Iowa : 2025-2026 Regular Session : BILL SF142
A bill for an act relating to the prohibition of geoengineering activities, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions.
Sponsor: Sen Charlie McClintock
Bill Details
A bill for an act relating to the prohibition of geoengineering activities, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions.
GeoLawWatch Bill Summary
Iowa SF142 introduces new criminal laws against geoengineering by adding Chapter 708C to the Iowa Code. The bill makes it a Class D felony to engage in "polluting atmospheric activity," "cloud seeding," or "weather engineering," and each day someone commits the offence counts as a separate offence. In Iowa, a Class D felony can carry a sentence of up to 5 years in prison and fines of $1,025 to $10,245.
The law explains four main terms. "Cloud seeding" is when someone tries to alter condensation or rainfall by spreading chemicals such as silver iodide, potassium iodide, or dry ice from planes or ground equipment. "Polluting atmospheric activity" means purposely releasing any solid, liquid, gas, or heat that could harm health, the environment, or farming. This broad definition covers things like smoke, vapour, soot, fumes, acid, chemicals, electric or magnetic fields, electromagnetic pulses, sound or light pollution, microwaves, and any man-made radiation or waste. "Weather engineering" is when someone intentionally alters the weather or climate, usually by releasing pollutants through cloud seeding, whether on a small or large scale. "Department" refers to the Department of Public Safety.
The law says that no one can take part in polluting the atmosphere, cloud seeding, or any other kind of weather engineering. It also bans the use of unmarked or unidentified aircraft, vehicles, or facilities for these activities, "unless otherwise provided by law." This exception might allow some current weather modification permits or federal programs to continue, but the bill’s rules for federal enforcement seem to conflict with this idea.
The Department of Public Safety can quickly issue cease-and-desist orders to anyone suspected of breaking the law. These orders are as binding as court orders, and failure to comply can result in felony charges. The bill also covers federal government and military projects, which must follow all the rules in this chapter. If a federal project violates the law, the department must notify the appropriate federal agency that the activity is not allowed in Iowa. The department decides if violations have happened and can ask the Iowa Air National Guard for help if needed.
The bill takes effect as soon as it is enacted, instead of starting on a later date.
History
Senator McClintock introduced SF142 on January 28, 2025, and immediately referred it to the Senate Judiciary Committee. On February 3, 2025, a three-member subcommittee was assigned, consisting of Senators Schultz, Blake, and Bousselot. In Iowa's legislative process, subcommittee assignment is a critical procedural step in which a small group of senators conducts an initial, detailed review of legislation before the full committee considers it.
The bill has received no further recorded action since the subcommittee assignment over two months ago. It remains with the Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over criminal law matters implicated by the felony provisions. The assignment to the Judiciary rather than to Environmental Protection (which is handling the companion HF927) is notable. It reflects the bill's heavy emphasis on criminal penalties and enforcement rather than environmental regulation.
Iowa operates under a biennial session structure, with the 2025-2026 regular session beginning January 13, 2025, and scheduled to conclude May 14, 2025, for the first year. Bills carry over from 2025 to 2026 within the same biennial session, meaning SF142 remains viable through 2026 even if not completed in 2025.
SF142 represents a Senate approach to geoengineering prohibition that differs substantially from House File 927, also active in the 2025 Iowa legislature. While HF927 delegates implementation to the Environmental Protection Commission through regulatory rulemaking, SF142 specifies detailed criminal penalties, administrative enforcement mechanisms, and federal jurisdiction assertions directly in statutory text. The existence of two distinct bills addressing the same subject matter through different committees (Senate Judiciary for SF142, House Environmental Protection for HF927) suggests multiple legislative pathways are being pursued simultaneously.
The bill has a single sponsor (Senator McClintock) rather than a committee introduction, which may indicate less initial support than HF927's committee introduction. The subcommittee has taken no publicly recorded action since its February 3 assignment.
- Tue 28 Jan 2025 Introduced, referred to Judiciary. S.J. 147.
- Mon 03 Feb 2025 Subcommittee: Schultz, Blake, and Bousselot. S.J. 178.
Consolidated Bill Text
BY McCLINTOCK
A BILL FOR
An Act relating to the prohibition of geoengineering activities, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. NEW SECTION. 708C.1 Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
"Cloud seeding" means a type of weather modification that attempts to change the amount or type of condensation or precipitation by dispersing chemicals, including but not limited to silver iodide, potassium iodide, and dry ice, into the air by means of aircraft or ground generators.
"Department" means the department of public safety.
"Polluting atmospheric activity" means the deliberate discharge of any solid, liquid, gaseous, or thermal irritant, contaminant, or substance, including smoke, vapor, soot, fume, aerosol plume, acid, alkali, chemical, artificially produced electric field, magnetic field, electromagnetic field, electromagnetic pulse, sound wave, sound pollution, light pollution, microwave, and all artificially produced ionizing or nonionizing radiation or waste conducted in the atmosphere that may have harmful consequences upon health, the environment, or agriculture.
"Weather engineering" means the deliberate manipulation or alteration of the environment for the purpose of changing the weather or climate by artificial means, typically involving the deliberate release of polluting emissions in the atmosphere via cloud seeding, for small-scale, large-scale, and global-scale alteration of the environment.
Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 708C.2 Prohibited acts.
A person shall not engage in polluting atmospheric activity, cloud seeding, or any other type of weather engineering, or use an unmarked or unidentified aircraft or other vehicle or facility to engage in polluting atmospheric activity, cloud seeding, or any other type of weather engineering, unless otherwise provided by law.
Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 708C.3 Penalties and enforcement.
The department shall immediately issue a cease and desist order to a person suspected of violating section 708C.2. A cease and desist order issued under this section shall have the weight of a court order and any violation shall be punished in accordance with subsection 2.
A person who violates section 708C.2 commits a class "D" felony. A separate offense is committed by the person for each day during which the violation has been conducted, repeated, or continued.
Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 708C.4 Notice to cease federal or armed forces programs.
Federal government and armed forces projects must meet all the requirements of this chapter. If an activity in violation of section 708C.2 has been approved explicitly or implicitly by the federal government, the department shall issue a notice to the appropriate federal agency that the activity cannot lawfully be carried out within or over the state.
The department shall determine whether violations have occurred and, if deemed necessary, shall refer potentially prohibited activity to the Iowa air national guard.
Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
This bill relates to geoengineering by creating penalties and enforcement procedures for persons engaging in such practices. A person who engages in polluting atmospheric activity, cloud seeding, or weather engineering commits a class "D" felony. A class "D" felony is punishable by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least $1,025, but not more than $10,245. Each day the person violates this restriction is treated as a separate offense. Additionally, if these practices are suspected, the department of public safety (DPS) is authorized to issue the suspected person a cease and desist letter having the weight of a court order.
The bill states that the federal government and armed forces must abide by these restrictions. Should an act approved explicitly or implicitly by the federal government or armed forces be in violation of these restrictions, the department shall issue a notice to the appropriate federal agency that the actions are unlawful. DPS may refer violations to the Iowa air national guard if DPS deems such referral as necessary.
The bill takes effect upon enactment.