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HF474 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to the treatment of animals other than agricultural animals by providing for the inspection or monitoring of commercial establishments by the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and making penalties applicable.

A bill for an act relating to the treatment of animals other than agricultural animals by providing for the inspection or monitoring of commercial establishments by the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and making penalties applicable.

Agriculture
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
JACOBY
Last action
2025-02-19
Official status
Introduced, referred to Agriculture. H.J. 358 .
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 relating to the treatment of animals other than agricultural animals by providing for the inspection or monitoring of commercial establishments by the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and making penalties applicable.

A bill for an act relating to the treatment of animals other than agricultural animals by providing for the inspection or monitoring of commercial establishments by the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and making penalties applicable.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to the treatment of animals other than agricultural animals by providing for the inspection or monitoring of commercial establishments by the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and making penalties applicable.

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

  1. 2025-02-19 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Agriculture. H.J. 358 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to the treatment of animals other than agricultural animals by providing for the inspection or monitoring of commercial establishments by the department of agriculture and land stewardship, and making penalties applicable.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

File

474

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

474

BY

JACOBY

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

treatment

of

animals

other

than

1

agricultural

animals

by

providing

for

the

inspection

or

2

monitoring

of

commercial

establishments

by

the

department

3

of

agriculture

and

land

stewardship,

and

making

penalties

4

applicable.

5

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

6

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Section

1.

Section

162.10B,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

1

as

follows:

2

162.10B

Commercial

establishments

——

inspecting

state

3

licensees

and

registrants

or

state

licensees

.

4

1.

The

department

may

shall

inspect

the

commercial

5

establishment

of

a

registrant

or

state

licensee

by

entering

on

6

a

priority

and

scheduled

basis.

7

2.

a.

The

department

shall

inspect

a

commercial

8

establishment

on

a

priority

basis

according

to

criteria

9

determined

relevant

by

the

department.

10

b.

The

department

shall

enter

onto

its

the

business

premises

11

at

any

time

during

normal

working

hours

of

the

registrant

or

12

state

licensee

.

The

department

shall

determine

whether

the

13

registrant

or

state

licensee

is

complying

with

section

162.10A.

14

c.

The

department

may

inspect

records

required

to

be

15

maintained

by

the

state

licensee

or

registrant

as

provided

in

16

this

chapter

.

17

d.

The

department

must

inspect

the

commercial

establishment

18

during

normal

business

hours.

19

e.

The

department

shall

inspect

the

commercial

establishment

20

regardless

of

when

the

department

inspected

the

commercial

21

establishment

on

a

scheduled

basis.

22

3.

The

department

shall

inspect

a

commercial

establishment

23

on

a

scheduled

basis

subject

to

all

of

the

following:

24

a.

The

department

is

limited

to

entering

onto

the

business

25

premises

of

a

state

licensee

operating

as

a

commercial

breeder.

26

b.

The

department

must

enter

on

the

business

premises

of

the

27

state

licensee

once

each

twelve-month

period.

28

c.

The

department

must

inspect

the

commercial

establishment

29

during

normal

business

hours.

30

d.

The

department

shall

determine

whether

the

state

licensee

31

is

complying

with

section

162.10A.

32

e.

The

department

may

inspect

records

required

to

be

33

maintained

by

the

state

licensee.

34

4.

If

the

owner

or

person

in

charge

of

the

commercial

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474

establishment

refuses

admittance

to

allow

an

inspection

under

1

this

section

,

the

department

may

obtain

an

administrative

2

search

warrant

issued

under

section

808.14

.

The

person

shall

3

comply

with

the

search

warrant.

4

Sec.

2.

Section

162.10C,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

5

follows:

6

162.10C

Commercial

establishments

——

monitoring

permittees.

7

1.

The

department

may

shall

monitor

the

commercial

8

establishment

of

a

permittee

by

entering

onto

its

business

9

premises

at

any

time

during

normal

working

hours

for

the

10

limited

purpose

of

determining

whether

the

permittee

is

11

providing

for

a

standard

of

care

required

for

permittees

under

12

section

162.10A

.

The

department

shall

monitor

the

commercial

13

establishment

for

the

limited

purpose

of

determining

whether

14

the

permittee

is

providing

for

a

standard

of

care

required

for

15

permittees

under

section

162.10A

.

If

the

owner

or

person

in

16

charge

of

the

commercial

establishment

refuses

admittance,

the

17

department

may

obtain

an

administrative

search

warrant

issued

18

under

section

808.14

.

19

2.

