All Roll Calls
Yes: 119 • No: 2
IowaSF 66091st General Assembly (2025–2026)Senate
A bill for an act relating to sports wagering and tourism, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1240.) Effective date: 06/11/2025, 07/01/2025.
Sponsored By: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
More pay funding for school staff
The law provides $14 million from sports wagering receipts for school support staff compensation in the 2025–2026 budget year. Eligible staff are regular and part-time district employees who are not salaried. District shares follow their July 2024 budget-year enrollment compared with statewide enrollment, with payments sent alongside foundation aid. Districts must report staff counts and other required information by July 1, 2025, to receive money. This funding provision took effect June 11, 2025; it does not set each worker's payment.
Yearly funding for public safety equipment
Starting July 1, 2025, Iowa provides $8 million each budget year for the public safety equipment fund. The money comes from sports wagering receipts. The law exempts this funding from the specified reporting requirements that otherwise apply.
Yearly support for service award grants
Starting July 1, 2026, Iowa makes yearly transfers from sports wagering receipts to the length-of-service award grant fund. Each transfer brings the balance not already committed to $1.5 million as of July 1. This is a balance target, not a new $1.5 million payment every year. The transfers are exempt from the specified reporting requirements, and the transfer authority ends July 1, 2030.
More funding for special education oversight
Iowa provides up to $5 million from sports wagering receipts for its special education division in the 2025–2026 budget year. The Department of Education can use it for supervision, oversight, compliance, staff pay, support, maintenance, and related work. The funding supports work across Area Education Agency regions and the department.
Funding set aside for film incentives
Iowa sets aside up to $4 million from sports wagering receipts for film incentives in the 2025–2026 budget year. The Economic Development Authority receives the money for deposit in the Iowa film production incentive fund. The funding depends on that fund's creation under Senate File 657, section 78, of the 2025 laws.
Recipients cannot combine tourism program grants
Starting July 1, 2025, entities awarded major events and tourism aid cannot also receive sports tourism infrastructure aid. Cities, counties, and nonprofit public entities receiving sports infrastructure aid are also ineligible for major events and tourism aid.
Bigger sports project grants, tighter eligibility
Starting July 1, 2025, sports tourism aid funds infrastructure that directly supports college, professional, or other local sporting events—not marketing. Cities, counties, and nonprofit public entities can qualify. The law removes the $500,000 annual award cap per applicant, but assistance still cannot exceed 50% of project costs. A nonprofit public entity cannot get aid for a project in an approved reinvestment district. Applicants that received the sales tax rebate specified in the law are ineligible, and aid cannot reimburse completed projects.
New event grants replace sports marketing
Starting July 1, 2025, Iowa's Economic Development Authority runs a new major events and tourism program. It gets up to $4 million from sports wagering receipts for 2025–2026, plus remaining money from the repealed sports tourism marketing fund. Grants cover bidding, planning, hosting, and event fees for high-attendance athletic events, conventions, music festivals, and art festivals with measurable economic impact. Most applicants must be Iowa tourism or economic development nonprofits involved in bidding, and must submit an economic analysis. A separate eligibility path covers highly competitive bids involving out-of-state sites, with Iowa or a region including neighboring states selected. Recipients must provide matching money equal to at least 50% of the award. The program board decides awards outside the usual state administrative procedures; awards are valid for up to two years. Awarded money must be paid within five years or return to the fund. Uncommitted balances and interest stay in the fund, and yearly administrative costs cannot exceed 5% of its starting balance.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 5/14/2025
Passed House
Yes: 80 • No: 2
Senate vote • 5/14/2025
Passed Senate
Yes: 39 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Explanations of votes.
6/27/2025HouseSigned by Governor.
6/11/2025SenateNOBA: Final
6/2/2025legislatureReported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor.
5/23/2025SenateExplanation of vote.
5/20/2025HouseMessage from Senate.
5/14/2025HouseImmediate message.
5/14/2025SenatePassed Senate, yeas 39, nays 0.
5/14/2025SenateSenate concurred with S-3194.
5/14/2025SenateMessage from House, with amendment S-3194.
5/14/2025SenateImmediate message.
5/14/2025HouseNOBA: Senate Full Approps
5/14/2025SenatePassed House, yeas 80, nays 2.
5/14/2025HouseAmendment H-1360 filed, adopted.
5/14/2025HouseSubstituted for HF 1041.
5/14/2025HouseMessage from Senate.
5/14/2025HouseImmediate message.
5/14/2025SenatePassed Senate, yeas 43, nays 0.
5/14/2025SenateAmendment S-3192 filed, adopted.
5/14/2025SenateCommittee report, approving bill.
5/14/2025SenateIntroduced, placed on Appropriations calendar.
5/14/2025Senate
Bill Text
As Introduced
Enrolled
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