HF2042 • 2026

A bill for an act requiring the department of management to conduct a study regarding the merger of the department of natural resources and the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and including effective date provisions.

Agriculture

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: COLLINS
Last action: 2026-02-12
Official status: Subcommittee recommends passage.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act requiring the department of management to conduct a study regarding the merger of the department of natural resources and the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and including effective date provisions.

What This Bill Does

A bill for an act requiring the department of management to conduct a study regarding the merger of the department of natural resources and the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and including effective date provisions.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-12 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee recommends passage.
2026-02-05 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee Meeting: 02/12/2026 8:00AM RM 304.
2026-02-04 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee: Collins, Cooling, Harris, Srinivas and Wulf. H.J. 205 .
2026-01-14 Iowa Legislature
Introduced, referred to State Government. H.J. 76 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act requiring the department of management to conduct a study regarding the merger of the department of natural resources and the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and including effective date provisions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

House

File

2042

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

2042

BY

COLLINS

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

requiring

the

department

of

management

to

conduct

a

1

study

regarding

the

merger

of

the

department

of

natural

2

resources

and

the

department

of

agriculture

and

land

3

stewardship,

and

including

effective

date

provisions.

4

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

5

TLSB

5509YH

(2)

91

da/js

H.F.

2042

Section

1.

STUDY

——

MERGER

OF

THE

DEPARTMENT

OF

NATURAL

1

RESOURCES

WITH

THE

DEPARTMENT

OF

AGRICULTURE

AND

LAND

2

STEWARDSHIP.

3

1.

The

department

of

management

shall

conduct

a

study

4

regarding

the

possible

merger

of

the

department

of

natural

5

resources

and

the

department

of

agriculture

and

land

6

stewardship.

The

department

of

management

shall

consider

the

7

departments’

overlapping

missions

and

programs,

and

the

impact

8

of

such

merger

upon

the

delivery

of

services,

cost

savings,

and

9

administrative

and

enforcement

efficiencies.

The

department

of

10

management

shall

also

consider

the

best

methods

to

integrate

11

the

two

departments,

including

but

not

limited

to

matters

12

related

to

building

space,

management

and

personnel,

equipment,

13

and

computer

systems.

14

2.

The

department

of

management

shall

prepare

and

submit

15

a

report

regarding

its

findings

and

recommendations

to

the

16

governor

and

general

assembly

not

later

than

December

31,

2026.

17

Sec.

2.

EFFECTIVE

DATE.

This

Act,

being

deemed

of

immediate

18

importance,

takes

effect

upon

enactment.

19

EXPLANATION

20

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

21

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

22

This

bill

requires

the

department

of

management

(DOM)

to

23

conduct

a

study

regarding

the

possible

merger

of

the

department

24

of

natural

resources

and

the

department

of

agriculture

and

land

25

stewardship.

DOM

must

consider

the

departments’

overlapping

26

missions

and

programs,

the

impact

of

such

merger,

and

the

best

27

methods

to

integrate

the

two

departments.

DOM

must

submit

28

a

report

regarding

its

findings

and

recommendations

to

the

29

governor

and

general

assembly

not

later

than

December

31,

2026.

30

The

bill

takes

effect

upon

enactment.

31

-1-

LSB

5509YH

(2)

91

da/js

1/

1