In

order

to

enter

onto

the

business

premises

of

a

20

permittee’s

commercial

establishment,

The

department

shall

21

inspect

the

commercial

establishment

of

a

permittee

on

a

22

priority

and

scheduled

basis.

23

3.

a.

The

department

shall

monitor

a

commercial

24

establishment

on

a

priority

basis,

if

the

department

must

have

25

has

reasonable

cause

to

suspect

that

the

permittee

is

not

26

providing

for

the

standard

of

care

required

for

permittees

27

under

section

162.10A

.

28

(1)

Reasonable

cause

must

be

supported

by

any

of

the

29

following:

30

a.

(a)

An

oral

or

written

complaint

received

by

the

31

department

by

a

person.

The

complainant

must

provide

32

the

complainant’s

name

and

address

and

telephone

number.

33

Notwithstanding

chapter

22

,

the

department’s

record

of

a

34

complaint

is

confidential,

unless

any

of

the

following

apply:

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(1)

(i)

The

results

of

the

monitoring

are

used

in

a

1

contested

case

proceeding

as

provided

in

chapter

17A

or

in

a

2

judicial

proceeding.

3

(2)

(ii)

The

record

is

sought

in

discovery

in

any

4

administrative,

civil,

or

criminal

case.

5

(3)

(iii)

The

department’s

record

of

a

complaint

is

filed

6

by

a

person

other

than

an

individual.

7

b.

(b)

A

report

prepared

by

a

person

employed

by

the

United

8

States

department

of

agriculture

that

requires

a

permittee

to

9

take

action

necessary

to

correct

a

breach

of

standard

of

care

10

required

of

federal

licensees

by

the

Animal

Welfare

Act

or

of

11

permittees

by

section

162.10A

.

The

department

is

not

required

12

to

dedicate

any

number

of

hours

to

viewing

or

analyzing

such

13

reports.

14

3.

(2)

When

carrying

out

this

section

paragraph

,

the

15

department

may

cooperate

with

the

United

States

department

16

of

agriculture.

The

department

shall

report

any

findings

17

resulting

in

an

enforcement

action

under

section

162.10D

to

the

18

United

States

department

of

agriculture.

19

b.

If

the

department

has

reasonable

cause,

it

shall

enter

20

onto

the

business

premises

of

the

permittee.

The

department

21

shall

inspect

a

commercial

establishment

subject

to

all

of

the

22

following:

23

(1)

The

department

shall

determine

whether

the

permittee

is

24

complying

with

section

162.10A.

25

(2)

The

department

must

inspect

the

commercial

26

establishment

during

normal

business

hours.

27

(3)

The

department

shall

inspect

the

commercial

28

establishment

regardless

of

when

the

department

inspected

the

29

commercial

establishment

on

a

scheduled

basis.

30

4.

The

department

shall

inspect

a

commercial

establishment

31

on

a

scheduled

basis

subject

to

all

of

the

following:

32

a.

The

department

is

limited

to

entering

onto

the

business

33

premises

of

a

permittee

operating

as

a

commercial

breeder.

34

b.

The

department

must

enter

onto

the

business

premises

of

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the

permittee

once

each

twelve-month

period.

1

c.

The

department

must

inspect

the

commercial

establishment

2

during

normal

business

hours.

3

d.

The

department

shall

determine

whether

the

permittee

is

4

complying

with

section

162.10A.

5

5.

If

the

owner

or

person

in

charge

of

the

commercial

6

establishment

refuses

to

allow

the

inspection

under

this

7

section,

the

department

may

obtain

an

administrative

search

8

warrant

issued

under

section

808.14.

The

person

shall

comply

9

with

the

search

warrant.

10

EXPLANATION

11

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

12

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

13

BACKGROUND

——

GENERAL.

This

bill

amends

Code

chapter

162,

14

which

provides

for

the

regulation

of

commercial

establishments

15

that

possess

or

control

animals,

other

than

animals

used

16

for

an

agricultural

purpose

(Code

section

162.1).

The

Code

17

chapter

is

administered

and

enforced

by

the

department

of

18

agriculture

and

land

stewardship

(DALS).

DALS

issues

various

19

forms

of

authorizations

according

to

the

type

of

commercial

20

establishment

regulated,

with

each

type

subject

to

a

separate

21

fee

(Code

section

162.2B).

An

animal

shelter,

pound,

or

22

research

facility

is

issued

a

certificate

of

registration

23

(Code

sections

162.3,

162.4,

and

162.4A);

a

pet

shop,

boarding

24

kennel,

or

commercial

kennel

is

issued

a

state

license

(Code

25

sections

162.5,

162.5A,

and

162.6);

and

a

dealer,

commercial

26

breeder,

or

public

auction

may

elect

to

be

issued

a

state

27

license

or

a

permit.

