ISA Highlights Wins from 2026 Legislative Session

ISA Highlights Wins from 2026 Legislative Session

May 6, 2026 | Brock Johnston

Ankeny, Iowa - Soybean farmers remain optimistic about the future of ag policy as the 2026 Iowa Legislative session adjourned earlier this week. Priority areas of interest this session included expanding economic opportunities for farmers and rural communities, boosting biodiesel demand and more.

"We were encouraged to see lawmakers take notice and action on several issues important to Iowa farmers during the session," said Tom Adam, president of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and farmer from Harper. "While we're pleased to see progress made at the statehouse and continued advocacy from farmers, there's much more work to be done."

Amid low commodity prices, tightening margins, and ongoing trade disruptions, Iowa's soybean farmers welcomed key ag policy wins and opportunities, including the following key legislative outcomes:

B20 in Passenger Vehicles: Requires state fleet vehicles compatible with biodiesel to operate on biodiesel 20% (B20) blends. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed this bill into law on April 9.

Iowa Farm Act: Supports farmers and rural communities by expanding economic opportunities and enhancing biosecurity. Notably, this legislation increases the funding cap for biodiesel infrastructure to support updates to fuel retailer installation, replacement or conversion. The Iowa House and Senate passed the bill, and it is awaiting the governor's signature.

Mineral Rights Modernization: Better aligns surface and subsurface property rights to strengthen protections for current landowners and future generations. The Iowa House and Senate passed this bill, and it is awaiting the governor's signature.

Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig's Water Quality Initiatives: Increases funding for conservation and water monitoring, secures a long-term commitment of more than $130 million over 12 years toward nitrate removal system updates for Central Iowa Water Works and creates the Rural Iowa Infrastructure Bank.

Soy Foam: Despite unanimous support in the Iowa Senate, SF 2375 failed in the Iowa House. The bill would have required state agencies to prioritize purchasing soy-based firefighting foam, supporting a shift away from products containing PFAS and other fluorinated chemicals. ISA will continue seeking opportunities that support and scale adoption of new domestic uses for soy-based products.

"We thank Iowa lawmakers for their efforts this session, and look forward to working closely with them on opportunities to better position Iowa farmers in the future," said Adam. "We also extend our thanks to ISA Advocate members for engaging with their local elected officials and speaking out on issues important to our industry."

Farmer delegates from each of Iowa's nine crop districts gathered in December 2025 to update and approve ISA's Policy Resolutions document for 2026. The document serves as an advocacy roadmap for soybean farmers and staff. Guiding principles are affirmed pertaining to conservation, trade, biofuels, biotechnology and a host of other soybean-related topics.

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Not funded by the soybean checkoff.

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