Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to certain activities associated with foreign entities in the state, providing penalties, and making penalties applicable
Sponsored by the House Public Safety Committee
Topics:Crime & correctionsState governmentPublic safety & emergencies
Same legislation: HSB 752
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 17, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 17, 2026
- Done: House committeeFebruary 18, 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 Iowa government agencies are banned from buying or using drones made by certain foreign companies and must create plans to replace them. It also becomes a felony to fly a foreign-made drone near power plants, water facilities, or National Guard sites. People working as lobbyists for foreign groups must register with the state and report their contracts and communications. Additionally, international agreements from groups like the United Nations cannot be enforced in Iowa unless the state legislature officially passes them into law.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to certain activities associated with foreign entities in the state. DIVISION I —— DRONES —— SECURITY AND PROCUREMENT. The bill prohibits the state or a political subdivision of the state from purchasing, leasing, or operating a remotely piloted aircraft, defined as a self-propelled vehicle used for navigation and flight that is controlled by the use of an electronic system and is not designed to carry a human, that is manufactured, in whole or in part, by a company listed on the covered list published by the public safety and homeland security bureau of the federal communications commission. The bill creates the crime of aggravated intrusion by the use of a remotely piloted aircraft, which a person commits if the person controls the flight of a remotely piloted aircraft, that was manufactured outside of the United States, within 400 feet of a power plant, water treatment facility, or national guard facility. A person who commits aggravated intrusion by the use of a remotely piloted aircraft is guilty of a class “D” felony. A class “D” felony is punishable by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least $1,025 but not more than $10,245. The bill requires each state entity and political subdivision of the state that owns, leases, or operates a remotely piloted aircraft to develop a plan to replace all remotely piloted aircraft that were manufactured, in whole or in part, by a company listed on the covered list published by the public safety and homeland security bureau of the federal communications commission with remotely piloted aircraft listed on the blue list of the federal defense contract management agency. The bill also requires the chief information officer of the department of management to conduct an audit of the transmission protocols utilized by remotely piloted aircraft operated by state entities and political subdivisions of the state to ensure compliance with the secure-by-design standards of the federal cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency with respect to data encryption and server localization. DIVISION II —— FOREIGN AGENTS —— REGISTRATION. The bill requires a foreign principal, or the agent of a foreign principal, as defined in federal law, to register with the Iowa ethics and campaign disclosure board (board) within 48 hours after engaging in lobbying or political consulting in this state, as well as to file with the board a copy of each contract, compensation schedule, and communication log related to foreign-funded influence operations targeting legislators or executive branch agencies in this state. The bill directs the board to impose a civil penalty of $100 per day on a person who does not register as required by the bill, up to a maximum penalty of $5,000 for a single violation, to be deposited in the general fund of the state.34). A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560. DIVISION III —— INTERNATIONAL DIRECTIVES —— STATE SOVEREIGNTY. The bill specifies that a treaty, accord, emergency guideline, or other document issued by the world health organization, united nations, or world economic forum does not have the force of law in this state unless it is affirmatively adopted as law in this state by the general assembly. The bill also prohibits the state or a political subdivision of the state from using tax revenues or directing personnel to enforce mandates derived from a treaty, accord, emergency guideline, or other document issued by an international organization. The bill requires each department, authority, and agency of this state to annually conduct a review of all memoranda of understanding to ensure that the entity is not using any resources of the state to support international regulatory goals that have not been adopted as law in this state by the general assembly. The bill affirms, pursuant to the 10th amendment to the Constitution of the United States, that powers relating to public health and police powers in this state reside exclusively with the state of Iowa and not any international organization.
Why it matters. State agencies and local governments are prohibited from purchasing or operating drones manufactured by companies on a specific federal covered list and must develop plans to replace them with approved models. Individuals who fly foreign-made drones within 400 feet of certain facilities like power plants or water treatment plants could face felony charges for aggravated intrusion. Foreign agents performing lobbying or political consulting in Iowa must register with the ethics and campaign disclosure board and file related contracts and communication logs.2
House subcommittee
Named February 17, 2026 (as HSB 752). On February 18, 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: February 18, 2026 (1) · on the Legislature’s site
Fiscal note
Cost: up to $18,100 Compare with other bills
AI summary This bill restricts certain drones from being used by the state and requires foreign agents to register with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. The Department of Public Safety estimates an increase in annual vendor costs of approximately $100,000, but the cost to replace its drone fleet cannot be determined until a request for proposal is issued. The bill is estimated to cost the state General Fund between $13,000 and $18,100 per Class D felony conviction, and the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board estimates a cost of between $35,000 and $50,000 for system enhancements. The total fiscal impact regarding new convictions for either division cannot be determined.4
Read the fiscal note
Description
House File 2646 relates to certain activities associated with foreign entities in the State, and provides penalties. The Bill is organized into three divisions, Division III — State Sovereignty has no fiscal impact.
