Iowa 2025-2026 Regular Session

Iowa Senate Bill SF451

Introduced
2/26/25  

Caption

A bill for an act relating to the duties of fire officials and reports of fires and emergency responses.

Impact

This bill will notably impact the standards by which fire investigations are conducted across Iowa. By formalizing the process for investigating fires and requiring documentation of specific details such as estimated property damage, the bill aims to centralize and standardize fire reporting. It extends obligations to law enforcement personnel, who may now be required to authorize access to databases for aiding investigations, which aligns law enforcement with fire safety protocols more closely.

Summary

Senate File 451 aims to enhance the duties of fire officials in Iowa by mandating thorough investigations into the causes and origins of fires that result in property damage, bodily injury, or fatality. It specifies that the chief of the fire department or their designee must determine whether the fire was due to natural causes, negligence, or intentional actions. This added clarity is intended to ensure a more systematic approach to fire investigations to improve public safety outcomes.

Contention

One area of contention surrounding SF451 is the potential burden it may place on local fire departments, especially smaller ones that may lack the resources to comply with the new reporting requirements. Critics argue that the mandated level of investigation for all fire incidents with property damage starting at $50 could overwhelm local departments, who may already be stretched thin. Additionally, while proponents advocate for improved accountability and data collection in fire-related incidents, concerns have been raised regarding the effective allocation of resources to meet these new obligations without compromising other essential services provided by fire departments.

Companion Bills

IA HF724

Similar To A bill for an act relating to the duties of fire officials and reports of fires and emergency responses.

Previously Filed As

IA HSB738

A bill for an act relating to law enforcement, including the enforcement of state, local, and municipal laws at regents institutions, personal injury or illness of a peace officer employed by a regents institution, the revocation or suspension of a law enforcement officer's or reserve peace officer's certification, administrative investigations under the peace officer, public safety, and emergency personnel bill of rights, and communications in professional confidence.

IA HF2159

A bill for an act relating to reporting requirements for lost or stolen firearms.

IA HSB709

A bill for an act relating to law enforcement officers and reserve peace officers, including the revocation or suspension of certification by the Iowa law enforcement academy council, administrative investigations under the peace officer, public safety, and emergency personnel bill of rights, and communications in professional confidence, and including effective date provisions.

IA HF2215

A bill for an act relating to the reporting of serious reportable events, and providing penalties.

IA SF2038

A bill for an act relating to the reporting of serious reportable events, and providing penalties.

IA HF2078

A bill for an act relating to civil liability of sports officials, providing criminal penalties for assault of sports officials, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

IA HSB711

A bill for an act relating to the powers, duties, and responsibilities of state government entities associated with the budget, financial control, and information technology, making penalties applicable, and making appropriations.

IA SF514

A bill for an act relating to the organization, structure, and functions of state government, providing for salaries of appointed state officers, providing for penalties, making appropriations, providing Code editor directives and transition provisions, and including applicability and effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1123.) Contingent effective date. Applicability date: Enactment, 07/01/2023.

IA HF2165

A bill for an act relating to false reports to or communications with public safety entities, and providing penalties.(Formerly HSB 545.)

IA SF2409

A bill for an act relating to the powers, duties, and responsibilities of state government entities associated with the budget, financial control, and information technology, making penalties applicable, and making appropriations.(Formerly SF 2375, SSB 3173.)

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