However,

in

order

to

be

issued

a

permit,

28

the

dealer,

commercial

breeder,

or

public

auction

must

be

29

licensed

under

the

federal

Animal

Welfare

Act

(7

U.S.C.

ch.

54)

30

by

the

United

States

department

of

agriculture

(USDA)

(Code

31

sections

162.7,

162.8,

and

162.9A).

32

BACKGROUND

——

REQUIREMENTS.

A

registrant

or

state

licensee

33

(registrant/state

licensee)

is

required

to

maintain

business

34

records

(records)

while

a

permittee

may

but

is

not

required

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to

maintain

those

records.

The

Code

chapter

requires

that

a

1

commercial

establishment

must

ensure

that

an

animal

in

its

2

possession

or

under

its

control

is

provided

a

minimum

standard

3

of

care

(adequate

feed,

adequate

water,

housing

facilities,

4

sanitary

control,

grooming,

and

veterinary

care)

(Code

section

5

162.10A).

A

commercial

establishment

must

comply

with

DALS’

6

rules.

However,

the

standard

of

care

for

a

permittee

cannot

be

7

more

restrictive

than

the

federal

Animal

Welfare

Act.

8

BACKGROUND

——

ENTERING

ONTO

THE

BUSINESS

PREMISES

OF

A

9

COMMERCIAL

ESTABLISHMENT.

DALS

may

inspect

a

registrant/state

10

licensee

by

entering

onto

its

business

premises

and

may

inspect

11

its

records

(Code

section

162.10B).

Alternatively,

DALS

may

12

monitor

a

permittee

by

entering

onto

its

business

premises

13

for

the

limited

purpose

of

determining

whether

the

permittee

14

is

providing

for

the

required

standard

of

care

(Code

section

15

162.10C).

In

order

to

enter

onto

the

premises

of

a

permittee,

16

DALS

must

have

reasonable

cause

supported

by

an

oral

or

written

17

complaint

or

a

report

filed

by

the

USDA.

18

BACKGROUND

——

REGULATION

OF

COMMERCIAL

BREEDERS.

A

19

commercial

establishment

that

possesses

or

controls

dogs

20

or

cats

as

a

commercial

breeder

operates

either

as

a

21

registrant/state

licensee

or

permittee.

A

commercial

breeder

22

is

a

person

engaged

in

the

business

of

breeding

dogs

or

cats,

23

or

who

sells,

exchanges,

or

leases

dogs

or

cats,

in

return

24

for

consideration.

However,

an

exception

applies

to

exclude

25

a

person

who

owns

or

harbors

three

or

fewer

breeding

males

or

26

females

(Code

section

162.2).

27

BILL’S

PROVISIONS

——

INSPECTION

OR

MONITORING

OF

COMMERCIAL

28

ESTABLISHMENTS

OPERATING

AS

A

REGISTRANT/STATE

LICENSEE

OR

29

PERMITTEE.

The

bill

provides

for

inspecting

a

commercial

30

establishment

operated

by

a

registrant/state

licensee,

or

31

monitoring

a

commercial

establishment

operated

by

a

permittee,

32

on

both

a

priority

and

scheduled

basis.

DALS

inspects

or

33

monitors

a

commercial

establishment

on

a

priority

basis

34

according

to

its

criteria,

which

is

the

same

process

that

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exists

under

current

law,

with

one

exception.

If

DALS

enters

1

onto

the

business

premises

of

a

commercial

establishment,

2

it

must

determine

whether

the

registrant/state

licensee

or

3

permittee

is

complying

with

the

respective

standard

of

care

4

requirements.

For

inspecting

or

monitoring

a

commercial

5

establishment

on

a

scheduled

basis,

DALS

must

enter

onto

the

6

business

premises

of

each

commercial

establishment

operating

7

as

a

commercial

breeder

(state

licensee

or

permittee)

once

8

each

12-month

period

to

determine

compliance

with

applicable

9

standard

of

care

requirements.

There

is

no

reasonable

cause

10

requirement

that

must

support

DALS’

entry

onto

the

permittee’s

11

commercial

establishment.

12

APPLICABLE

PENALTIES.

DALS

is

authorized

to

establish,

13

impose,

and

assess

a

civil

penalty

of

not

more

than

$500

for

14

a

violation

of

the

Code

chapter

by

a

commercial

establishment

15

subject

to

registration/state

license

or

permit

(Code

16

section

162.12A).

DALS

may

also

suspend

or

revoke

the

17

registration/state

license

or

permit

(Code

section

162.10D).

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