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Bill Summary · HF 793

Summary — HF 793 (2025): Fire fighter training and certification — sex offender registry ineligibility

Status: Enacted — signed by Governor Kim Reynolds on May 6, 2025
Introduced: March 5, 2025
Companion bill: SF 492

Purpose

HF 793 requires the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) to revise its rules for firefighter training and certification so that adults who are required to be listed on a sex offender registry cannot be certified as firefighters or serve in firefighter roles. The change is intended to exclude persons with adult convictions that trigger sex-offender registration from firefighting positions, including volunteer roles.

Key provisions

  • Directs the Department of Public Safety to revise administrative rules governing firefighter training and certification by January 1, 2026.
  • Establishes that any person who, as an adult, committed a crime that resulted in a requirement to be listed on a sex offender registry:
    • Shall not be certified as a firefighter; and
    • Shall not serve as a noncertified or volunteer firefighter.
  • Amendment H-1050 clarified the language to explicitly bar service as noncertified and volunteer firefighters in addition to certification.

Who is affected

  • Individuals required to register on a sex offender registry because of adult convictions will be ineligible for firefighter certification and for serving as volunteer or noncertified firefighters in Iowa.
  • The Department of Public Safety must adopt or amend rules to implement the ban.
  • Local fire departments and emergency services may need to update hiring, appointment, credentialing, and background‑check processes to conform to the new rules.
  • Potential indirect effects include impacts on volunteer recruitment and department staffing where otherwise-eligible individuals are excluded.

Implementation timeline and procedure

  • DPS must complete rule revisions by January 1, 2026.
  • The bill is an act directing state rulemaking rather than specifying detailed statutory procedures; implementation details will be set out in the DPS administrative rules adopted under the bill’s directive.

Legislative history (selected)

  • Passed House: March 17, 2025 (yeas 96, nays 0) — Amendment H-1050 adopted
  • Passed Senate: April 23, 2025 (yeas 48, nays 0)
  • Signed by Governor: May 6, 2025

Note: This summary focuses on the statute’s text and administrative requirement; specific rule language and operational consequences will be determined when DPS issues the revised administrative rules.

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

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