Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to emergency planning and coordination for electric transmission line owners, and providing penalties
Sponsored by the House Commerce Committee
Topics:Business & economyEnergy & utilities
Same legislation: HSB 737
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 12, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 12, 2026
- Done: House committeeFebruary 16, 2026
- Done: Passes the HouseMarch 2, 202690–0
- Done: Senate committeeMarch 19, 2026
- Done: Passes the SenateMarch 24, 202645–0
- Done: To the GovernorApril 16, 2026
- Done: Signed into lawApril 16, 2026
Signed into law What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill relates to emergency planning and coordination for electric transmission line owners. The bill requires each electric transmission line owner or electric utility to independently develop an emergency response plan and submit the plan to the Iowa utilities commission (commission). The plan must include two designated emergency contacts with 24-hour contact information, procedures for notifying state and local emergency management agencies and neighboring utilities during service interruptions, strategies for staging and mobilization, a summary of mutual aid arrangements, and a methodology for prioritizing restoration of service to essential facilities.
Read the full explanation
An initial plan must be submitted by December 31, 2026, and updated plans must be submitted annually thereafter or within days of a material change. The bill provides that emergency response plans and related information submitted to the commission are confidential records and are not subject to disclosure, except as necessary to coordinate emergency response and restoration efforts among authorized state and utility personnel. The bill requires an electric transmission line owner or electric utility to notify the commission when it is projected that an outage meeting certain criteria will result in a loss of service for more than six hours. The notice must be made as early as possible and must include the general nature and cause of the interruption, the geographic area affected, a preliminary assessment of the damage, and an estimated time for restoration, with updates provided as more accurate information becomes available. The bill further requires, in the event of an actual or imminent proclaimed disaster emergency, electric transmission line owners to coordinate operational responses with one another and with electric utilities to ensure expeditious and orderly repair and restoration, and provide information to the commission and the department of homeland security and emergency management as requested to support state-level emergency response. Finally, the bill authorizes the commission to levy a civil penalty against an electric transmission line owner that violates the bill or rules adopted under it, in an amount of not more than $100 per violation or $1,000 per day for a continuing violation, whichever is greater.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Changed since by amendments S-5118, H-8057; see Amendments. Full bill text · What changed before it passed
Senate subcommittee
Named March 10, 2026. On March 11, 2026 it recommended amendment and 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
Iowa Code it changes
Creates§478.34
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
3 for · 0 against · 14 undecided · Who →
Family tree
Where this legislation came from and where it went: earlier tries, the versions it moved through this Assembly, and later bills built on it.
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91st General Assembly
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