks a government body broke them.
Elections and ethics
Secretary of StateRuns Iowa’s elections with the 99 county auditors and keeps the statewide voter list.Ethics and Campaign Disclosure BoardCollects and publishes campaign finance reports for state and local candidates and PACs, and enforces the rules on gifts and conflicts of interest for executive branch officials.
See also the state budget and how the budget works.