---
type: "Bill"
title: "A bill for an act relating to bidding and contracting for public improvement projects, making penalties applicable, and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1145.) Effective 4-13-17."
description: "A bill for an act relating to bidding and contracting for public improvement projects, making penalties applicable, and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1145.) Effective 4-13-17."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ia"
legislature: "Iowa General Assembly"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "SF 438"
citation: "Iowa SF 438 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["bidding", "construction work", "contractors", "public contracts", "public improvements", "purchasing"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 10
action_count: 28
vote_count: 10
first_action: "2017-03-06"
last_action: "2017-04-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d23720cc-bcd5-4515-80c6-976e776dfb22"
source_url: "https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=SF 438&ga=87"
source_hash: "23376c00b0402a3efca7f650241161752f3f535b39fe76de23e38e5e59e7cd6f"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ia"]
---

# Iowa SF 438 (2017-2018) — A bill for an act relating to bidding and contracting for public improvement projects, making penalties applicable, and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1145.) Effective 4-13-17.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/87/attachments/SF438.html)
2. **Amendment H-1231** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/87/H1231.pdf)
3. **Amendment H-1232** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/87/H1232.pdf)
4. **Amendment S-3114** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/87/S3114.pdf)
5. **Amendment S-3115** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/87/S3115.pdf)
6. **Amendment S-3117** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/87/S3117.pdf)
7. **Amendment S-3118** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/87/S3118.pdf)
8. **Amendment S-3120** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/87/S3120.pdf)
9. **Amendment S-3121** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/87/S3121.pdf)
10. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/87/attachments/SF438.html)

## Votes

- Shall amendment H-1232 be adopted? — **41–57** (fail) · lower
- Shall amendment S-3115 be adopted? — **21–26** (fail) · upper
- Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H-1231? — **41–57** (fail) · lower
- Shall amendment S-3114 be adopted? — **21–27** (fail) · upper
- Shall amendment S-3120 be adopted? — **21–26** (fail) · upper
- Shall amendment S-3118 be adopted? — **21–26** (fail) · upper
- Shall the bill pass? — **26–21** (pass) · upper
- Shall amendment S-3117 be adopted? — **21–27** (fail) · upper
- Shall the bill pass? — **57–41** (pass) · lower
- Shall amendment S-3121 be adopted? — **21–26** (fail) · upper

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-03-06** Introduced, placed on calendar. `introduction`
- **2017-03-06** Committee report, approving bill.
- **2017-03-09** Amendment S-3114 filed, lost. `amendment-introduction`
- **2017-03-09** Amendment S-3117 filed, lost. `amendment-introduction`
- **2017-03-09** Deferred.
- **2017-03-09** Amendment S-3115 filed, lost. `amendment-introduction`
- **2017-03-09** Amendment S-3120 filed, lost. `amendment-introduction`
- **2017-03-09** Amendment S-3118 filed, lost. `amendment-introduction`
- **2017-03-09** Amendment S-3121 filed, lost. `amendment-introduction`
- **2017-03-09** Passed Senate, ayes 26, nays 21. `passage`
- **2017-03-13** Explanations of votes.
- **2017-03-09** Immediate message.
- **2017-03-09** Message from Senate.
- **2017-03-09** Read first time, referred to Labor. `reading-1`
- **2017-03-13** Subcommittee: Klein, Highfill and Running-Marquardt.
- **2017-03-22** Committee report, recommending passage. `committee-passage`
- **2017-03-23** Amendments H-1231, H-1232 and H-1233 filed.
- **2017-04-04** Point of order raised on H-1231, ruled not germane.
- **2017-04-04** Motion to suspend rules to consider H-1231.
- **2017-04-04** Motion to suspend rules failed.
- **2017-04-04** Amendment H-1232 lost.
- **2017-04-04** Point of order raised on H-1233, ruled not germane.
- **2017-04-04** Passed House, ayes 57, nays 41. `passage`
- **2017-04-04** Immediate message.
- **2017-04-05** Message from House.
- **2017-04-11** Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker.
- **2017-04-11** Sent to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2017-04-13** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d23720cc-bcd5-4515-80c6-976e776dfb22`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Iowa legislature records).