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SF 546IOWASession 2025-2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Iowa Senate File 546 updates oil and gas production filing, confidential records, and pooling rules

Original title: A bill for an act relating to oil and gas production, including filing requirements, the authority of the department of natural resources, confidential information, and pooling orders.(Formerly SF 268 ; See SF 2449 , SF 2490 .)

Last action · June 1, 2026: Signed by Governor . S.J. 1033 .

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Senate File 546 overhauls state oil, gas, and mineral regulations by requiring annual filings from industry operators, establishing a 5-year confidentiality period for sensitive commercial data, and allowing the Department of Natural Resources to issue rule variances. The law also revises exploratory s and cost-recovery rules for nonconsenting property owners in pooled units.

Why it matters

The measure alters compliance requirements and disclosure exemptions for energy producers operating in the state, establishing a 12.5 percent cost-free royalty for unleased nonconsenting property owners during cost recovery and setting strict timelines for commercial participation elections.

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

Oil and gas producers

Operators must submit annual filings by April 1, follow new confidential submission protocols, and adhere to updated cost-recovery and pooling order guidelines.

Directly affected

Nonconsenting property owners

Owners not participating voluntarily in a spacing unit are entitled to a 12.5 percent cost-free royalty during cost recovery and have specific timelines to elect working interest status.

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

When must energy businesses submit their annual filings to the department?
Operators must file on or before April 1 of each year.
How long is submitted sensitive information kept confidential?
Confidential information is maintained without public access for a period of five years, unless extended by the director for good cause.
What royalty percentage does an unleased nonconsenting owner receive during cost recovery?
An unleased nonconsenting owner receives a cost-free royalty interest equal to 12.5 percent.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

