Relating to the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and including effective date provisions

Currently, a sales tax holiday exists on the first weekend in August. This bill creates an identical sales tax holiday on the first weekend in July 2026. The bill provides a sales tax exemption on the sales price from the sale of an article of clothing if the sales price of the article of clothing is less than $100, and the sale takes place on July 3, July 4, or July 5, 2026, with certain exceptions. The bill requires the members of the governor’s task force celebrating 250 to provide for the decoration of the capitol building from November 16, 2026, through January 9, 2027, and to create a program for children in the state to submit ornaments for display on a Christmas tree. The task force must also organize various events, including a touring display that honors the United States presidents, and coordinate with qualified nonprofit organizations for the creation of large-scale patriotic and veteran memorial artwork. On September 17, 2026, every public elementary school, middle school, and high school must provide instruction and activities related to the Constitution of the United States. The bill requires the Iowa public broadcasting board to broadcast educational programming during the 2026 and 2027 calendar years about the United States and featuring the state-sponsored events commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The bill requires the department of administrative services, in consultation with the capitol planning commission, to authorize the placement of a monument honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the capitol complex grounds. The bill requires the department to solicit and approve an application for the monument. If more than one application is submitted, the department, in consultation with the capitol planning commission, shall approve the application that can best meet the requirements for construction and maintenance of the monument. The bill takes effect upon enactment.