House File 2659 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2659 BY COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TECHNOLOGY (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2312) A BILL FOR An Act establishing an affordable housing task force. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 5819HV (2) 91 lh/jh

H.F. 2659 Section 1. AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE. 1 1. An affordable housing task force is created to identify 2 state and local regulatory barriers that contribute to the cost 3 of affordable housing and to examine the corresponding public 4 benefit of such regulations relative to their impact on housing 5 costs. 6 2. The task force shall study and make recommendations 7 concerning state and local regulations and practices affecting 8 the development and availability of affordable housing, 9 including but not limited to the following areas: 10 a. Zoning and land use regulations. 11 b. State and local building codes. 12 c. Permitting and approval processes. 13 d. State and local funding mechanisms. 14 3. The task force members shall be chosen to reflect 15 geographic diversity and shall consist of the following: 16 a. The state building code commissioner or the 17 commissioner’s designee. 18 b. The state fire marshal or the fire marshal’s designee. 19 c. The director of the Iowa economic development authority 20 or the director’s designee. 21 d. Three members representing housing developers, appointed 22 by the governor. 23 e. One elected official of a city with a population of fifty 24 thousand or more, appointed by the governor. 25 f. One elected official of a city with a population of fewer 26 than fifty thousand, appointed by the governor. 27 g. One county supervisor from a county with a population of 28 fifty thousand or more, appointed by the governor. 29 h. One county supervisor from a county with a population of 30 fewer than fifty thousand, appointed by the governor. 31 i. Two members of the house of representatives, one 32 appointed by the speaker of the house and one appointed by the 33 minority leader of the house. 34 j. Two members of the senate, one appointed by the majority 35 -1- LSB 5819HV (2) 91 lh/jh 1/ 3

H.F. 2659 leader of the senate and one appointed by the minority leader 1 of the senate. 2 k. A director of a city’s or county’s planning and zoning 3 department, division, or authority, or similar entity even 4 if a different nomenclature is used to describe the entity, 5 appointed by the governor. 6 l. One member of a housing nonprofit organization, 7 appointed by the governor. 8 m. One member of the housing lending organization, 9 appointed by the governor. 10 n. One member of an economic development group, appointed by 11 the governor. 12 4. Members of the task force shall serve without 13 compensation but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses 14 incurred in the performance of their official duties. Task 15 force members who are members of the general assembly shall 16 be paid in accordance with section 2.32A. The remaining task 17 force members shall be reimbursed from moneys appropriated for 18 such a purpose. 19 5. On or before December 1, 2026, the task force shall 20 submit a written report to the general assembly detailing 21 the task force’s findings and recommendations, including 22 any proposed statutory or administrative changes to reduce 23 regulatory barriers to affordable housing while preserving 24 public health and safety. 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 bill establishes an affordable housing task force to 29 study state and local regulations that contribute to the cost 30 of affordable housing and to examine the corresponding public 31 benefit of such regulations relative to their impact on housing 32 costs. 33 The bill requires the task force to examine zoning and land 34 use regulations, state and local building codes, permitting 35 -2- LSB 5819HV (2) 91 lh/jh 2/ 3

H.F. 2659 and approval processes, and state and local funding mechanisms 1 affecting the development and availability of affordable 2 housing. 3 The bill establishes the membership of the task force, 4 which includes representatives from state agencies, housing 5 developers, local government officials from cities and counties 6 of varying population sizes, members of the general assembly, 7 a director of a city’s or county’s planning and zoning 8 department, and members from a housing nonprofit organization, 9 housing lending organization, and economic development 10 group. The bill requires the members to be chosen to reflect 11 geographic diversity. 12 The bill requires the task force to submit a written report 13 to the general assembly and the governor by December 1, 2026, 14 detailing the task force’s findings and recommendations, 15 including any proposed statutory or administrative changes 16 intended to reduce regulatory barriers to affordable housing 17 while preserving public health and safety. 18 -3- LSB 5819HV (2) 91 lh/jh 3/ 3