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Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa Senate Bill 493 bans political subdivisions from using tax funds for lobbyists and associated organizations
Last action · February 23, 2026: Placed on calendar.
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What This Bill Would Do
Iowa political subdivisions are prohibited from using tax revenue to employ lobbyists or pay instrumentalities like the Iowa League of Cities that employ lobbyists. Individuals who knowingly violate this restriction are guilty of a , punishable by up to one year in jail and fines between $430 and $2,560. The measure explicitly excludes insurance and employee benefits groups from the definition of instrumentalities.
Local governments and affiliated associations face potential criminal penalties and administrative sanctions if they allocate tax collections toward lobbying activities or membership dues for organizations that lobby state officials.
- SF 493 originates from Senate Study Bill 1042 introduced through the Senate Committee on Local Government during the 91st General Assembly session. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
political subdivisions
Political subdivisions are barred from using tax revenues to fund lobbyists or affiliated organizations that lobby.
instrumentalities
Organizations like the Iowa League of Cities face restrictions on receiving tax-derived payments from political subdivisions if they employ lobbyists.
Key Facts
- Political subdivisions are prohibited from using tax revenue to employ or compensate a lobbyist.
- Tax funds cannot be used to pay an instrumentality that employs or compensates a lobbyist.
- An instrumentality is defined as an entity serving a governmental purpose, operating on behalf of political subdivisions, owned by them, and supervised by their members.
- Instrumentalities specifically include the Iowa League of Cities, the Iowa State Association of Counties and its affiliates, and the Iowa School Board Association.
Show all 8 facts
- Insurance group entities and employee benefits group entities are explicitly excluded from the definition of an instrumentality.
- A person who knowingly and intentionally violates the restriction is guilty of a serious misdemeanor.
- Violations may result in a reprimand, suspension, dismissal from position, or other sanctions.
- A serious misdemeanor carries confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 and not more than $2,560.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can local governments use tax money to pay dues to the Iowa League of Cities?
What are the penalties for violating the lobbying restriction?
Are employee benefits groups affected by this ban?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently on floor. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Passed.
Procedural history
17 actions- Feb 23, 2026Iowa LegislaturePlaced on calendar.
- Feb 23, 2026SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 368 .
- Feb 18, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Feb 18, 2026SenateSubcommittee reassigned: Sires, Knox, and Westrich. S.J. 313 .
- Feb 17, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 02/18/2026 12:00PM Room 217 Conference Room.
- Jan 13, 2026SenateSubcommittee: Sires, Knox, and Webster. S.J. 66 .
Show 11 earlier actions
- Jan 13, 2026Iowa Legislature* * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * *
- Jun 16, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to Local Government. S.J. 1057 .
- Mar 20, 2025Iowa LegislatureFiscal note .
- Mar 4, 2025SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 406 .
- Mar 4, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 401 .
- Mar 3, 2025Iowa LegislatureCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 493 .
- Jan 29, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
- Jan 27, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 01/29/2025 9:30AM Room 217 Conference Room.
- Jan 27, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee reassigned: Sires, Knox, and Webster.
- Jan 27, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee: Webster, Knox, and Sires.
- Jan 23, 2025Iowa LegislatureIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Local Government.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Prohibition of Tax-Funded Lobbying for Local Associations
The bill creates a direct statutory prohibition preventing local tax dollars from supporting major municipal representative bodies like the Iowa League of Cities if they engage in lobbying.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
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