HF 523 allows peace officers in Iowa to file petitions for 72-hour emergency protective orders on behalf of domestic abuse victims who claim to be in immediate danger and request the officer's assistance. The bill amends Iowa Code 236.6 to permit this action, directly affecting victims who may be unable to file petitions themselves during urgent situations. Key provisions require the victim to both state they are in present danger of domestic abuse and specifically ask the officer to submit the petition. This change streamlines access to emergency protection without altering the legal standard for issuing such orders.
HF 2133 designates kratom (including all parts of the Mitragyna speciosa plant and its derivatives like mitragynine) as a hallucinogenic Schedule I controlled substance in Iowa. This bill directly affects anyone possessing kratom, imposing escalating penalties: a first offense is a serious misdemeanor (up to 1 year in jail and up to $2,560 fine), subsequent offenses become aggravated misdemeanors (up to 2 years jail, up to $8,540 fine), and a third conviction is a class D felony (up to 5 years jail, up to $10,245 fine). The law creates new criminal penalties for possession without specifying medical or personal use exceptions. The bill was introduced on January 21, 2026, and remains pending.
HF 2629 proposes a new criminal offense for "unlawful squatting" in Iowa, targeting individuals who enter and occupy someone else's property without legal permission. It defines unlawful squatting as entering and residing on a dwelling, commercial building, or vacant property without showing valid documents like a lease, deed, rental receipt, or owner authorization - unless the person is an immediate family member of the owner. Violations are classified as a serious misdemeanor (first offense), aggravated misdemeanor (second), or class D felony (third+), with fines and jail time increasing for repeat offenses. The bill also requires property owners (or their authorized representatives) to report squatting to police and allows victims to sue for damages, while exempting law enforcement acting in good faith. This is a proposed law introduced on February 19, 2026, not yet enacted.
HF 826 creates new offenses related to "obscene material involving a minor." The bill defines this material as any visual depiction of a minor engaging in a prohibited sexual act that meets specific criteria for being obscene. It prohibits individuals from knowingly producing, distributing, receiving, or possessing with intent to distribute such material, or attempting these actions. Violations are an aggravated misdemeanor for a first offense and a class "D" felony for subsequent offenses, requiring sex offender registration. The bill exempts law enforcement, educational materials, and internet service providers.
HF 2624 expands DNA collection requirements in Iowa by mandating that individuals arrested for a felony or aggravated misdemeanor must submit a DNA sample, in addition to those already required to provide samples upon conviction or deferred judgment. This applies to anyone arrested for these offenses, including those later found not guilty or having charges dismissed. The bill also requires probationers to report if they have pending or resolved offenses requiring DNA submission, and establishes automatic expungement of DNA records within 30 days if a conviction is overturned, charges are dismissed, or no felony/misdemeanor charge is filed within one year of arrest. It clarifies that DNA samples are not required if a valid sample already exists in the state DNA database and hasn't been expunged.
HF 2719 requires Iowa’s state commissioner of elections to collect and publish specific, data-driven performance metrics for district court judges, including bond-setting patterns, release decisions for violent vs. nonviolent offenses, sentencing comparisons, reversal rates, case processing times, and case disposal rates. The bill directly affects all district court judges, associate juvenile judges, and associate probate judges in Iowa by mandating public disclosure of these metrics in an online, searchable format with machine-readable data. Key provisions include adding reliability warnings for metrics based on small case volumes, requiring a methodology report explaining how data is adjusted, and including a mandatory disclaimer noting that statistics reflect case complexity more than judicial correctness. The information is intended to inform voters during judicial retention elections, with judges also allowed to add brief personal statements about their philosophy.
SF 644 is a funding bill that allocates state money to key parts of the justice system. It directly provides resources for legal representation for people who cannot afford an attorney (indigent defense), funds for rebuilding or improving correctional facilities (corrections capital reinvestment), and manages federal funds received by the corrections system (corrections federal receipts fund). The bill specifies how these funds are to be used and when the funding takes effect. It was signed into law by the Governor on June 11, 2025.
HF 879 strengthens penalties for intentionally damaging critical infrastructure, such as power grids, water systems, or transportation networks. It increases criminal penalties for sabotage acts that threaten public safety or disrupt essential services. The law directly affects individuals who commit such acts by imposing stricter fines and potential prison sentences. This bill, signed into law by the Governor on May 1, 2025, modifies existing statutes to apply enhanced penalties to these specific offenses.
This bill revises regulations for city civil service employees, primarily impacting police and fire departments, and modifies city civil service commissions. It prohibits cities with civil service commissions from establishing citizen review boards for officer conduct and mandates that larger cities (over 50,000 residents) establish civil service commissions with five to seven members. The legislation also changes the standard for employee discipline, requiring "just cause" and proof by a "preponderance of the evidence" for violations of law, city policies, or department rules, with cities bearing the burden to show punishment is proportionate. Furthermore, it requires the disclosure of exculpatory evidence to employees facing charges and adjusts appeal hearing procedures.
SJR 9 proposes adding a new section to the Iowa Constitution to protect children under 18 and witnesses with mental illnesses, intellectual disabilities, or developmental disabilities. It would allow future laws to limit an accused person's right to confront these specific witnesses during legal proceedings. The amendment requires voter approval after being referred to the general assembly for the next election. This is a proposed constitutional change, not an enacted law, and would enable state lawmakers to create procedures for handling testimony from vulnerable witnesses.
