All Roll Calls
Yes: 218 • No: 4
IowaHF 253191st General Assembly (2025–2026)HouseWALLET
A bill for an act relating to interests in minerals owned by counties and cities, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly HF 2213.) Effective date: 06/02/2026.
Sponsored By: COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Signed by Governor
local government
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Landowners get public mineral rights free
Beginning June 2, 2026, Iowa counties and cities must give their mineral interests to the associated surface-land owner, free. This does not apply when the county owns the land outright or the city owns the surface. Existing interests must generally be transferred within five years of June 2, 2026. Interests acquired after that date must be transferred within 90 days. County transfers for unpaid mineral taxes must be completed within 150 days after the required notice is served. Counties cannot sell mineral interests; they must use the required delinquent-tax process when taxes go unpaid.
Inactive mineral rights pass to landowners
Beginning June 2, 2026, Iowa expands its coal-focused abandonment rules to covered mineral rights owned separately from surface land. Covered resources include oil, gas, metals, gemstones, and geothermal resources, but exclude resources listed in Iowa Code section 208.2. Rights pass to the surface owner after 20 years without qualifying activity following creation, transfer, or preservation, unless preserved. Qualifying activity includes authorized exploration or production, extraction or fluid-injection operations, and solid-mineral production from a common vein or seam. Qualifying recorded transfers, leases, mortgages, assignments, or affidavits within the last 20 years also count. A written agreement, state natural-resources pooling order, or filed statement of claim also keeps rights active. Owners can preserve rights by filing a claim with the county recorder before the inactivity deadline or an allowed extension. Claims must include the owner's name, address, and land description; recorders must record and index them. A timely claim preserves rights for another 20 years, or a shorter period stated in the instrument. No claim is needed if the interest was separately taxed after July 1, 1971, and that tax was paid. This exception also requires no tax sale and no transfer to the surface owner under the law's county-transfer or delinquent-tax procedures. A person who does not own the rights cannot preserve or revive them by reserving them in a land transfer.
Unpaid mineral taxes can cost ownership
Beginning June 2, 2026, mineral rights owned separately from the surface land are assessed and taxed to their owner. The tax is at least $0.05 per acre and creates no lien on the surface land. For unpaid taxes, the county treasurer must mail notice by first-class mail to the owner's last known address. Notice also goes to any registered agent listed with the Iowa Secretary of State. Owners have 90 days after service to pay taxes, interest, and costs. Otherwise, the county must transfer the rights to the surface owner, ending the former owner's right to reclaim them. The county may also seek a personal judgment for the debt. If collection and a judgment are impractical, the treasurer must recommend forgiveness in writing. The county board must then forgive the debt by resolution and direct its removal from county records.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 5/2/2026
Passed Senate
Yes: 45 • No: 1
House vote • 5/2/2026
Passed House
Yes: 83 • No: 1
House vote • 2/25/2026
Passed House
Yes: 90 • No: 2
Actions Timeline
Signed by Governor.
6/2/2026HouseReported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor.
5/13/2026HouseMessage from House.
5/3/2026SenateImmediate message.
5/2/2026HousePassed House, yeas 83, nays 1.
5/2/2026HouseHouse concurred in Senate amendment H-8478.
5/2/2026HouseSenate amendment H-8478 filed.
5/2/2026HouseMessage from Senate.
5/2/2026HouseImmediate message.
5/2/2026SenatePassed Senate, yeas 45, nays 1.
5/2/2026SenateAmendment S-5133 adopted, as amended.
5/2/2026SenateAmendment S-5158 adopted.
5/2/2026SenateAmendment S-5158 to S-5133 filed.
4/6/2026SenatePlaced on calendar under unfinished business.
3/26/2026SenatePlaced on calendar.
3/24/2026legislatureAmendment S-5133 filed.
3/24/2026SenateCommittee report, recommending amendment and passage.
3/24/2026SenateSubcommittee recommends passage.
3/5/2026legislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 03/05/2026 8:30AM Senate Lounge.
3/4/2026SenateSubcommittee: Driscoll, Bousselot, and Weiner.
3/2/2026SenateRead first time, referred to Local Government.
2/25/2026SenateMessage from House.
2/25/2026SenateImmediate message.
2/25/2026HousePassed House, yeas 90, nays 2.
2/25/2026HouseAmendment H-8033 adopted, as amended.
2/25/2026House
Bill Text
As Introduced
Enrolled
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