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

SF 553: Relating to special deer hunting licenses available to nonresident family members

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

What it does

This bill creates a special deer hunting license available to certain nonresident family members. In order to hunt deer under current law, a nonresident who does not own land in Iowa may apply for an antlered or any sex deer hunting license that is subject to a specified zone and an annual quota. A nonresident who is unsuccessful in acquiring an antlered or any sex deer hunting license receives preference to purchase an antlerless deer only deer hunting license. The bill allows a nonresident who is a family member of a resident to purchase a nonresident family member deer hunting license for a fee that is one-half the fee of a nonresident deer hunting license established by the natural resource commission by rule.

Cost

See the fiscal note

Table 1 provides a range of revenue increases to the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund from the sale of the new license created in the Bill, as well as an increase in annual hunting and habitat licenses. 75.

Senate subcommittee · named January 9, 2024

Sen. Dawn Driscoll (R) · dawn.driscoll@legis.iowa.gov
Sen. Adrian Dickey (R) · adrian.dickey@legis.iowa.gov
Sen. William A. Dotzler Jr. (D) · bill.dotzler@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 0 for, 6 against

Against: Iowa Bowhunters Association; Iowa Conservation Alliance; Iowa Farm Bureau Federation; Iowa Sportsmans Club; Izaak Walton League - Iowa Division; Lakeside Inc.

In plain words

March 16, 2023Filed in the Senate
March 16, 2023Approved by the Senate committee
March 24, 2023Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
June 5, 2023Sent to the Senate Ways and Means committee
January 9, 2024Senate subcommittee named: Driscoll, Dickey and Dotzler