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90th General Assembly · Funnel one-pager · Monday, November 9, 2026

SF 520: Prohibiting the use of remotely piloted aircraft flying over certain property, and providing penalties

Died when the session ended · The General Assembly adjourned on April 19, 2024. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died.

What it does

GENERAL. This bill prohibits the use of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) flying over a homestead or that part of a farmstead where agricultural animals are kept (secured farmstead area). TERMS. An RPA refers to a self-propelled vehicle used for navigation and flight, is controlled by the use of an electronic system, and is not designed to carry a human. A homestead includes a dwelling owned or leased by a person that is used as the principal residence for a person and includes up to 400 feet of surrounding property owned or leased by that person.

Sponsors

Natural Resources and Environment (companion To Hf 572 By Committee on Agriculture) committee

Cost

Can’t be estimated

House File 572 establishes new offenses, and the fiscal impact cannot be estimated due to a lack of existing conviction data. Figure 2 below shows the average State cost per offense for an aggravated misdemeanor, serious misdemeanor, and simple misdemeanor.

Senate subcommittee · named January 12, 2024

  • Sen. Annette Sweeney (R) · annette.sweeney@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Izaah Knox (D) · izaah.knox@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Dan Zumbach (R) · dan.zumbach@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 3 for, 5 against

For: Iowa Cattlemen's Association; Iowa Farm Bureau Federation; Iowa State Bar Association

Against: Cedar Rapids Airport; Consumer Technology Association c/o MultiStates Associates, LLC; Iowa Chapter of Sierra Club; Iowa Public Airports Association; Iowa Retail Federation

In plain words

  1. March 6, 2023Filed in the Senate
  2. March 6, 2023Approved by the Senate committee
  3. March 14, 2023Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
  4. June 5, 2023Sent to the Senate Natural Resources and Environment committee
  5. January 12, 2024Senate subcommittee named: Sweeney, Knox and Zumbach

From public records at legis.iowa.gov, compiled by Funnel (iowafunnel.com), an independent, nonpartisan site. Current as of Monday, November 9, 2026. https://iowafunnel.com/bills/90/SF520