DES MOINES – Iowa cities will no longer be allowed to ban residents from owning certain breeds of dogs under legislation House lawmakers passed Tuesday.
Rep. Jacob Bosman, R-Sioux City, said the bill is intended to focus on “responsible dog ownership” rather than specific breeds.
“What we’re trying to do, we’re taking this off the table, is focusing on responsible dog ownership and driving laws,” he said.
the bill, Home file 651It passed the House 82-16. Eight Democrats and eight Republicans opposed it. It needs to pass the Iowa Senate before it can be signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds.
If passed into law, the bill would repeal various bans in dozens of Iowa cities, particularly on pit bulls and similar breeds.
Last fall, a federal appeals court upheld Council Bluffs’ ban on pit bull ownership. It does not violate the US Constitution.. Sioux City officials The ban on the seed has been lifted In the year After a similar lawsuit challenged the rule in 2019.
The city of Keystone last year warned pit bull owners to get rid of their dogs because city ordinances ban the breed, but officials have since reversed course.
“This bill allows Iowans to be responsible for the dogs they choose, live where they choose, and instead focus on problem dogs rather than specific breeds,” Bosman said.
The draft also prohibits cities from engaging in physical acts that “restrict or impede a person’s right to own or keep a dog based on its breed.” Cities can still implement ordinances that apply to all dogs.
If a city classifies an individual dog as “high risk” or “dangerous,” the owner is allowed to charge higher homeowner’s or renter’s insurance premiums.
Insurers are allowed to impose higher premiums and other insurance changes based on actual data. The bill would not prevent insurance companies from charging higher premiums based on dog breeds.
The bill is sponsored by the Humane Society and the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association. The Humane Society argues that there is no evidence that breed-based bans reduce dog attacks, and they are expensive to administer.
“This kind of violence is not based on race,” said Humane Society lobbyist Angela Kauk. “It depends more on the behavior of the owner and the behavior of the individual animal.”
The Iowa League of Cities was among the bill’s opponents.
Rep. Ross Wilburn, a Democrat from Ames, who voted against the bill, said it would remove local oversight and was uncertain what the bill would do.
“Local people know who the criminals are, they get the calls, and I think it’s important for a case like this to give them the opportunity to monitor and control what happens at the local level,” he said.