Legislation by the Numbers
It’s been a few months since the Iowa General Assembly’s 2024 session came to a close and now we have the annual Legislative Services Agency’s “summary in brief” report.
The session lasted for 103 days, convening on January 8 and adjourning on April 20. During that time, there were 462 bills introduced in the state Senate, and 743 bills introduced in the state House.
Separately, the Senate proposed 208 study bills, while the House tallied 252 study bills.
On top of all that, members of the Senate filed 232 amendments to bills…that was dwarfed by House members, who filed 396 amendments.
Of all that potential material, 188 bills and joint resolutions were actually enacted by this session of the 90th general assembly.
That’s fewer bills drafted by LSA and fewer bills introduced, than in the prior year…but that’s the normal trend…more bills come in during the first year of the two-year session than the second. But the legislature actually passed more bills in this second session than the first…and as a whole, more in this two-year general assembly than the one before it.
In addition to the headline-grabbing bills we’ve talked about at length, bills were passed on use of drones over real property, harassment by dissemination of a visual depiction, making “grooming” a criminal offense…all things that would have not even been discussed a few short years ago.
Lots of activity, and lots to discuss as the full 100 members of the House, and half of the 50 members of the Senate, are on the November general election ballot.
