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SF 2218IOWASession 2025-2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Iowa requires E-Verify for public employers and schools, creates SAVE licensing verification, and restricts bail for unauthorized aliens

Original title: A bill for an act relating to state regulatory compliance and eligibility requirements, including by modifying provisions related to the verification of the identity and employment eligibility of individuals by the board of educational examiners, school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools; the provision of a false social security number to an employer, prospective employer, or a potential employee; qualifications for employment, professional licensure, voter registration, and bail; making penalties applicable; and including applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 3015 .) Effective date: 07/01/2026. Applicability date: 07/01/2026.

Last action · June 2, 2026: Signed by Governor . S.J. 1030 .

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
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Committee
Floor Vote
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What This Bill Does

Senate File 2218 mandates the use of and SAVE systems for employment and professional licensing verification across state and local government entities, school districts, and higher education institutions, effective July 1, 2026. The law prohibits employing individuals with false social security numbers, institutes civil penalties and mandatory operational shutdowns for repeat offender employers, creates a voter registration citizenship verification process, and restricts pretrial release and bail for s charged with s.

Why it matters

Public employees, school district and university staff, professional license applicants, and voters across Iowa face new verification requirements and administrative procedures, while employers face severe civil penalties and operational restrictions for hiring individuals who provide fraudulent Social Security numbers.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

State and local government employees

Newly hired employees in state agencies, cities, counties, and school districts must have their employment eligibility confirmed via the E-Verify system.

Directly affected

Professional license applicants

Applicants for professional licenses must undergo citizenship and immigration status verification using the SAVE program clearinghouse, and licenses cannot be issued or renewed without verification.

Directly affected

Registered voters in Iowa

All registered voters are subject to citizenship verification through the SAVE system, and unconfirmed registrants must provide proof of citizenship within 90 days to avoid registration cancellation.

Directly affected

Employers in Iowa

Employers are prohibited from hiring or retaining individuals who provide false social security numbers and face civil penalties of $10,000 and mandatory operational shutdowns for repeat violations.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which employers and public entities must use E-Verify under Senate File 2218?
Each house of the general assembly, the ombudsman, state departments and agencies, state board of regents institutions, school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, innovation zone schools, cities, and counties must use the system to confirm employment eligibility for newly hired employees.
What happens if an employee's verification check via E-Verify or SAVE returns an error or indicates lack of legal status?
An employee or license applicant may submit a challenge with documentation proving the results are incorrect to the administrative department or legislative council within 10 calendar days of receipt. If the check confirms the subject lacks legal status after an appeal, the results are transmitted to federal immigration agencies.
How will voter registration citizenship be verified?
The state registrar of voters will attempt to verify all registered voters' U.S. citizenship using the SAVE system. Registrants not verified will receive notice with instructions to provide proof of citizenship within 90 days or have their voter registration canceled.
What penalties do employers face for employing individuals with false social security numbers?
Employers who violate the prohibition against hiring or keeping employees who provided a false social security number are subject to a $10,000 civil penalty per violation enforced by the department of workforce development. For a fourth or subsequent violation, the employer must cease operations at that location until owners and managerial staff complete compliance training.

