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A joint resolution designating the Iowa darter as the official state fish for the state of Iowa.

A joint resolution designating the Iowa darter as the official state fish for the state of Iowa.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
WILLS
Last action
2025-01-23
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 joint resolution designating the Iowa darter as the official state fish for the state of Iowa.

A joint resolution designating the Iowa darter as the official state fish for the state of Iowa.

What This Bill Does

  • A joint resolution designating the Iowa darter as the official state fish for the state of Iowa.

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. 2025-01-23 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  2. 2025-01-21 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 01/23/2025 8:30AM House Lounge 2.

  3. 2025-01-21 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Hermanson, Golding and Levin. H.J. 105 .

  4. 2025-01-15 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Natural Resources. H.J. 61 .

Official Summary Text

A joint resolution designating the Iowa darter as the official state fish for the state of Iowa.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

Joint

Resolution

2

-

Introduced

HOUSE

JOINT

RESOLUTION

2

BY

WILLS

HOUSE

JOINT

RESOLUTION

A

Joint

Resolution

designating

the

Iowa

darter

as

the

official

1

state

fish

for

the

state

of

Iowa.

2

WHEREAS,

the

Iowa

darter

(etheostoma

exile)

is

the

only

fish

3

that

is

named

after

the

state

of

Iowa.

No

other

plant

or

animal

4

bears

Iowa

in

its

name.

Originally

thought

to

be

endemic

to

5

Iowa,

the

Iowa

darter

was

discovered

in

Iowa

and

documented

as

6

early

as

1889;

and

7

WHEREAS,

the

Iowa

darter

is

one

of

the

most

colorful

and

8

beautiful

fish

in

Iowa.

This

vibrant

fish

is

representative

9

of

the

native

fish

diversity

in

the

state

of

Iowa

and

of

its

10

varied

residents.

Growing

to

about

two

and

one-half

inches

11

long,

the

Iowa

darter

is

bright

green

with

dark

brown

blotches

12

and

small

red

spots

on

the

sides,

its

belly

fading

to

yellow

or

13

gold

and

white.

There

is

great

variability

in

coloration

of

an

14

Iowa

darter,

making

it

one

of

the

most

unique

fish

in

the

state

15

of

Iowa;

and

16

WHEREAS,

the

Iowa

darter

lives

in

clear,

sluggish,

vegetated

17

streams

and

weedy

areas

of

glacial

lakes,

marshes,

and

ponds.

18

The

Iowa

darter

is

most

abundant

in

the

natural

lakes

in

Iowa

19

but

can

be

found

in

rivers

and

streams

in

northern

Iowa,

as

20

well

as

the

Missouri

and

Mississippi

rivers.

The

Iowa

darter

21

loves

clean

water

and

is

an

indicator

of

better

water

quality.

22

The

Iowa

darter

is

a

symbol

of

Iowa’s

greatest

habitat

and

23

water

quality

challenges.

The

Iowa

darter

prefers

clean

water

24

just

like

many

other

residents

of

the

state

of

Iowa;

and

25

WHEREAS,

the

Iowa

darter

is

a

glacial

relict

species

that

26

can

withstand

colder

water

temperatures

and

thus

cold

tolerance

27

characterizes

the

species.

Much

like

the

residents

of

Iowa,

28

the

Iowa

darter

is

cold

hardy

and

prepared

for

all

seasons;

and

29

WHEREAS,

the

Iowa

darter

is

aptly

named

as

a

darter

fish

30

as

the

fish

dart

from

locality

to

locality

and

then

secure

31

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House

Joint

Resolution

2

-

Introduced

themselves

against

the

water

flow.

The

Iowa

darter

is

a

32

predator

with

quick

reaction

time

and

an

uncanny

ability

to

33

camouflage;

NOW

THEREFORE,

34

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

35

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H.J.R.

2

Section

1.

STATE

FISH

DESIGNATED.

The

Iowa

darter

1

(etheostoma

exile)

is

designated

and

shall

be

officially

known

2

as

the

state

fish

of

Iowa.

3

Sec.

2.

APPROPRIATE

REPRESENTATIONS.

The

director

of

the

4

department

of

administrative

services

shall

obtain

appropriate

5

pictures

and

other

representations

of

the

Iowa

darter

and

shall

6

display

the

pictures

and

representations

in

an

appropriate

7

place

in

the

state

historical

museum.

8

Sec.

3.

OFFICIAL

REGISTER.

The

editor

of

the

Iowa

official

9

register

shall

include

an

appropriate

picture

and

commentary

10

of

the

Iowa

darter

in

the

Iowa

official

register,

along

with

11

the

pictures

of

the

state

rock,

state

flower,

state

bird,

and

12

state

tree.

13

EXPLANATION

14

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

15

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

16

This

joint

resolution

designates

the

Iowa

darter

as

the

17

official

state

fish

of

Iowa.

The

director

of

the

department

18

of

administrative

services

shall

obtain

pictures

and

other

19

appropriate

representations

of

the

state

fish

and

display

the

20

pictures

and

information

in

the

state

historical

museum.

The

21

editor

of

the

Iowa

official

register

shall

include

a

picture

22

of

the

state

fish

along

with

pictures

of

the

state

rock,

state

23

flower,

state

bird,

and

state

tree.

24

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