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SF 2148

A bill for an act relating to preneed sellers, sales agents and sales agent applicants, and government cemeteries.

2025-2026 Regular Session

The bill requires preneed sellers to designate sales agents, file the designation, and implement renewal fees for agents, tying licensure to ongoing employer affiliation.

Subcommittee recommends passage.
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Bill Summary · SF 2148

Summary of Iowa S.F. 2148 (2025-2026 Session)

Purpose and intent

S.F. 2148 focuses on reforming licensure and oversight for preneed sellers, sales agents, and government cemeteries. The bill clarifies designation requirements for sales agents acting on behalf of preneed sellers, adjusts licensure and renewal procedures, refines contact pathways for inquiries/complaints to the state division, and reclassifies all cemeteries under Iowa Code Chapter 523I into distinct care-status categories (perpetual care, nonperpetual care, and government cemeteries). It also relaxes certain inspection requirements for cemeteries with trust arrangements.

Key provisions and changes

Prerequisites for sales licenses

  • Before an applicant can be issued a sales license, they must be designated by a preneed seller to sell, negotiate, or solicit purchase agreements on the seller’s behalf.
  • At the time of applying for a sales license, the preneed seller must file documentation confirming the applicant’s designation to act on the seller’s behalf.

Licensing and designation requirements

  • A sales agent license will not be issued unless the applicant has met all licensure requirements and the division has received the seller’s designation for the applicant.
  • A preneed seller must notify the commissioner of any changes to a sales agent designation within 30 days.

License validity and employment status

  • A sales agent license is not effective during any period in which the agent is not employed by or associated with a preneed seller.

Renewal fees

  • Sales agents must pay a renewal fee to renew their license. Current law does not require renewal fees.

Contact and complaints process

  • The bill amends certain disclosure provisions (Code sections 523A.601(1)(i) and 523I.312(2)(n)) to direct inquiries and complaints to the division’s internet site, rather than telephone or mail, for interment-related disclosures and inquiries.

Cemetery inspections and care classifications

  • The bill eliminates the requirement that the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee conduct an examination at least once every five years for cemeteries with trust arrangements.

  • All cemeteries under Code Chapter 523I (Iowa Cemetery Act) are reclassified into one of three categories:

    • Perpetual care cemeteries
    • Nonperpetual care cemeteries
    • Government cemeteries (as defined in the bill)

  • The definitions and treatment of “government cemetery” are established within the bill.

Who is affected

  • Preneeds sellers: Must designate sales agents; must file designation documentation with the division; must be notified of designation changes within 30 days; bear responsibility for updating the division when agents’ affiliations change.
  • Sales agents: Subject to licensure, designation requirements, and renewal fees; their license is effective only while employed/affiliated with a preneed seller.
  • Insurance Division (regulator): Receives designation information, processes renewals (including new renewal fees), and handles inquiries/complaints via the division’s website.
  • Cemeteries under Iowa Code Chapter 523I: Classified into perpetual care, nonperpetual care, or government cemeteries; inspection/examination regime for trust-arranged cemeteries is adjusted; “government cemetery” status is specifically defined.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Designation updates by preneed sellers must be reported to the commissioner within 30 days of any change.
  • Renewal of sales agent licenses requires payment of a renewal fee (new requirement).
  • The bill removes a five-year recurring examination requirement for cemeteries with trust arrangements (affecting ongoing regulatory oversight frequency).
  • The bill’s changes to contact methods for disclosures/complaints direct users to the division’s internet site.

Notes

  • The action history shows the bill progressed through subcommittee and committee stages in early 2026, with substitutions and formal introductions, leading to a referral to Ways and Means before final consideration.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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