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

48 actions
  1. Jun 2, 2026SenateEnrolled
    Signed by Governor . S.J. 1030 .
  2. May 28, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Fiscal note .
  3. May 18, 2026Senate
    Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. S.J. 1028 .
  4. Apr 29, 2026House
    Message from House. S.J. 924 .
  5. Apr 29, 2026House
    Immediate message. H.J. 1042 .
  6. Apr 29, 2026HouseFloor
    Passed House , yeas 71, nays 20. H.J. 1037 .
Show 42 earlier actions
  1. Apr 29, 2026HouseFloor
    Conference committee report adopted. H.J. 1037 .
  2. Apr 29, 2026House
    Message from Senate. H.J. 1033 .
  3. Apr 28, 2026House
    Conference committee report filed. H.J. 1014 .
  4. Apr 28, 2026Senate
    Immediate message. S.J. 906 .
  5. Apr 28, 2026SenateFloor
    Passed Senate , yeas 37, nays 10. S.J. 904 .
  6. Apr 28, 2026SenateFloor
    Conference committee report adopted. S.J. 903 .
  7. Apr 28, 2026Senate
    Conference committee report filed. S.J. 911 .
  8. Apr 16, 2026House
    Message from Senate. H.J. 923 .
  9. Apr 16, 2026Senate
    Immediate message. S.J. 815 .
  10. Apr 16, 2026Senate
    Senate conference committee appointed : Evans, chair; Blake, Gruenhagen, Rozenboom, and Winckler. S.J. 814 .
  11. Apr 16, 2026House
    Message from House. S.J. 813 .
  12. Apr 15, 2026House
    Immediate message. H.J. 917 .
  13. Apr 15, 2026House
    House conference committee appointed : Boden, Holt, Madison, Matson, and Thomson, C.. H.J. 913 .
  14. Apr 15, 2026House
    House insisted. H.J. 912 .
  15. Apr 1, 2026House
    Message from Senate. H.J. 788 .
  16. Mar 31, 2026Senate
    Immediate message. S.J. 686 .
  17. Mar 31, 2026Senate
    Senate refused to concur with S-5104 . S.J. 685 .
  18. Mar 19, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Fiscal note .
  19. Mar 18, 2026House
    Message from House, with amendment S-5104 . S.J. 591 .
  20. Mar 17, 2026House
    Immediate message. H.J. 683 .
  21. Mar 17, 2026HouseFloor
    Passed House , yeas 78, nays 16. H.J. 681 .
  22. Mar 17, 2026HouseFloor
    Amendment H-8220 adopted, as amended. H.J. 681 .
  23. Mar 17, 2026HouseFloor
    Amendment H-8221 to amendment H-8220 adopted. H.J. 681 .
  24. Mar 13, 2026House
    Amendments H-8220 and H-8221 filed. H.J. 671 .
  25. Mar 13, 2026House
    Placed on calendar. H.J. 670 .
  26. Mar 11, 2026House
    Committee vote: Yeas, 17, nays, 3, excused, 3. H.J. 670 .
  27. Mar 11, 2026House
    Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 670 .
  28. Mar 10, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends passage.
  29. Mar 5, 2026House
    Subcommittee Meeting: 03/10/2026 12:30PM House Lounge.
  30. Mar 5, 2026House
    Subcommittee: Boden, Levin and Wheeler. H.J. 601 .
  31. Feb 25, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read first time, referred to Education. H.J. 433 .
  32. Feb 25, 2026House
    Message from Senate. H.J. 418 .
  33. Feb 25, 2026Senate
    Immediate message. S.J. 402 .
  34. Feb 25, 2026SenateFloor
    Passed Senate , yeas 47, nays 0. S.J. 401 .
  35. Feb 25, 2026SenateFloor
    Amendment S-5030 filed, adopted. S.J. 401 .
  36. Feb 5, 2026Senate
    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 216 .
  37. Feb 5, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 210 .
  38. Feb 4, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 2218 .
  39. Jan 29, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends passage.
  40. Jan 27, 2026Senate
    Subcommittee Meeting: 01/28/2026 4:30PM Senate Lounge.
  41. Jan 13, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee: Evans, Pike, and Winckler.
  42. Jan 13, 2026Iowa LegislatureIntroduced
    Introduced, referred to Education.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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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

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift99% confidence

Universal E-Verify Mandate Across Iowa Public Sector

Senate File 2218 systematically extends E-Verify requirements across every tier of Iowa public administration, including the General Assembly, state agencies, regents universities, school districts, cities, and counties.

State Board of RegentsBoard of Educational ExaminersUnited States citizenship and immigration services

Connected Entities

W. Charles Smithson, Paul Pate, Grassley and 8 more
PersonW. Charles Smithson“Secretary of the Senate”Map →
PersonPaul Pate“Secretary of State of Iowa”Map →
PersonGrassley“Speaker of the House”Map →
OrganizationState Board of Regents“Governs institutions of higher education required to use E-Verify”Map →
OrganizationBoard of Educational Examiners“Conducts background investigations and employment eligibility verifications”Map →
OrganizationUnited States immigration and customs enforcement“Receives notifications of individuals lacking legal status”Map →
PersonChris Cournoyer“Lieutenant Governor of Iowa”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Workforce Development“Enforces prohibitions on false social security numbers”Map →
PersonKim Reynolds“Governor of Iowa who approved Senate File 2218”Map →
OrganizationUnited States citizenship and immigration services“Operates the E-Verify and SAVE systems”Map →
PersonAmy Sinclair“President of the Senate”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legis.iowa.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance90
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy85
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz75
    Current news / social attention level

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