Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to the secession of counties
Sponsored by Rep. David Jacoby (D)
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 19, 2025
- Stopped: SubcommitteeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by February 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- 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 A county could choose to leave Iowa and become its own territory or join a different state if the federal government and another state agree to it. Once a county passes an ordinance to leave, its residents would no longer have to follow Iowa's laws or the state constitution. Even if a county leaves, the state of Iowa would still own and control any state property located within that county.1
Read the official explanation
This bill allows a county to secede from the state of Iowa by the adoption of an ordinance. A county that adopts an ordinance to secede from the state of Iowa ceases to be a political subdivision of the state for all purposes and the county and the residents of the county shall no longer be subject to the laws or Constitution of the State of Iowa. The bill requires all property, real or personal, that is owned by the state of Iowa and located in a county that secedes from the state to remain under the ownership and control of the state. The bill requires an ordinance to secede from the state of Iowa to have an effective date of not less than one year after the date of adoption. The bill does not apply unless the county has approval from the federal government and another state to become part of the other state, or unless the county has approval from the federal government to become its own state or territory.
Iowa Code it changes
Creates§331.301A