Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to the retrieval of wounded deer by use of a registered unmanned aerial vehicle, and providing penalties
Sponsored by Rep. Megan Jones (R)
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 16, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 3, 2026
- Stopped: House committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- 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 Hunters with the right licenses can use registered drones to find and track a deer they have wounded. This rule applies to both the person who shot the deer and anyone hunting with them, as long as they have permission to fly over private land. To do this, hunters must register their drones with both the state and the federal government.1
Read the official explanation
This bill allows a person with a valid hunting license and deer hunting license who wounds a deer while hunting or a person with a valid hunting license accompanying the person who has wounded a deer while hunting to use a registered unmanned aerial vehicle to track and retrieve the wounded deer. The person who wounded the deer may dispatch the deer using a legal method of take authorized by the person’s valid deer hunting license. The bill allows a person to use a registered unmanned aerial vehicle to track a wounded deer on private property at any time with the consent of the property owner. Persons must register the unmanned aerial vehicle for wounded deer retrieval with the department of natural resources and the federal aviation administration. The natural resource commission (NRC) is directed to create a registration process that complies with the federal aviation administration’s regulations for unmanned aerial vehicles. The bill directs NRC to adopt rules to implement the bill’s provisions. A violation of the bill’s provisions is punishable by a scheduled fine of $250.
House subcommittee
Named February 3, 2026. On February 9, 2026 it recommended amendment and 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 9, 2026 (1) · on the Legislature’s site
Iowa Code it changes
Creates§481A.56B
Amends§481A.125A§805.8B
Lobbying
1 for · 0 against · 6 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 2365 Relating to the retrieval of wounded deer by use of a registered unmanned aerial vehicle, …90th General Assembly · Approved by committee · same titleCleared committee
- HF 2180 Relating to the retrieval of wounded deer by use of a registered unmanned aerial vehicle, …90th General Assembly · Renumbered as HF 2365 · nearly identicalCleared committee
Matched by wording or an identical title.