SF2179 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to the definition of beverage for purposes of beverage container deposits, and including effective date provisions.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: STAED and DONAHUE
Last action: 2026-02-09
Official status: Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Schultz, and Staed. S.J. 225 .
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary and digest do not provide specific details on how stores will handle new types of beverages under deposit rules.

Changing What Counts as a Beverage for Bottle Deposits

This bill changes the definition of 'beverage' to include noncarbonated water and all nonalcoholic carbonated or noncarbonated drinks intended for human consumption, except for unflavored rice milk, soy milk, regular milk, and dairy products.

What This Bill Does

Expands the list of what counts as a beverage under Iowa's bottle deposit law to include noncarbonated water and all nonalcoholic carbonated or noncarbonated drinks intended for human consumption.
Excludes unflavored rice milk, soy milk, regular milk, and dairy products from being considered beverages.

Who It Names or Affects

People who buy bottled drinks in Iowa
Businesses that sell or recycle bottles

Terms To Know

Beverage: A drink, especially one sold in a bottle and covered by deposit rules.
Deposit: Money paid when buying a beverage container that is returned if the empty container is brought back.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how stores will handle new types of beverages under deposit rules.
It's unclear what happens to existing laws about bottle deposits before July 1, 2027.

Bill History

2026-02-09 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Schultz, and Staed. S.J. 225 .
2026-02-03 Iowa Legislature
Introduced, referred to State Government. S.J. 186 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to the definition of beverage for purposes of beverage container deposits, and including effective date provisions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Senate

File

2179

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

2179

BY

STAED

and

DONAHUE

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

definition

of

beverage

for

purposes

of

1

beverage

container

deposits,

and

including

effective

date

2

provisions.

3

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

4

TLSB

5380XS

(5)

91

sb/js

S.F.

2179

Section

1.

Section

455C.1,

subsection

1,

Code

2026,

is

1

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

1.

“Beverage”

means

wine

as

defined

in

section

123.3,

3

subsection

53

,

alcoholic

liquor

as

defined

in

section

123.3,

4

subsection

4

,

beer

as

defined

in

section

123.3,

subsection

5

6

,

high

alcoholic

content

beer

as

defined

in

section

123.3,

6

subsection

22

,

canned

cocktail

as

defined

in

section

123.3,

7

subsection

10

,

mineral

water,

soda

water,

and

similar

8

carbonated

soft

drinks

or

noncarbonated

water,

and

all

9

nonalcoholic

carbonated

or

noncarbonated

drinks

in

liquid

form

10

and

intended

for

human

consumption

,

except

for

unflavored

rice

11

milk,

unflavored

soy

milk,

milk,

and

dairy-derived

products

.

12

Sec.

2.

EFFECTIVE

DATE.

This

Act

takes

effect

July

1,

2027.

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

bill

relates

to

the

definition

of

“beverage”

for

17

purposes

of

beverage

container

deposits.

18

Under

current

law,

“beverage”

includes

wine,

alcoholic

19

liquor,

beer,

high

alcoholic

content

beer,

canned

cocktail,

20

mineral

water,

soda

water,

and

similar

carbonated

soft

drinks

21

in

liquid

form

and

intended

for

human

consumption.

22

The

bill

changes

the

definition

of

“beverage”

to

also

23

include

noncarbonated

water

and

all

nonalcoholic

carbonated

24

or

noncarbonated

drinks,

except

for

unflavored

rice

milk,

25

unflavored

soy

milk,

milk,

and

dairy-derived

products.

26

The

bill

takes

effect

July

1,

2027.

27

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