Bills › 91st General Assembly
Creating an endowment tax on the endowment value of certain Iowa colleges and universities, limiting charges relating to certain endowment funds, making appropriations to workforce grant and incentive programs, and making appropriations to supplement tuition grants for high-wage and high-demand jobs
Sponsored by the House Higher Education Committee
Topics:State budgetHigher educationTaxes
Same legislation: HSB 544
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 13, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 13, 2026
- Done: House committeeJanuary 28, 2026
- Stopped: Passes the HouseDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Senate committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Certain Iowa colleges and universities would pay a new tax if their endowment funds are worth more than $500 million. The money collected from this tax would go toward grants for students studying for high-paying, high-demand jobs. Additionally, the law sets limits on how much these schools can charge to manage their endowment funds or process gifts.1
Read the official explanation
This bill creates an endowment tax on the endowment value of certain Iowa colleges and universities, limits charges relating to certain endowment funds, makes appropriations to workforce grant and incentive programs, and makes appropriations to supplemental tuition grants for high-wage and high-demand jobs. The bill shall be known as the “Tax the Endowments Act”.1 percent. The bill specifies the department of revenue may adopt rules to administer the tax.183. The bill defines “endowment” to mean the unrestricted corpus of any fund or account held and administered by an educational institution or a related organization to the educational institution, the principal of which is intended to be preserved and invested for the purpose of generating income to support the educational institution’s operations, scholarships, research, or other institutional purposes. The bill defines “endowment value” to mean the total aggregate fair market value of all assets constituting the endowment at the close of the preceding tax year.230(8), for the uses specified in the fund.189(3) (private colleges).189(3)(b).1B(5). The bill requires the college student aid commission to adopt rules to administer the approval and awarding of supplemental tuition grants. The bill limits the amount a higher education institution governed by the state board of regents may charge another entity for gifts made to the institution to 5 percent of the gross proceeds of the gift. The bill also limits such an institution from annually charging more than 1 percent of the endowment value for the management and administration of the endowment.
Why it matters. State-governed and accredited private colleges and universities with endowment values over $500 million would be subject to an annual endowment tax. The tax collected from state-governed institutions would fund workforce grant incentives, while taxes from private institutions would supplement tuition grants for students enrolled in high-wage and high-demand majors. Additionally, state-governed institutions would face new limits on the fees they can charge for managing endowments and processing gifts.2
House subcommittee
Named January 13, 2026 (as HSB 544). On January 22, 2026 it recommended passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
1 written public comment to its subcommittee: January 22, 2026 (1) · on the Legislature’s site
Family tree
Study bill
91st General Assembly