State House introduces dozens of bills on education, health and taxes; adjourns to Feb. 3, 2026
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Summary
The 2026 House gave first readings to numerous bills — from radon testing in schools to proposals on mental health facilities, higher‑education funding and an endowment tax — and referred most measures to relevant committees before adjourning until Feb. 3, 2026.
The 2026 House of Representatives opened its session with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through the introduction and first readings of dozens of bills covering education, health, taxation and regulatory matters.
Among the measures read into the record was House File 2217 (by Crokin and others), which would require radon testing in schools — including applicability to some nonpublic and charter schools — and establish a Department of Education grant program for testing and mitigation. The Speaker announced the bill’s first reading and referred it to the Committee on Education.
House File 2220 (by Moore and A. Meyer) was read next; it covers multiple mental‑health topics, including subacute facility requirements, admission and discharge rules, employee requirements, insurance coverage, a proposed psychiatric medical institution for children and a bed‑tracking system. The Speaker announced first reading and referred the measure to the Committee on Health and Human Services.
Other notable introductions included bills on homestead property tax credits and a residential property tax rebate (HF 2223), a proposed endowment tax for certain colleges and universities with appropriations for workforce grants (HF 2240), changes to the Iowa Tuition Grant program and related higher‑education items, and measures touching child welfare, utility policy and public‑safety procedures. Most bills received only a first reading and were sent to the committees named during the reading; no floor debate on the substantive merits of these bills is recorded in the transcript.
Procedurally, toward the end of the session the chair recognized Representative Harris of Appanoose. Representative Harris moved “the House adjourned until next Tuesday, 02/03/2026, at 10AM.” The presiding Speaker took a voice vote, stating “the ayes do have it,” and adjourned the body. No roll‑call votes or amendments are recorded in the transcript of this session.
The House is scheduled to reconvene Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., when committees, calendars and any future floor actions will determine which of the introduced bills advance.
