Iowa House Bill HF971

Iowa 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/21/25
• Refer: 5/15/25

Caption

A bill for an act establishing a scenic byways enhancement fund, including by providing for voluntary contributions to the fund, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.(Formerly HF 581, HF 130; See HF 2353, HF 2741.)

Summary

HF 971 would create a new Scenic Byways Enhancement Fund in the state treasury and direct the Iowa Department of Transportation to use the money for the support, development, maintenance, and enhancement of Iowa’s scenic byways, including litter prevention. The fund would receive money from voluntary contributions and any other appropriations or deposits made to it, and any unspent balance or interest would remain in the fund rather than reverting to the state treasury at the end of the fiscal year. The bill also adds a voluntary contribution option to vehicle registration renewals. County treasurers and the DOT would be required to ask applicants, in writing and verbally for in-person renewals, whether they want to donate $1 or more to the fund, rounded to the nearest dollar. Contributions collected by counties or the department would be remitted to the state treasurer for deposit in the fund, although county treasurers could retain up to 5 percent of county-collected donations for the county general fund. The bill would take effect January 1, 2026.

Impact

HF 971 would amend Iowa law by creating new Code section 307.50 and new Code section 321.44B, and by updating section 331.557 to recognize the collection of voluntary contributions during vehicle registration transactions. It would establish a dedicated, nonreverting funding source for scenic byways-related projects and authorize the DOT to administer the program through rulemaking. The bill primarily affects vehicle owners renewing registrations, county treasurers, the DOT, and the state and county treasuries.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote, so there is no documented debate or formal sentiment in the materials provided. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears to be a relatively low-conflict transportation and tourism funding measure that uses voluntary donations rather than a mandatory fee or tax. The fact that it was introduced by the Appropriations Committee suggests it was treated as a funding and program-support bill rather than a major policy dispute.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is the use of a registration-renewal transaction to solicit voluntary contributions, which some may view as an administrative burden or as a soft pressure on vehicle owners even though the donation is optional. Another possible issue is the county retention provision, which allows counties to keep up to 5 percent of collected donations, though the bill otherwise directs most funds to the state program. No specific objections, supporters, or amendments are documented in the provided history.