A bill for an act relating to sports wagering and tourism, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1240.) Effective date: 06/11/2025, 07/01/2025.
SF 660 is an appropriations and policy bill that redirects revenue from Iowa’s sports wagering receipts fund to several state purposes and creates a new Iowa major events and tourism program. It appropriates $8 million annually to the public safety equipment fund beginning in FY 2025-2026, and starting in FY 2026-2027 it also requires a transfer to the length of service award program grant fund to maintain a $1.5 million balance, with that transfer authority expiring in 2030. The bill also provides a one-time $14 million education support personnel salary supplement for FY 2025-2026, plus $5 million for special education administration and $4 million each for the Iowa film production incentive fund and the new major events and tourism fund.
The bill creates a new chapter 15G program to help eligible nonprofit entities bid for, plan, and host major tourism-oriented events such as athletic contests, conventions, music festivals, and art festivals. The Iowa Economic Development Authority would administer the program, with a board making final funding decisions. Eligible applicants must be involved in the bidding process or otherwise meet specified criteria, submit an economic analysis, and provide at least 50% matching funds. The new fund can retain unspent money across fiscal years, earn interest, and use up to 5% for administrative costs.
SF 660 also restructures existing sports tourism law by repealing the sports tourism marketing program fund and transferring remaining money into the new major events and tourism fund. It revises the sports tourism marketing and infrastructure program to clarify eligible applicants, limit awards, bar reimbursement for completed projects, and prevent certain applicants from receiving overlapping assistance. The bill further changes how the authority and board administer and decide applications for sports tourism-related assistance.
The overall sentiment reflected in the voting history is strongly favorable and bipartisan. The bill advanced out of committee unanimously and passed the Senate and House with overwhelming support, including one final recorded vote of 80-2. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate significant opposition in the available materials.
The main points of potential contention are structural rather than partisan: the bill shifts sports wagering revenue away from the general fund and toward targeted programs, creates a new discretionary grant program for major events, and eliminates the prior sports tourism marketing fund. It also gives the authority and board broad discretion in funding decisions and exempts those decisions from chapter 17A, which may raise questions about transparency, competition among applicants, and how public money is allocated among education, public safety, tourism, and economic development priorities.
The bill amends Iowa Code section 8.57I to direct sports wagering receipts to specified appropriations and transfers, including public safety equipment, education support personnel compensation, special education, film incentives, and a new major events and tourism fund. It creates new chapter 15G establishing the Iowa major events and tourism program and fund, and it repeals section 15F.403 while redirecting remaining sports tourism marketing fund balances into the new fund. It also revises chapter 15F governing sports tourism marketing and infrastructure assistance, changing eligibility, funding limits, and administrative rules for cities, counties, and public entities.
The available voting record indicates very strong support for the bill. It passed committee unanimously and cleared both chambers with large bipartisan margins, suggesting broad agreement on the bill’s mix of appropriations and tourism/economic development policy. Because no committee transcripts were provided, there is no documented floor or committee debate showing organized opposition or major concerns in the available record.
The most notable areas of contention are likely the policy tradeoffs in how sports wagering revenue is allocated and the breadth of discretion given to the Iowa Economic Development Authority and its board. The bill diverts money to multiple targeted uses, including education and tourism, which may prompt debate over whether those funds should instead support other state priorities. The new major events and tourism program also relies on discretionary grant decisions, allows negotiation over award terms, and exempts final funding decisions from chapter 17A, which could concern those focused on transparency, administrative oversight, or fair access among competing applicants. The repeal of the prior sports tourism marketing fund and the transfer of its remaining balance may also be a point of interest for stakeholders already participating in the existing program.