The following divisions of the Bill have fiscal impacts described in further detail in this Fiscal Note:
- Division I — Drones — Security and Procurement
- Division II — Foreign Agents — Registration
Division I — Drones — Security and Procurement
Description
Division I of the Bill prohibits the State, or a political subdivision of the State, from purchasing, leasing, or operating a remotely piloted aircraft, as defined in Iowa Code section 715E.1, that is manufactured by a company listed in the Covered List developed pursuant to 47 C.F.R. §1.50002 and published by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
This Division creates an offense in which a person who knowingly controls a remotely piloted aircraft that was manufactured outside the United States, within 400 feet of a power plant, water treatment facility, or National Guard facility is committing aggravated intrusion and is guilty of a Class D felony.
This Division requires that any State entity and political subdivision that owns, leases, or operates a remotely piloted aircraft to develop a plan to replace all remotely piloted aircrafts that were manufactured outside the United States in accordance with 47 C.F.R. §1.50002. This Division requires the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Department of Management (DOM) to conduct an audit of the transmission protocols used by remotely piloted aircrafts to ensure compliance with the secure-by-design standard of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) with respect to data encryption and server localization.
Background
A Class D felony is punishable by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least $1,025 but not more than $10,245.
Iowa Code section 715E.1 defines “remotely piloted aircraft” as a self-propelled vehicle used for navigation and flight that is controlled by the use of an electronic system and is not designed to carry a human.
Assumptions
- The DPS would be required to replace its existing platform of remotely piloted aircraft.
- Exact costs for the DPS to replace its fleet of aircraft cannot be determined until a request for proposal (RFP) can be issued.
- The DPS estimates an increase in annual vendor costs of approximately $100,000 for Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud-based services updates.
- The following will not change over the projection period: charge, conviction, and sentencing patterns and trends; prisoner length of stay (LOS); revocation rates; plea bargaining; and other criminal justice system policies and practices.
- County jail data is unavailable. For purposes of this analysis, the marginal cost for county jails is assumed to be $50 per day.
- Conviction data reflects the total number of convictions in adult court, which may include multiple convictions per individual. Not all convictions lead to incarceration, and there may be a delay between conviction and prison admission, which can contribute to differences in totals.
- A six-month delay is assumed from the effective date of the Bill to the date the first offender will enter the correctional system.
- Offender-based convictions are a count of individuals convicted of the same offense. Each offender is counted only once per Iowa Code section, regardless of the number of individual convictions.
- Admissions are a count of individuals newly admitted to the Department of Corrections (DOC) for supervision during a selected time period, based on the most serious offense committed.
Correctional Impact
This Division of the Bill creates a new offense, and the correctional impact of the Bill cannot be determined because the number of new convictions cannot be estimated. Figure 1 shows estimates for sentencing to State prison, parole, probation, or Community-Based Corrections (CBC) residential facilities; LOS in months under those supervisions; and supervision marginal costs per day for a Class D felony.
Figure 1 — Sentencing Estimates and LOS in Months
Conviction Offense Class
Percent
Ordered to
State
Prison
FY 2025 Avg
LOS in
Prison (All Releases)
Marginal
Cost Per
Day
Prison
Percent
Ordered to
Probation
FY 2025
Field Avg
LOS on
Probation
Avg Cost
Per Day
Probation
Marginal
Cost Per
Day CBC
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Jail
FY 2025
Field Avg
LOS on
Parole
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Parole
D Felony Non-Persons 84.2% 12.5 $23.07 69.4% 41.4 $8.00 $16.35 $50.00 15.5 $8.00 Refer to the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) memo addressed to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional Impact Statements, dated January 12, 2026, for information related to the correctional system.
Minority Impact
House File 2646 creates the new offense, and, as a result, the minority impact of the Bill cannot be determined because the number of new convictions cannot be estimated. Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly, Minority Impact Statements, dated January 12, 2026, for information related to minorities in the criminal justice system.
Fiscal Impact
House File 2646 creates the new offense, and the number of new convictions cannot be estimated. The average State cost per Class D felony is between $13,000 and $18,100. The estimated impact to the General Fund includes operating costs incurred by the Judicial Branch, the Indigent Defense Fund, and the DOC. The costs would be incurred across multiple fiscal years for prison and parole supervision.
