House rejects Cooling amendment that would have rolled back electrical-safety provisions in appropriations bill

The Iowa House of Representatives on the floor of the chamber rejected amendment H8494, offered by Representative Cooling, that would have altered several electrical-safety provisions contained within House File 2800, the standing appropriations bill.

Representative Cooling told colleagues she had found language that came from the Senate and had not been fully vetted, and she urged the House to consider safety implications before removing existing code protections. Cooling said the amendment would exempt certain kitchen outlets from ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) requirements, reduce required clearances for outlets near bathtubs and showers, and remove mandated fan-rated ceiling boxes. "This puts you and your family and our constituents at risk," Cooling said, describing scenarios such as a child pulling a cord and a crock pot falling as reasons the existing code provisions matter.

Representative Collins, responding for those opposing the amendment, acknowledged the tension between safety and affordability but urged rejection of H8494. Collins said some sections would be repealed automatically upon adoption of the 2026 National Electric Code through the administrative-rules process and argued that cost concerns were the likely motivation for the proposed changes. "Safety is very important, and affordability is very important as well," Collins said, but added that the body should reject the amendment given the review and rulemaking process under way.

Another member on the floor reiterated safety concerns and said industry review of the code occurs regularly because people have been injured or killed in past incidents. That speaker estimated the incremental cost of complying with the cited provisions at roughly $800 per house and said the upfront cost preserves long-term safety. The sponsor moved for a recorded division and roll-call vote; the motion was seconded by Myra Polk.

The clerk reported the recorded vote: 27 Aye, 56 No, 17 absent/not voting. The chair declared the amendment failed.

What it means: H8494’s defeat keeps the existing electrical-safety requirements in place within HF 2800 as the bill moves forward. Sponsors and opponents framed the debate as safety versus affordability; supporters of the status quo emphasized long-standing industry processes for updating the code and cited specific protective functions (GFCI and arc-fault/interrupter protections) as fire- and shock-prevention measures.

The next procedural step was to return to other amendments and then the final passage vote on HF 2800.