Criminal Justice (Corrections)

in committee · Iowa · House Jan 30, 2026

HF 2248: A bill for an act relating to the confinement of persons found incompetent to stand trial.

HF 2248 changes how Iowa handles defendants found incompetent to stand trial who pose a public safety risk and are unlikely to regain competency due to cognitive or neurological disabilities. It requires such defendants to be committed to the Iowa Department of Corrections (not mental health facilities) as "safekeepers," with a presumption their confinement continues unless proven otherwise. The bill mandates annual threat assessments by experts, annual facility reports to the court, and annual court reviews to determine if continued confinement remains necessary. Crucially, confinement cannot exceed the maximum sentence for the original criminal charge, after which the case is dismissed. This applies specifically to defendants meeting all these criteria, not all incompetent defendants.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMoves incompetent defendants to corrections (not mental health facilities), prioritizing incarceration over treatment, reducing mental health oversight, and expanding punitive confinement.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2128: A bill for an act relating to orders for child support including requests for information regarding digital financial accounts, and providing penalties.

This bill allows Iowa child support agencies to request records from digital financial accounts (like online banking or payment apps) to enforce child support orders. It defines "digital financial account" as any online account storing, transferring, or receiving money digitally. Parents or putative fathers who refuse to provide these records without valid reason face a class D felony charge, punishable by up to five years in prison or fines up to $10,245. The law directly affects individuals legally responsible for child support payments.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminal penalties for non-compliance with child support, increasing criminalization of civil matters without reform indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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passed · Iowa · House Apr 27, 2026

HF 2133: A bill for an act designating kratom as a schedule I controlled substance, and making penalties applicable.

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.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeDesignates kratom as Schedule I with escalating penalties, expanding criminalization of substance use per controlled substances policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 21, 2026

HSB 508: A bill for an act designating kratom as a schedule I controlled substance, and making penalties applicable.

HSB 508 would designate kratom (including all parts of the Mitragyna speciosa plant and its derivatives like mitragynine) as a Schedule I controlled substance in Iowa. This bill directly affects anyone possessing kratom, imposing tiered penalties: a first offense is a serious misdemeanor (up to 1 year jail, $430-$2,560 fine), subsequent offenses are aggravated misdemeanors (up to 2 years, $855-$8,540), and three or more prior convictions become a Class D felony (up to 5 years, $1,025-$10,245). The key mechanism establishes these escalating criminal penalties based on the number of prior violations. This is a substantive policy change, not a procedural measure, and would significantly restrict legal access to kratom in Iowa.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill criminalizes kratom possession with tiered penalties, expanding criminalization and increasing sentencing - directly opposing criminal justice reform goals of reducing unnecessary incarceration.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 26, 2026

SSB 3018: A bill for an act relating to intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and making penalties applicable.

This bill amends Iowa Code Section 708.6 to clarify penalties for intimidation involving dangerous weapons. It establishes two felony classifications: a Class C felony (up to 10 years in prison and up to $13,660 in fines) for threatening or discharging weapons in occupied buildings, vehicles, or assemblies, and a Class D felony (up to 5 years in prison and up to $10,245 in fines) for direct threats at people or occupied spaces. The law specifically targets acts that place others in reasonable fear of serious injury through weapon threats or discharge in shared spaces. It directly affects individuals who threaten or fire weapons in public settings like buildings, vehicles, or gatherings, with penalties applying based on the severity of the threat.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for intimidation with weapons by creating stricter felony classifications with longer sentences and higher fines, expanding criminalization of threats.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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died · Iowa · House Mar 16, 2026

HF 2091: A bill for an act relating to fraudulent practices involving academic credentials and providing penalties.

HF 2091 prohibits falsely claiming to hold an academic degree or credentials for employment or personal gain. It defines this as a fraudulent practice, making it a class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and fines between $1,025 and $10,245. The bill directly affects individuals who misrepresent their education to secure jobs or other benefits. Key provisions establish clear penalties for this specific type of fraud, aligning it with existing fraudulent practice laws under Iowa code.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new class D felony for academic credential fraud, expanding criminalization. Aligns with 'oppose' indicator of expanding criminalization.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 26, 2026

HF 2159: A bill for an act designating kava as a schedule I controlled substance, and making penalties applicable.

This Iowa bill (HF 2159) reclassifies kava - a plant substance used recreationally - as a Schedule I controlled substance under state law. It directly affects anyone possessing kava in Iowa, with penalties escalating based on prior offenses: a first-time offense is a serious misdemeanor (up to 1 year in jail and $2,560 fine), subsequent offenses are aggravated misdemeanors (up to 2 years, $8,540 fine), and three or more prior convictions make it a class D felony (up to 5 years, $10,245 fine). The bill defines kava broadly to include all parts of the *piper methysticum* plant and synthetic equivalents. It does not change federal scheduling but imposes state-level criminal penalties for possession. The bill was introduced to the Public Safety committee on January 26, 2026.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill reclassifies kava as Schedule I controlled substance, imposing escalating criminal penalties (misdemeanors/felony) for possession, directly expanding criminalization and increasing sentencing severity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 27, 2026

HF 2175: A bill for an act relating to the purchase or sale of an individual including surrogate mother agreements, and making penalties applicable.

HF 2175 makes it a class C felony to buy or sell a person, punishable by up to 10 years in prison or fines up to $13,660. The law specifically exempts surrogate mother arrangements where the surrogate receives no money or other value for agreeing to carry a child and give up all parental rights to the intended parents. This bill directly affects individuals involved in commercial surrogacy arrangements and anyone attempting to buy or sell people, while clarifying that non-monetary surrogacy agreements remain legal. The key provision prohibits financial transactions involving people but explicitly allows surrogacy without payment to the surrogate.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new class C felony for buying/selling a person, expanding criminalization (explicit indicator for oppose)90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 15, 2026

HF 2095: A bill for an act requiring the filing of a tax return when child support obligations are delinquent, and providing for penalties.

HF 2095 requires individuals with delinquent child support obligations referred to a collection agency to file an Iowa tax return, regardless of their income level. This applies to both Iowa residents and nonresidents with income allocated to Iowa, overriding existing income thresholds for filing. Failure to file constitutes a serious misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,560 fine. The bill mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services notify the Department of Revenue when child support arrears are referred to collection or resolved, ensuring tax filing requirements are enforced.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill criminalizes child support non-compliance via misdemeanor penalties, expanding criminal justice reach into civil matters.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HSB 613: A bill for an act relating to intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and making penalties applicable.

This bill creates two new felony offenses for threatening others with dangerous weapons. A Class C felony (up to 10 years in prison) applies when someone shoots, throws, or discharges a weapon at a building, vehicle, or crowd, causing reasonable fear of serious injury. A Class D felony (up to 5 years in prison) covers direct threats at individuals or occupied vehicles/boats. The law specifies that these acts must place people in "reasonable apprehension of serious injury" to qualify as criminal.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new felony offenses with mandatory prison sentences for weapon intimidation, expanding criminalization and increasing penalties per sentencing indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Firearms

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