74 actions
  1. Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolled
    Signed by Governor . S.J. 1033 .
  2. May 18, 2026Senate
    Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. S.J. 1028 .
  3. May 2, 2026House
    Message from Senate. H.J. 1131 .
  4. May 2, 2026Senate
    Immediate message. S.J. 994 .
  5. May 2, 2026SenateFloor
    Passed Senate , yeas 35, nays 11. S.J. 993 .
  6. May 2, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate concurred with S-5256 . S.J. 993 .
Show 68 earlier actions
  1. May 2, 2026House
    Message from House, with amendment S-5256 . S.J. 990 .
  2. May 2, 2026House
    Immediate message. H.J. 1127 .
  3. May 2, 2026House
    Explanation of vote. H.J. 1159 .
  4. May 2, 2026HouseFloor
    Passed House , yeas 65, nays 21. H.J. 1126 .
  5. May 2, 2026HouseFloor
    Amendment H-8475 filed, adopted. H.J. 1126 .
  6. May 2, 2026HouseFloor
    Amendment H-8474 filed, adopted. H.J. 1126 .
  7. May 2, 2026HouseFloor
    Amendment H-8476 filed, adopted. H.J. 1126 .
  8. May 2, 2026House
    Explanation of vote. H.J. 1159 .
  9. May 2, 2026House
    Amendment H-8477 , yeas 25, nays 61, filed, lost. H.J. 1125 .
  10. May 2, 2026House
    Amendment H-8450 withdrawn. H.J. 1125 .
  11. Apr 30, 2026House
    Amendment H-8450 filed. H.J. 1068 .
  12. Apr 21, 2026House
    Placed on Ways and Means calendar. H.J. 975 .
  13. Apr 21, 2026House
    Committee vote: Yeas, 19. Nays, 5. Excused, 1. H.J. 975 .
  14. Apr 21, 2026House
    Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 974 .
  15. Apr 21, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends passage.
  16. Apr 20, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee Meeting: 04/21/2026 8:00AM RM 102.
  17. Apr 20, 2026House
    Subcommittee: Wulf, Meggers and Wilson. H.J. 951 .
  18. Apr 20, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read first time, referred to Ways and Means. H.J. 935 .
  19. Apr 16, 2026House
    Message from Senate. H.J. 933 .
  20. Apr 16, 2026Senate
    Immediate message. S.J. 816 .
  21. Apr 16, 2026SenateFloor
    Passed Senate , yeas 32, nays 15. S.J. 815 .
  22. Apr 15, 2026Senate
    Committee report, recommending passage. S.J. 806 .
  23. Apr 15, 2026Senate
    Subcommittee: Bousselot, Blake, et al. S.J. 806 .
  24. Apr 15, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Appropriations. S.J. 789 .
  25. Apr 14, 2026Senate
    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 788 .
  26. Apr 14, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, placed on Ways and Means calendar. S.J. 787 .
  27. Apr 14, 2026Senate
    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 2490 . S.J. 788 .
  28. Apr 14, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
  29. Apr 13, 2026Senate
    Subcommittee Meeting: 04/14/2026 1:00PM Senate Lounge.
  30. Apr 13, 2026Senate
    Subcommittee: Bousselot, Quirmbach, and Sweeney. S.J. 774 .
  31. Apr 8, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Ways and Means. S.J. 747 .
  32. Mar 19, 2026Senate
    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. S.J. 600 .
  33. Mar 19, 2026House
    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 691 .
  34. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 363 .
  35. Feb 23, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 359 .
  36. Feb 23, 2026Senate
    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 2449 . S.J. 363 .
  37. Feb 20, 2026House
    Placed on calendar. H.J. 372 .
  38. Feb 19, 2026House
    Committee vote: Yeas, 16. Nays, 5. H.J. 372 .
  39. Feb 19, 2026House
    Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 371 .
  40. Feb 18, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends passage.
  41. Feb 17, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/18/2026 8:30AM RM 102.
  42. Feb 17, 2026House
    Subcommittee: Wood, Judge, Levin, Mommsen and Wulf. H.J. 317 .
  43. Feb 5, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends passage.
  44. Feb 4, 2026Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/05/2026 12:30PM Room 315.
  45. Feb 3, 2026Senate
    Subcommittee: Bousselot, Petersen, and Sweeney. S.J. 189 .
  46. Jan 28, 2026Senate
    Rereferred to Commerce. S.J. 154 .
  47. Jan 14, 2026Senate
    Subcommittee: Sweeney, Shipley, and Zimmer. S.J. 89 .
  48. Jan 14, 2026Iowa Legislature
    * * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * *
  49. Dec 31, 2025Iowa Legislature
    * * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * *
  50. Jun 16, 2025SenateCommittee
    Referred to Natural Resources and Environment. S.J. 1057 .
  51. May 15, 2025House
    Rereferred to Natural Resources. H.J. 1221 .
  52. Apr 3, 2025House
    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 894 .
  53. Apr 3, 2025Senate
    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. S.J. 689 .
  54. Mar 7, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Introduced, placed on calendar. H.J. 560 .
  55. Mar 7, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 843 .
  56. Mar 6, 2025Senate
    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 546 . S.J. 438 .
  57. Mar 6, 2025Senate
    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 438 .
  58. Mar 6, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 430 .
  59. Mar 4, 2025House
    Committee vote: Yeas, 13. Nays, 8. H.J. 509 .
  60. Mar 4, 2025House
    Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 509 .
  61. Feb 25, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends passage.
  62. Feb 25, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee recommends passage.
  63. Feb 24, 2025Senate
    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/24/2025 3:45PM Senate Lounge.
  64. Feb 19, 2025Iowa Legislature
    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/25/2025 12:30PM RM 304.
  65. Feb 18, 2025House
    Subcommittee: Wulf, Collins and Scholten. H.J. 349 .
  66. Feb 18, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Introduced, referred to Natural Resources. H.J. 347 .
  67. Feb 17, 2025Senate
    Subcommittee: Sweeney, Staed, and Zumbach. S.J. 271 .
  68. Feb 11, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, referred to Natural Resources and Environment. S.J. 241 .

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

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift99% confidence

Elimination of Market Demand Regulation

The bill repeals Section 458A.6, removing the department's long-standing authority to determine market demand and regulate production amounts for marketing districts.

Department of Natural Resources

Connected Entities

Department of Natural Resources, Committee on Natural Resources and Environment
OrganizationDepartment of Natural Resources“State agency responsible for regulating oil and gas production”Map →
OrganizationCommittee on Natural Resources and Environment“Senate committee that introduced the bill”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legis.iowa.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy35
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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