Bill > SF227

This bill restricts the deployment of Iowa's army national guard, air national guard, and civil air patrol to active combat or hazardous service in foreign conflicts. Specifically, these military units can only be released from the state into such service if the United States has officially declared war for one of three specific constitutional purposes: repelling an invasion, suppressing an insurrection, or executing United States laws. The bill importantly does not limit the governor's authority to deploy troops for defense support of civil authorities, which provides flexibility for domestic emergency responses. Additionally, the bill includes legislative findings that criticize the current congressional practice of delegating war powers to the president, arguing that such delegation is contrary to the original constitutional intent, which explicitly reserves the power to declare war solely to Congress. By adding these provisions to the Iowa Code, the bill aims to provide more stringent state-level oversight and constraints on military deployments, emphasizing the constitutional requirement of a formal congressional war declaration before committing state military units to foreign armed conflicts.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=SF227