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At first glance, House Study Bill 637 (introduced on January 28, 2026) is styled as a safety and regulation bill for “nonvehicular personal transportation” - a phrase that sounds generic and dull. But reading the actual language reveals something much broader and scarier for anyone who bikes, scoots, wheels, runs errands, delivers food, races gravel, commutes to work, or simply wants the freedom to move in Iowa without turning every ride into a criminal case.

HSB 637 was introduced in the House Public Safety Committee by that committee itself (chaired by Representatives including Henderson, Hermanson, and Kressig) and requested - at least ostensibly - by law enforcement interests such as the Iowa Police Chiefs Association.

What the Bill Actually Does - Byte-Sized Breakdown

The text of the bill (as introduced) would:

Ban Bikes & Devices from Roads Over 25 mph

Under one section, any “device” - defined extremely broadly to include bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, wheelchairs, strollers, skateboards, and more - would not be allowed on roadways with speed limits above 25 mph except to cross them. That means most rural roads, highways into towns, and main urban thoroughfares would be off limits for all the devices people use every day - including parent pushing strollers or elders using mobility devices.

E-Bikes & Gravel Bikes Targeted

• E-bikes with motors over 750 W would be treated like motor vehicles.

• Class 3 e-bikes (fast assist bikes popular for commuting and touring) would be expressly banned from sidewalks and multi-use trails statewide.
  Combined with road restrictions, this effectively bans class 3 e-bikes in most normal places people would ride them.

Delivery & Work Riders Criminalized

By its broad device definition, HSB 637 would eliminate bike couriers and package delivery by bicycle or e-device - a real income source for folks and a sustainable transport option used by modern businesses.

Gravel Races, Bike Events Would Be Gone Without Exceptions

While the draft includes a parade exemption, it does not carve out space for traditional bike races - gravel, road, or trail events - putting beloved Iowa bike culture events like RAGBRAI or local gravel races at risk unless special permission is granted.

Penalties are Real Jail Time

Any violation of the bill’s restrictions - like riding a bike on a 30 mph road - would be a simple misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and fines up to about $855. That’s not just a citation - that’s a criminal record for everyone from kids riding to school, to adults commuting, to visitors touring Iowa trails.

Why This Isn’t Just Another Transportation Bill

On paper, this bill supposedly deals with “nonvehicular personal transportation.” But the language drags every person on wheels into the same category, removes decades of modern bike policy understanding, and rewrites basic norms that have governed safe mixed-mode travel across the U.S.

Here’s what it would really mean:

Elimination of Modern Bike Use

• Bike commuting as we know it becomes illegal on most streets with common speed limits.

• E-bike use - especially faster class 3 models - becomes impractical or criminal.

• Delivery riders and bike couriers lose authorization to operate commercially.
  All of this threatens the very fabric of active transport that Iowa cities and small towns have spent years trying to accommodate.

Hammer to Gravel & Trail Culture

Iowa’s gravel scene and trail tourism - economic drivers that bring hundreds of thousands of riders to local shops, cafes, inns, and small businesses - do not fit neatly into a 25 mph road rule or a 20 mph sidewalk/trail rule. If riders can’t legally ride to and from those roads or are constrained by an arbitrary speed limit on trails, the appeal and viability of those experiences falls apart.

Broad Sweep == Unintended Consequences

The bill’s over-broad definition of “device” sweeps in wheelchairs, skateboards, strollers, and more. It cannot be read as narrowly bike-only - meaning parents with strollers or people who rely on mobility devices may be swept into criminal liability.

Who’s Backing It - And Who Might Be Missing the Details

The official sponsor is the House Public Safety Committee, and it’s clear from committee hearings that the Police Chiefs Association and some law enforcement advocates see this as a public safety effort. In subcommittee testimony, law enforcement voices have expressed concern about motorized e-device misuse. However, they may not have anticipated the breadth of consequences for typical cyclists and active transport users.

At present, there is no broad coalition of bike advocates supporting this bill, and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition (IBC) has flagged it as possibly the most anti-biking bill in Iowa’s history, based on its lobby analysis and policy implications.

The Real Risk: Traction Without Awareness

HSB 637 hasn’t passed yet - it’s early in the legislative process, sitting in subcommittee and facing public hearings. But without robust pushback, it could gather momentum under the radar, with supporters assuming it’s a sensible safety measure, and critics not realizing how sweeping its impact would be.

What Concerned Iowans Should Know

HSB 637 isn’t a bike safety bill - it’s a bike restriction bill.

• It rewrites decades of modern cycling policy in one piece of legislation.

• It criminalizes everyday behavior that takes place on streets, sidewalks, and trails statewide.

• It threatens bike culture, commuting, tourism, and economic activity tied to bikes and active transportation.

