Bills › 91st General Assembly

HF 294Died when the session ended · February 10, 2025

Allowing certain cities to certify taxes for general fund levy for libraries

Sponsored by Rep. Matthew Rinker (R)

Topics:Cities & countiesTaxesBooks & libraries

Where it is now

  1. Done: IntroducedFebruary 10, 2025
  2. Stopped: SubcommitteeDied when the General Assembly ended
  3. Next: House committeeFunnel: by February 20, 2026
  4. Next: Passes the House
  5. Next: Senate committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
  6. Next: Passes the Senate
  7. Next: To the Governor
  8. 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 Cities can no longer use certain special taxes to fund public libraries, but they can instead include library funding in their general fund. If a city wants to use a specific tax for a library, the city council must first get approval from voters during a regular election. Once voters approve this tax, it lasts for 10 years unless the city council votes to stop it or voters choose to extend it.1

Read the official explanation

12 (additional taxes) to eliminate several taxes a city may levy subject to voter approval at an election.1(3)(b)(2), which allows cities to levy the same amounts the eliminated taxes could have levied as a part of the cities’ general fund levy. One levy that was eliminated by HF 718 was a levy to support a public library up to a maximum amount of 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. This bill allows cities to impose a tax for the support of a public library in an amount not to exceed the amount levied by the city in FY 2022-2023 for the same purpose. The bill requires, prior to imposing a tax for the support of a public library, for a city council to submit the question to voters at a regular city election of whether to impose the tax, and a majority of voters approve the levy. The bill limits the validity of a tax in support of a public library to a period of 10 years from the date the tax is approved by voters at a regular city election. The tax may be extended for additional 10-year periods if reauthorized by the voters at election. A city council may discontinue the tax by a majority vote of the city council.

Full bill text2

Iowa Code it changes

Amends§384.12

How the Code works3

Lobbying

2 for · 0 against · 1 undecided · Who →

Family tree

91st General Assembly

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

Tried before

This idea has been filed in an earlier General Assembly. None got through a chamber.

  • HF 2442 Allowing cities to impose a tax to fund a public library
    90th General Assembly · Subcommittee recommends passage · nearly identical
    Cleared committee

Matched by wording or an identical title.