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Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa Senate File 2260 Allows Counties to Regulate and Approve Large Confinement Feeding Operations
Last action · February 12, 2026: Introduced, referred to Agriculture. H.J. 272 .Sponsors: Art Staed and 7 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate File 2260 permits county boards of supervisors to adopt local siting ordinances that require county approval before the construction or expansion of s with 1,000 or more animal units. The bill authorizes counties to impose local operating conditions, mandate manure application rules, and establish separation distances greater than state minimums.
Local governments gain veto power and regulatory authority over large agricultural facilities, shifting control from solely state-level oversight to include county-level siting decisions for operations housing 1,000 or more animal units.
- Confinement feeding operations in Iowa are primarily regulated by the Department of Natural Resources under the Animal Agriculture Compliance Act. context
- Historically, county authority to regulate agricultural land use and animal feeding operations through local zoning has been heavily restricted by state preemption laws. 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.
County boards of supervisors
Boards gain the authority to adopt siting ordinances, establish local separation distances, and approve or disapprove large confinement feeding operation structures.
Owners and operators of confinement feeding operations
Operators of facilities with 1,000 or more animal units must obtain local board approval and comply with any local conditions or expanded separation distances.
Department of Natural Resources
The department continues to issue construction permits, which now serve as a prerequisite before an operator seeks county board approval.
Key Facts
- A county may adopt a confinement feeding operations siting ordinance allowing its board of supervisors to approve or disapprove the construction or expansion of a confinement feeding operation structure with 1,000 or more animal units.
- Construction or expansion of a qualifying confinement feeding operation structure cannot proceed until the county board of supervisors has approved the location under its ordinance rules.
- County boards of supervisors may condition their approval on requirements concerning the construction, operation, or manure application of the confinement feeding operation.
- Counties may establish separation distances between confinement feeding operation structures and objects or locations that exceed those required under state code section 459.202.
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- Operators must still obtain a construction or expansion permit from the Department of Natural Resources prior to obtaining county board approval.
- Counties are authorized to adopt any local legislation necessary to effectuate the purposes of the new siting ordinance section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which confinement feeding operations are subject to county siting ordinances under this bill?
Does a county approval replace the state permit required for building a confinement feeding operation?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
3 actions- Feb 12, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Agriculture. H.J. 272 .
- Feb 11, 2026SenateSubcommittee: Driscoll, Bousselot, and Quirmbach. S.J. 257 .
- Feb 10, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Local Government. S.J. 239 .
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.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift from State Preemption to County Siting Control
The legislation creates a notable exception to traditional state preemption by allowing counties to adopt local siting ordinances and impose stricter conditions on large confinement feeding operations.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy85Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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