Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to approval requirements for city utilities
Topics:Cities & counties
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 18, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 18, 2025
- Stopped: House committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the House
- Skipped: Senate committeeSkipped
- Done: Passes the SenateMarch 18, 202548–0
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill relates to approval requirements for city utilities. Under current law, when a city is considering whether to grant, amend, extend, or renew a franchise within the city, a public hearing must be held. After the public hearing, the franchise may be granted, amended, extended, or renewed only by an ordinance, and is not effective unless approved at an election. _____ on for passage at two council meetings prior to the meeting at which the ordinance is to be finally passed. The bill provides that after the public hearing, the city council may make the final determination on whether to grant, amend, extend, or renew the franchise.
Read the full explanation
The bill allows the city council to make the final determination in a single meeting. Under current law, a proposal of a city to establish, acquire, lease, or dispose of a city utility, in order to undertake or to discontinue the operation of the city utility, or the proposal to establish or dissolve a combined utility system, or the proposal to establish or discontinue a utility board, is subject to the approval of the voters of the city. Under the bill, the approval requirement is changed to require the city council to set forth its proposal in a resolution and publish notice of the resolution and of a date, time, and place of a public hearing on the proposal. The bill provides that after the public hearing, the city council may make the final determination on the proposal by resolution. Under current law, a proposal to discontinue a city utility and dispose of such utility by sale, whether upon the city council’s motion or upon the receipt of a valid petition is subject to the approval of the voters of the city. The city must make the proposal available at least days before submitting a proposal for the election. Under the bill, the approval requirement is changed to require the city council to set forth the proposal in a resolution and publish notice of the resolution and of a date, time, and place of a public hearing on the proposal at least days before the hearing. The bill also provides that after the public hearing, the city council may make the final determination on the proposal by resolution.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Amendments adopted later aren’t reflected. Full bill text
House subcommittee
Named February 18, 2025. 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
Amends§364.2§380.3§388.2§388.2A
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
1 for · 9 against · 22 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.
91st General Assembly
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