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Iowa Senate Bill 511 restricts tax increment financing and revitalization exemptions for new gaming facilities

Original title: A bill for an act relating to Iowa’s urban renewal law and urban revitalization law by establishing provisions governing certain property used for gaming, and including effective date, applicability, and retroactive applicability provisions.(Formerly SSB 1159 .)

Last action · March 11, 2025: Subcommittee: Dawson, Bisignano, and Rowley. S.J. 491 .

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Would Do

Senate File 511 prohibits new or existing urban renewal plans and revitalization areas from including properties owned by gambling licensees licensed on or after January 1, 2025, or commercial and nonprofit properties directly benefiting them. It also excludes these properties from tax increment financing revenue divisions and local option tax funding, taking effect immediately upon enactment.

Background
  • Urban renewal and urban revitalization laws in Iowa allow municipalities to deploy tools like tax increment financing to stimulate local development and redevelopment. context
  • Chapter 99F of the Iowa Code governs the regulation of gambling games and sports wagering within the state. 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.

Directly affected

licensees under chapter 99F first issued a license on or after January 1, 2025

New gaming licensees are barred from being included in urban renewal plans, receiving urban revitalization tax exemptions, or benefiting from tax increment financing allocations.

Directly affected

municipalities

Municipalities must collect taxes against new gaming and directly benefiting properties without limitation by tax increment financing provisions and must exclude those properties from urban renewal plans.

Key Facts

  • Urban renewal plans adopted or amended before, on, or after the effective date of the Act cannot include projects related to property owned and operated by a chapter 99F licensee first licensed on or after January 1, 2025, or directly benefiting properties.
  • Taxes levied against property owned and operated by a chapter 99F licensee first issued a license on or after January 1, 2025, or its direct beneficiaries, are excluded from tax increment financing (TIF) revenue divisions and must be collected against all taxable property without limitation.
  • Urban revitalization tax exemptions authorized under chapter 404 shall not apply to property owned and operated by a chapter 99F licensee first licensed on or after January 1, 2025, or its direct beneficiaries.
  • Revitalization areas under chapter 404 cannot include property owned and operated by a chapter 99F licensee first licensed on or after January 1, 2025, or its direct beneficiaries.
Show all 8 facts
  • Increased local option tax revenues under section 423B.10 shall not be used for any purpose related to property owned and operated by a chapter 99F licensee first licensed on or after January 1, 2025, or its direct beneficiaries.
  • The Act takes effect immediately upon enactment.
  • Provisions regarding revitalization exemptions apply retroactively to assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
  • Provisions amending tax increment financing under section 403.19 apply to property taxes due and payable in fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which gaming facilities are affected by this bill?
The bill affects property owned and operated by a licensee under that is first issued a license on or after January 1, 2025, as well as nonprofits and commercial properties that directly benefit such licensees.
Does the bill apply retroactively?
Yes. The section enacting the urban revitalization exemptions applies retroactively to assessment years beginning on or after January 1, 2025.
When do the tax increment financing changes take effect?
The amendments to section 403.19 apply to property taxes due and payable in fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2025.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Where This Stands

Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

13 actions
  1. Mar 11, 2025Senate
    Subcommittee: Dawson, Bisignano, and Rowley. S.J. 491 .
  2. Mar 6, 2025SenateCommittee
    Referred to Ways and Means. S.J. 427 .
  3. Mar 4, 2025Senate
    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 409 .
  4. Mar 4, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 403 .
  5. Mar 3, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 511 .
  6. Feb 26, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
Show 7 earlier actions
  1. Feb 24, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/26/2025 12:00PM RM 304.1.
  2. Feb 20, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends passage.
  3. Feb 19, 2025House
    Subcommittee: Siegrist, Determann and Wichtendahl. H.J. 363 .
  4. Feb 19, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Introduced, referred to Local Government. H.J. 361 .
  5. Feb 19, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/20/2025 11:00AM Room 217 Conference Room.
  6. Feb 19, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee: Webster, Driscoll, and Weiner.
  7. Feb 19, 2025Iowa LegislatureIntroduced
    Introduced, 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.

Connected Entities

General Assembly of the State of Iowa
OrganizationGeneral Assembly of the State of Iowa“The legislative body enacting Senate File 511.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legis.iowa.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance50
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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