The DPS reports that a fiscal impact of replacing remotely piloted aircraft cannot be determined until an RFP can be issued. The DPS estimates an increase in annual vendor costs of approximately $100,000 for SaaS cloud-based service updates.
Division II — Foreign Agents — Registration
Description
Division II of the Bill requires a foreign principal or agent of a foreign principal to register with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board (IECDB) within 48 hours after engaging in lobbying or political consulting in Iowa. A foreign principal or agent of a foreign principal that engages in lobbying or political consulting is required to file with the IECDB a copy of each contract, compensation schedule, and communication log related to foreign-funded influence operations related to legislators or Executive Branch agencies in Iowa. The Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended by 22 U.S.C. §611 et seq., does not satisfy the requirements of registering as a foreign principal or agent of a foreign principal.
This Division also directs the IECDB to impose a civil penalty of $100 per day, up to a maximum of $5,000 per violation, on a person who fails to register as a foreign principal or agent of a foreign principal.
Background
Pursuant to Iowa Code section 68B.34, any person who knowingly and intentionally violates the provisions of this Division is guilty of a serious misdemeanor and may be reprimanded, suspended, or dismissed from the person’s position or otherwise sanctioned. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560.
Assumptions
- The required filings pursuant to this Division of the Bill will be filed using the IECDB’s Web Reporting System (WRS).
- The IECDB estimates a cost of between $35,000 and $50,000 for system enhancements to the WRS.
- The following will not change over the projection period: charge, conviction, and sentencing patterns and trends; prisoner LOS; revocation rates; plea bargaining; and other criminal justice system policies and practices.
- County jail data is unavailable. For purposes of this analysis, the marginal cost for county jails is assumed to be $50 per day.
- Conviction data reflects the total number of convictions in adult court, which may include multiple convictions per individual. Not all convictions lead to incarceration, and there may be a delay between conviction and prison admission, which can contribute to differences in totals.
- A six-month delay is assumed from the effective date of the Bill to the date the first offender will enter the correctional system.
- Offender-based convictions are a count of individuals convicted of the same offense. Each offender is counted only once per Iowa Code section, regardless of the number of individual convictions.
- Admissions are a count of individuals newly admitted to the DOC for supervision during a selected time period, based on the most serious offense committed.
Correctional Impact
This Division of the Bill creates a new offense, and the correctional impact of the Bill cannot be determined because the number of new convictions cannot be estimated. Figure 2 shows estimates for sentencing to State prison, parole, probation, or CBC residential facilities; LOS in months under those supervisions; and supervision marginal costs per day for a serious misdemeanor.
Figure 2 — Sentencing Estimates and LOS in Months
Conviction Offense Class
Percent
Ordered to
State
Prison
FY 2025 Avg
LOS in
Prison (All Releases)
Marginal
Cost Per
Day
Prison
Percent
Ordered to
Probation
FY 2025
Field Avg
LOS on
Probation
Avg Cost
Per Day
Probation
Marginal
Cost Per
Day CBC
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Jail
FY 2025
Field Avg
LOS on
Parole
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Parole
Serious Misdemeanor 2.3% 7.3 $23.07 44.8% 21.0 $8.00 $16.35 $50.00 N/A $8.00 Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional Impact Statements, dated January 12, 2026, for information related to the correctional system.
Minority Impact
House File 2646 creates a new offense under Iowa Code section 68B.34. The minority impact cannot be determined because the number of new convictions cannot be estimated. Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly, Minority Impact Statements, dated January 12, 2026, for information related to minorities in the criminal justice system.
Fiscal Impact
House File 2646 creates a new offense under Iowa Code section 68B.34, and the number of new convictions cannot be estimated. The average State cost per serious misdemeanor is between $350 and $6,200. The estimated impact to the General Fund includes operating costs incurred by the Judicial Branch, the Indigent Defense Fund, and the DOC. The costs would be incurred across multiple fiscal years for prison and parole supervision. The IECDB estimates a cost of between $35,000 and $50,000 for system enhancements to the WRS.
Fiscal Impact Summary
Under Division I, the DPS estimates an increase in annual vendor costs of approximately $100,000 for SaaS cloud-based service updates. Under Division II, the IECDB estimates a cost of between $35,000 and $50,000 for system enhancements to the WRS.
Sources
- Division of Data, Planning, and Improvement (DPI), Department of Management (DOM)
- Department of Corrections
- Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board
- Department of Public Safety
- Department of Public Defense
- State Procurement Requirements, Foreign Agents, and State Sovereignty · March 18, 2026 · $18,100
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91st General Assembly