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STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
April 09, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mi'. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 2215, an Act relating to natural resources, including office locations of the
director of natural resources, state park user fee pilot programs, the delegation of powers
and duties concerning state preserves, and age requirements for hunting deer with pistols
or revolvers.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely,
KinkB^ynolds** - ^
Governor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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House File 2215
AN ACT
RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES, INCLUDING OFFICE LOCATIONS OF
THE DIRECTOR OF NATURAL RESOURCES, STATE PARK USER FEE PILOT
PROGRAMS, THE DELEGATION OF POWERS AND DUTIES CONCERNING
STATE PRESERVES, AND AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR HUNTING DEER WITH
PISTOLS OR REVOLVERS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 455A.4, subsection 1, paragraph h, Code
2026, is amended to read as follows:
A. Maintain an office at or near the state capitol complex,
which -i-e office shall be open at all reasonable times for the
conduct of public business.
Sec. 2. Section 456A.14, Code 2026, is amended to read as
follows :
456A.14 Temporary appointments — peace officer status.
The director may appoint temporary officers for a period
not to exceed six months and may adopt minimum physical,
educational, mental, and moral requirements for the temporary
officers. Chapter 80B does not apply to the temporary
officers. Temporary officers have all the powers of peace
officers in the enforcement of this chapter and chapters 321G,
3211, 456B, 461A, 461B, 462A, 462B, 465C, 481A, 481B, 482,
483A, 484A, and 484B, s e ctions 455A.14A and 45 5 A.14B, and the
trespass laws.
Sec. 3. Section 465C.8, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2026,
is amended to read as follows:
House File 2215, p. 2
The d e p artm e nt commission shall have the following powers
and duties with respect to this chapter:
Sec. 4. Section 465C.9, Code 2026, is amended to read as
follows :
465C.9 Articles of dedication.
1. The public agency or private owner shall complete
articles of dedication on forms approved by the departm e nt
commission . When the articles of dedication have been approved
by the governor, the department commission shall record them
with the county recorder for the county or counties in which
the area is located.
2. The articles of dedication may contain restrictions
on development, sale, transfer, method of management,
public access, and commercial or other use, and may contain
such other provisions as may be necessary to further the
purposes of this chapter. Th e y The articles may define
the respective jurisdictions of the owner or operating
agency and the department commission . Th e y The articles may
provide procedures to be applied in case of violation of the
dedication. Th e y The articles may recognize reversionary
rights. Th e y The articles may vary in provisions from one
preserve to another in accordance with differences in relative
conditions .
Sec. 5. Section 465C.10, Code 2026, is amended to read as
follows :
465C.10 When dedicated as a preserve.
An area shall become a preserve when it has been approved
by the de partm e nt commission for dedication as a preserve,
whether in public or private ownership, formally dedicated as a
preserve within the system by a public agency or private owner^
and designated by the governor as a preserve.
Sec. 6. Section 465C.11, Code 2026, is amended to read as
follows :
465C.11 Area held in trust.
1. An area designated as a preserve within the system is
hereby declared put to its highest, best, and most important
use for public benefit. It shall be held in trust and shall
not be alienated except to another public use upon a finding
by the departm e nt commission of imperative and unavoidable
House File 2215, p. 3
public necessity and with the approval of th e commission, the
general assembly by concurrent resolution- and the governor.
The department ' s commission ' s interest or interests in any
area designated as a preserve shall not be taken under the
condemnation statutes of this state without such a finding of
imperative and unavoidable public necessity by the departm e nt
commission , and with the consent of the — commission , the general
assembly by concurrent resolution— and the governor.
2. The departm e nt commission , with the approval of the
governor, may enter into amendments to any articles of
dedication upon its finding that such amendment will not
permit an impairment, disturbance, or development of the area
inconsistent with the purposes of this chapter.
3. Before the departm e nt commission shall make a finding
of imperative and unavoidable public necessity, or shall
enter into any amendment to articles of dedication, the
de partm e nt commission shall provide notice of such proposal
and opportunity for any person to be heard. Such notice shall
be published at least once in a newspaper with a general
circulation in the county or counties wherein the area directly
affected is situated, and mailed within ten days of such
published notice to all persons who have requested notice of
all such proposed actions. Each notice shall set forth the
substance of the proposed action and describe, with or without
legal description, the area affected, and shall set forth a
place and time not less than sixty days thence for all persons
desiring to be heard to have reasonable opportunity to be heard
prior to the finding of the departm e nt commission .
Sec. 7. Section 481A.48, subsection 5, Code 2026, is amended
to read as follows:
5. The commission shall establish one or more pistol or
revolver seasons for hunting deer as separate firearm seasons
or to coincide with one or more other firearm deer hunting
seasons. Any pistol or revolver with a barrel length of at
least four inches and firing straight wall or other centerfire
ammunition propelling an expanding-type bullet with a maximum
diameter of no less than three hundred fifty thousandths of
one inch and no larger than five hundred thousandths of one
inch and with a published or calculated muzzle energy of five
House File 2215, p. 4
hundred foot pounds or higher is legal for hunting deer during
the pistol or revolver seasons. The commission shall adopt
rules to allow black powder pistols or revolvers for hunting
deer. The rules may limit types of projectiles. A person who
is twenty years of age or — les-s- under the age of eighteen shall
not hunt deer with a pistol or revolver unless that person is
accompanied and under direct supervision throughout the hunt
by a responsible person with a valid hunting license who is at
least — twenty-one years ol ag e, — with the — cons e nt — of a parent,
guardian ,— of — spouse who — is at — le ast — twenty- on e — y e ars — of — ag e ,
pursuant to section 724.22, subsection 4. Th e — r esponsibl e
person — with — a — valid — hunting — l icens e — who — Is — al — least — tw e nty — on e
years of — age — s hall b e — respon s ibl e — fer — the conv e yanc e of — Ihe
pistol — or — revolv e r — whil e — t he pi s tol — er — revolver — Is — net — activ e ly
being u se d for hunting. A person possessing a prohibited
pistol or revolver while hunting deer commits a scheduled
violation under section 805. 8B, subsection 3, paragraph "h",
subparagraph ( 5 ) .
Sec. 8. Section 805. 8C, subsection 14, Code 2026, is amended
by striking the subsection.
PAT GRASSLEÆ
Speaker or the House
AMY SINCLAIR
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 2215, Ninety-first General Assembly.
MEGHAN NELSON
Chief Clerk of the House
Governor
KIM REYNOLDS