• It likely carries unintended consequences for non-motorized users beyond bikes.

And all of that could happen without a full public dialogue if awareness doesn’t build quickly.

What This Means for RAGBRAI (Yes, That RAGBRAI)

One of the most alarming side effects of HSB 637 is how it collides with Iowa’s most iconic cycling event: RAGBRAI.

Under the bill:

• “Devices” are prohibited from operating on roadways with speed limits over 25 mph

• Exceptions are limited and narrowly defined

• Special events are mentioned, but not clearly or comprehensively protected

RAGBRAI routinely uses:

• State highways

• County roads

• Farm-to-market roads

• Routes with posted speeds well above 25 mph

In practice, RAGBRAI would not function under this framework without extensive carve-outs, exemptions, or legal gymnastics.

More importantly, the bill introduces uncertainty:

• Would every mile require explicit authorization?

• Would local jurisdictions need new approvals?

• Would enforcement standards change mid-event?

• Would insurance and liability costs increase?

RAGBRAI is not just a bike ride - it is a major economic engine for dozens of Iowa communities each year. Any legislation that casually puts that at risk, even unintentionally, should raise immediate red flags.

A bill that can accidentally outlaw Iowa’s signature cycling event is a bill that needs serious rethinking.

The Brake Test Problem: When Physics and Policy Don’t Match

HSB 637 requires that every “device” be equipped with a brake capable of making a wheel skid on dry pavement.

This requirement may sound familiar - because it comes from older bicycle code language. But applied broadly, it creates a host of real-world problems.

Why This Is an Issue

Many modern devices cannot or should not skid by design:

• E-bikes equipped with anti-lock braking systems (ABS)

• High-end hydraulic disc brake systems designed to prevent skidding

• Wheelchairs and mobility devices

• Strollers

• Skateboards

• Certain adaptive or assistive devices

In these cases:

• A skid is not a safety feature - it’s a failure mode

• ABS systems are engineered specifically to avoid wheel lock

• Skidding often increases stopping distance and loss of control

Ironically, the safer and more modern the braking system, the more likely it would fail this test.

The Enforcement Problem

This requirement also creates a practical enforcement issue:

• How is a skid test verified roadside?

• Does an officer require a demonstration?

This is a classic example of technical language being applied without regard for modern equipment or diverse device types.

Instead of promoting safety, this provision risks:

• Penalizing riders with newer, safer equipment

• Confusing enforcement

• Creating arbitrary or uneven citations
  
  

Why This All Matters Now

HSB 637 is still early in the legislative process -

Bills like this often move forward not because everyone agrees with them, but because:

• Their impacts aren’t fully understood

• They sound reasonable at a glance

• Stakeholders assume someone else is watching

This bill deserves attention now, while there’s still time to:

• Clarify intent

• Narrow scope

• Protect existing uses

• Avoid unintended consequences that would ripple across Iowa

Because once language like this becomes law, fixing it is far harder than preventing it.

Bottom Line

Stripped of talking points and intent, HSB 637 is a blunt, overly broad bill that creates far more problems than it solves.

If you care about bike access, affordable mobility, tourism, sustainability, and community connectivity, HSB 637 - as drafted - is not just “bad for cycling.” It’s dangerous legislation that could erode progress, criminalize ordinary behavior, and undermine Iowa’s vibrant bike ecosystem.

HSB 637:

• Is extraordinarily broad

• Is deeply hostile to cycling and active transportation

• Criminalizes normal, everyday behavior

• Threatens Iowa’s bike culture and tourism economy

• Solves problems that could be addressed far more narrowly

This is a bill that needs sunlight, scrutiny, and serious revision - or it needs to go away.

Because if this is what “public safety” looks like, Iowa riders - and a lot of other Iowans - are about to become criminals for simply moving through their own communities.

Rather than focusing on unsafe behavior, reckless operation, or clearly defined problem areas, the bill redraws where entire categories of people are legally allowed to exist - based largely on posted speed limits and device classifications that don’t reflect real-world conditions in Iowa.

If enacted as written, HSB 637 would:

• Remove flexibility from cities, counties, and trail managers

• Assume infrastructure exists where it often does not

• Criminalize normal, low-risk activity

• Create enforcement confusion for law enforcement themselves

• Chill biking, walking, wheeling, and rolling across the state

This is not modern transportation policy.
It is overcorrection by statute, and it would materially change how Iowans move through their communities - often without safe or practical alternatives.

Even if well-intended, HSB 637 is not ready for prime time and deserves close scrutiny before it goes any further.

NEXT STEPS

No action needed yet... the Iowa Bicycle Coalition has their pulse on this bill and will be watching it closely.

We are awaiting this bill's assignment to a subcommittee.

Stay tuned here and the Iowa Bicycle Coalitionfor further details how to react when the time comes.