Establishing a scenic byways enhancement fund, including by providing for voluntary contributions to the fund, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions

Sponsored by the House Appropriations (successor To Hf 971) (successor To Hf 581) (successor To Hf 130) Committee, Rep. Michael R. Bergan (R)

Topics:State budget Cities & counties Transportation

Same legislation: HF 130, HF 581, HF 971, HF 2353

Write your legislators about it

Official bill page Lobbyist declarations One-pager to print

Where it is now

Done: IntroducedJanuary 27, 2025
Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 29, 2025
Done: House committeeFebruary 12, 2025
Done: Passes the HouseMarch 31, 202693–0
Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
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 will create a new fund to help pay for the upkeep and cleaning of scenic roads. When people renew their vehicle registrations, they will have the option to donate one dollar or more to this fund. Counties can keep a small portion of these donations to help pay for their own local expenses.¹

Read the official explanation

This bill creates a scenic byways enhancement fund and appropriates moneys in the fund to the department of transportation (DOT) for the support, development, maintenance, and enhancement, including litter prevention, of scenic byways. For each application to renew the registration of a vehicle, the county treasurer or the DOT is required to request that an applicant make a voluntary contribution of $1 or more, computed to the nearest whole dollar, to the scenic byways enhancement fund. Up to 5 percent of the moneys collected by the county may be retained by the county treasurer for deposit in the general fund of the county. The bill takes effect January 1, 2026.

Why it matters. Vehicle owners will be asked to make a voluntary contribution of $1 or more when they renew their registration to support a new scenic byways enhancement fund. The Iowa Department of Transportation will use these funds to support, develop, maintain, and enhance scenic byways and prevent litter. County treasurers may also keep a portion of the collected money to deposit into their county's general fund.²

Changed since by amendment H-8269; see Amendments.

Full bill text³

Senate subcommittee

Named April 6, 2026. It hasn’t reported yet.

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§307.50 §321.44B

Amends§331.557

How the Code works⁴

Lobbying

3 for · 0 against · 11 undecided · Who →

Family tree

Tried before

SF 2060Cleared committee88th GA HF 486Passed a chamber89th GA HF 192Renumbered90th GA

91st General Assembly

HF 130Renumbered HF 581Renumberedfrom HF 130 HF 971Renumberedfrom HF 581 HF 2353Renumberedfrom HF 971 HF 2741Passed a chamberfrom HF 2353

Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title.

Tried before

This idea has been filed in 3 earlier General Assemblies. None became law, though one got through a chamber.

HF 192 Establishing a scenic byways enhancement fund, including by providing for voluntary contri…
90th General Assembly · Renumbered as HF 345 · nearly identical
Cleared committee
HF 486 Establishing a scenic byways enhancement fund, including by providing for voluntary contri…
89th General Assembly · Passed House · nearly identical
Passed a chamber
SF 2060 Establishing a scenic byways enhancement fund, including by providing for voluntary contri…
88th General Assembly · Subcommittee recommends passage · very similar
Cleared committee

Matched by wording or an identical title.