A bill for an act relating to land restoration following the initial construction of electric transmission lines, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions. (Formerly HSB 526.) Effective date: 04/16/2026. Applicability date: 07/01/2024.

Landowners gain protections after transmission line construction

The law requires transmission owners to restore land after initial construction of covered lines rated at least 200 kilovolts. It covers lines in federally registered planning authorities’ long-term plans approved on or after July 1, 2024, with regionally shared costs. Construction within city limits is excluded. The law took effect April 16, 2026, and applies retroactively to qualifying projects. It excludes later construction on lines with a prior construction election. Owners must repair damaged underground drain tile during construction and finish permanent repairs as soon as practical afterward. Repairs must match or exceed the original quality, pipe size, and flow capacity. Owners must remove nonnative rocks averaging over 3 inches across from the easement area; disposal requires agreement with the landowner. They must deep-till crop land to 18 inches and other land to 12 inches unless the landowner agrees otherwise. They must restore conservation structures to their former elevation and grade, repair embankments with compacted soil, and restore vegetation. Qualifying hay, conservation, and other agricultural land must be reseeded, with cover crops used when appropriate. Seasonal delays are allowed, and landowners can request alternative erosion-preventing ground cover. Temporary roads and entrances must be removed unless both parties agree otherwise. Owners must limit wet-weather soil damage and repair ruts and compaction as practical. When both parties agree that the landowner will repair wet-condition damage, the owner must repay reasonable repair costs. Owners must provide a contact’s name, phone number, email, and address. Franchise applications must include restoration plans, and affected landowners must receive copies. Written owner-landowner agreements filed with the Iowa Utilities Commission can set different restoration terms. Commission waivers require alternatives that restore land as well as or better than the standards. Filed agricultural mitigation plans or state-agency agreements can satisfy some or all plan duties when they meet the requirements. The commission sets rules and may appoint qualified inspectors for disputes, including after restoration. Owners pay reasonable inspection costs. Violations require notice and corrective orders at the owner’s expense; disobeying orders can bring civil penalties. Existing land-access and damage rights remain unchanged. Where practical and reasonable, lines must follow roads, railroad rights-of-way, or property boundaries to limit interference with land use.