Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to Gadsden flag special registration plates, providing fees, and making appropriations
Sponsored by the Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. Scott Webster (R)
Topics:State budgetTaxesTransportation
Same legislation: SF 2343
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 16, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 16, 2026
- Done: Senate committeeFebruary 19, 2026
- Stopped: Passes the SenateDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- 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 authorizes the department of transportation (DOT) to design and issue Gadsden flag special registration plates. The bill requires the plate’s background to be black and the plate’s numbers and letters to be yellow. The left side of the plate must contain the image of a yellow rattlesnake coiled on grass. The phrase “Don’t Tread on Me” must appear at the bottom of the plate. The bill provides that the special Gadsden flag fee for letter-number designated Gadsden flag plates is $50. An applicant may obtain personalized Gadsden flag plates upon payment of the $25 fee for personalized plates set forth under current law, which is in addition to the special Gadsden flag fee.
Read the full explanation
Personalized Gadsden flag plates are limited to five numerals and letters. The annual special Gadsden flag fee for letter-number designated plates is $50, which is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The annual fee for personalized Gadsden flag plates is $5, which is in addition to the annual special Gadsden flag fee and the regular annual registration fee. The fees collected by the DOT must be paid monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund. The treasurer of state must transfer monthly from the statutory allocations fund to the general fund of the state an amount equal to the special fees collected in the previous month for the Gadsden flag plates. One-half of such moneys is appropriated to the natural resource commission (NRC) to distribute in the form of shooting sports development grants to applicants for the creation of new shooting ranges and improvement of existing shooting ranges and facilities. The NRC is prohibited from awarding a grant to an applicant unless the applicant allows students enrolled at a public or private school to participate in shooting sports at the applicant’s range or facility. The NRC must give first consideration to any applicant who has agreed to allow a public or private school sports shooting team to use the applicant’s range or facility. The other half of such moneys is appropriated to the department of homeland security and emergency management to distribute in the form of grants to school districts for school infrastructure. For purposes of the bill, “school infrastructure” includes school safety and security infrastructure, including but not limited to safe rooms, remote entry technology and equipment, security camera systems, card access systems, and communication systems with access to fire and police emergency frequencies, but does not include the cost of personnel, development of safety and security plans, or training related to the implementation of safety and security plans.3(6)(a)(5). The bill prohibits the DOT from conditioning the issuance of Gadsden flag plates on the receipt of any number of orders for Gadsden flag plates. Gadsden flag plates are exempt from the general requirements to display the name of the county that issues the plates and to be consistent with the design and color of regular registration plates.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Amendments adopted later aren’t reflected. Full bill text
Senate subcommittee
Named February 26, 2026. On March 4, 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 17, 2026 (1) · on the Legislature’s site
Iowa Code it changes
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
2 for · 0 against · 4 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
Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title; check the text to be sure it’s the same idea.
Tried before
This idea has been filed in an earlier General Assembly. None became law, though one got through a chamber.
- HF 2639 Relating to vehicle registration plates, including registration plate frames and Gadsden f…90th General Assembly · Passed House · similarPassed a chamber
Similar bills this General Assembly
- HF 525 Relating to vehicle registration plates, including registration plate frames and Gadsden f…91st General Assembly · Renumbered as HF 974Similar
Matched by the wording of each bill’s explanation, or an identical title. Companion bills and renumbered versions of this bill aren’t listed; they’re the same bill.