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HJR3 • 2026

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of the people to a clean environment.

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of the people to a clean environment.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
LEVIN, KURTH, GOSA, WESSEL-KROESCHELL, R. JOHNSON, McBURNEY, WICHTENDAHL, B. MEYER and WILBURN
Last action
2025-01-30
Official status
Introduced, referred to Environmental Protection. H.J. 148 .
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 proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of the people to a clean environment.

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of the people to a clean environment.

What This Bill Does

  • A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of the people to a clean environment.

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. 2025-01-30 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Environmental Protection. H.J. 148 .

Official Summary Text

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of the people to a clean environment.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

Joint

Resolution

3

-

Introduced

HOUSE

JOINT

RESOLUTION

3

BY

LEVIN

,

KURTH

,

GOSA

,

WESSEL-KROESCHELL

,

R.

JOHNSON

,

McBURNEY

,

WICHTENDAHL

,

B.

MEYER

,

and

WILBURN

HOUSE

JOINT

RESOLUTION

A

Joint

Resolution

proposing

an

amendment

to

the

Constitution

1

of

the

State

of

Iowa

relating

to

the

right

of

the

people

to

a

2

clean

environment.

3

BE

IT

RESOLVED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

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H.J.R.

3

Section

1.

The

following

amendment

to

the

Constitution

of

1

the

State

of

Iowa

is

proposed:

2

Article

1

of

the

Constitution

of

the

State

of

Iowa

is

amended

3

by

adding

the

following

new

section:

4

Sec.

1B.

Right

to

clean

environment.

Every

person

has

the

5

right

to

a

clean

and

healthy

environment,

including

pure

water,

6

clean

air,

a

stable

climate,

ecologically

healthy

habitats,

7

and

the

preservation

of

the

natural

and

human

health

qualities

8

of

the

environment.

The

state

shall

not

infringe

upon

these

9

rights.

The

state’s

public

natural

resources,

including

its

10

soils,

waters,

air,

flora,

fauna,

climate,

and

public

lands,

11

are

the

common

property

of

the

people,

including

both

present

12

and

future

generations.

As

trustee

of

these

resources,

the

13

state

shall

conserve,

maintain,

and

restore

these

resources

for

14

the

health

and

benefit

of

all

the

people.

This

section

and

15

the

rights

stated

herein

are

self-executing

and

shall

be

in

16

addition

to

any

rights

conferred

by

the

public

trust

doctrine

17

or

common

law.

Any

and

all

infringements

upon

these

rights

18

shall

be

subject

to

strict

scrutiny.

19

Sec.

2.

REFERRAL

AND

PUBLICATION.

The

foregoing

proposed

20

amendment

to

the

Constitution

of

the

State

of

Iowa

is

referred

21

to

the

general

assembly

to

be

chosen

at

the

next

general

22

election

for

members

of

the

general

assembly,

and

shall

be

23

published

as

provided

by

law

for

three

months

previous

to

the

24

date

of

that

election.

25

EXPLANATION

26

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

27

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

28

This

joint

resolution

proposes

an

amendment

to

the

29

Constitution

of

the

State

of

Iowa

providing

that

every

person

30

has

a

right

to

a

clean

and

healthy

environment,

including

31

pure

water,

clean

air,

a

stable

climate,

ecologically

healthy

32

habitats,

and

the

preservation

of

the

natural

and

human

health

33

qualities

of

the

environment.

The

state

shall

not

infringe

34

upon

these

rights.

The

proposed

amendment

declares

that

the

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H.J.R.

3

state’s

public

natural

resources

are

the

common

property

of

1

the

people,

including

both

present

and

future

generations,

2

and

that

the

state,

as

trustee,

shall

conserve,

maintain,

and

3

restore

these

resources

for

the

health

and

benefit

of

all

the

4

people.

The

proposed

amendment

and

the

rights

stated

therein

5

are

self-executing

and

shall

be

in

addition

to

any

rights

6

conferred

by

the

public

trust

doctrine

or

common

law.

The

7

proposed

amendment

states

that

any

and

all

infringements

upon

8

these

rights

shall

be

subject

to

strict

scrutiny.

9

The

resolution,

if

adopted,

would

be

published

and

then

10

referred

to

the

next

general

assembly

(92nd)

for

adoption

a

11

second

time,

before

being

submitted

to

the

electorate

for

12

ratification.

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