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Chapter 1

The Legislature

Who the legislators are, when they meet, and the nine steps from idea to law.

The basics

150

legislators in two chambers. Each Senate district is made of two House districts.

100

House members (Representatives), elected every 2 years.

50

Senate members (Senators), 4-year terms; half are up every 2 years.

2 years

per General Assembly, each numbered. The 92nd runs 2027–2028. Each year is one session.

When they meet

Sessions start the second Monday in January. Lawmakers aim to finish in about 110 days the first year and 100 the second; that’s when their daily expense pay (per diem) stops, though sessions can run longer. The Governor can call a special session any time.

Year one vs. year two

A bill keeps its number for the whole General Assembly. Bills still alive after the first session carry over to the second. When the General Assembly ends, every unfinished bill dies and has to start over.

Who runs things

Speaker of the HouseElected by the House to run it: presides over debate, appoints committee chairs, and decides which committee gets each bill.
President of the SenateThe Senate’s presiding officer, elected by the Senators. (Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor no longer presides.)
Majority LeaderLeads the party with more seats in a chamber and largely decides which bills come up for debate, and when.
Minority LeaderLeads the party with fewer seats.
WhipsAssistant leaders who count votes and keep their party together.
Committee chairRuns a committee and decides which bills it considers. A chair who won’t schedule a bill can stop it.
CaucusAll the members of one party in one chamber. Caucuses meet privately to plan strategy.
Legislative Services Agency (LSA)Nonpartisan staff who draft bills, write fiscal notes and the explanations Funnel shows as “What’s in it”.

How a bill becomes law

Every bill follows the same path. Most don’t reach the end.

  1. 1

    Someone has an idea

    A legislator, a committee, the Governor or a state agency asks for a bill. The Legislative Services Agency writes it in legal language.

  2. 2

    It’s introduced

    It gets a number like HF 437 (House File) or SF 519 (Senate File) and goes to a committee. Committees can start with a study bill (HSB/SSB), which gets a new number if it advances.

  3. 3

    A subcommittee takes a first look

    Usually three legislators hold a public meeting and recommend passing it, changing it, or letting it go.

    You can attend and speak
  4. 4

    The full committee votes

    If a majority approves, the bill is placed on the chamber’s calendar for debate. If not, it usually stops here.

    First funnel
  5. 5

    The whole chamber debates and votes

    Members can offer amendments. Passing takes a majority of all members, not just those present: 51 in the House, 26 in the Senate.

  6. 6

    The other chamber does it all again

    Subcommittee, committee and floor vote in the second chamber.

    Second funnel
  7. 7

    Both chambers agree on one version

    If the second chamber changed it, the first must accept those changes (concur). If they can’t agree, a conference committee from both chambers works out a compromise.

  8. 8

    The Governor decides

    Sign it, veto it, or for spending bills, veto individual items (an item veto). During session the Governor has three days, Sundays excepted, or the bill becomes law without a signature. For bills received in the last three days of session or after it ends, the Governor has 30 days, and doing nothing counts as a veto. Two-thirds of each chamber (67 and 34) can override a veto.

    Funnel’s “Waiting on the Governor” tracks these deadlines
  9. 9

    It becomes law

    Most new laws take effect July 1. Some take effect immediately (“effective upon enactment”), and some apply to dates in the past (“retroactive applicability”).

The budget

The state budget isn’t one bill. It’s about a dozen appropriations bills, one per area (education, health and human services, justice and so on), plus a standings bill and usually a tax bill, most passed in the last weeks of session.

A nonpartisan Revenue Estimating Conference forecasts how much money the state will take in, and state law limits spending to 99% of that estimate. The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30.

Spending and tax bills are exempt from the funnel deadlines, which is why the biggest bills of the year often move last.

Next chapter

Bills & amendments →

What HF, SSB and HJR mean, how bills change, and how the Constitution is amended.