Criminal Justice

introduced · Iowa · Legislature

5367XD: Theft of Public Funds (5367XD) - Auditor of State

This bill increases penalties for public employees and officials who steal more than $10,000 from government entities. It requires courts to impose mandatory prison time without options for probation, deferred judgment, or suspended sentences in these cases. The law applies broadly to state, school, and local government employees - including contractors - and defines "public employer" to include all government bodies. Courts may only avoid mandatory incarceration if the defendant proves exceptional mitigating circumstances with clear evidence.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates mandatory prison time without alternatives for public fund theft, increasing penalties and restricting defendant rights95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole Sentencing

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in committee · Iowa · House Mar 7, 2025

HSB 181: A bill for an act relating to theft, forgery, and fraud involving a gift card, and providing penalties.

This bill creates new criminal penalties for gift card theft, forgery, and fraud in Iowa. It directly affects consumers who own gift cards, businesses that sell or issue them, and individuals committing fraud. Key provisions make it illegal to steal gift cards or their redemption information without consent (aggravated misdemeanor), alter gift cards (aggravated misdemeanor), or use stolen cards to obtain goods/services (with penalties ranging from serious misdemeanors to class C felonies based on the stolen value). Penalties are tiered by the amount stolen: under $500 is a serious misdemeanor, $500-$1,000 is an aggravated misdemeanor, $1,000-$5,000 is a class D felony, and over $5,000 is a class C felony. The law also allows aggregating stolen value from multiple transactions within six months for charging purposes.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal penalties for gift card fraud, expanding criminalization without reform elements or defendant protections.90% confidence

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passed · Iowa · Senate May 15, 2025

SF 35: A bill for an act relating to harassment by the dissemination, publication, distribution, or posting of personal information, and making penalties applicable.

SF 35 expands the definition of harassment to include the unauthorized sharing of personal information. This bill directly affects individuals whose private contact or identity details are shared without their consent, as well as those who engage in such actions. It specifies that a person commits harassment if they purposefully disseminate, publish, distribute, or post another person's personal information without consent, intending to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm them or encourage others to do so. "Personal information" is broadly defined to include contact details like home address, phone numbers, email, social media profiles, place of employment, and photographic depictions. Violations of this provision are classified as harassment in the first degree, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new misdemeanor offense for unauthorized sharing of personal information, increasing penalties for harassment.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill prohibits unauthorized sharing of personal information, directly strengthening data privacy protections against harassment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Data Privacy Social Media

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passed · Iowa · House Apr 3, 2025

HF 899: A bill for an act relating to indecent exposure, including the unlawful electronic transmission of sexually explicit visual material, and providing penalties.

HF 899 makes it a serious misdemeanor (punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a $430-$2,560 fine) to knowingly send unsolicited, unwanted explicit images electronically to someone 18 or older. It specifically prohibits sending images showing: (1) a person's genitals or pubic area, (2) someone engaged in a sex act, or (3) a male person's visible genitals in an erection. The law applies to adults who send such material they know or should know the recipient didn't want. This bill directly affects individuals who share unsolicited explicit images via email, text, or other digital means in Iowa.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new offense for unsolicited explicit images, increasing penalties for digital communication without consent.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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died · Iowa · House Apr 17, 2025

HF 641: A bill for an act relating to city civil service employees and related procedures and including effective date provisions.

HF 641 primarily modifies regulations concerning city civil service employees and their disciplinary processes. The bill prohibits cities with civil service commissions from establishing citizen review boards for police officer conduct. It revises disciplinary standards for employees, requiring "just cause" and proof by a "preponderance of the evidence" for actions like removal or demotion, and mandates that imposed punishment be proportionate. Additionally, the bill introduces new due process protections for employees, including the right to exculpatory evidence and access to relevant documents, while also adjusting procedures for civil service commission hearings and the number of commissioners in larger cities.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeProhibits city citizen review boards for police conduct, weakening oversight mechanisms and limiting accountability measures in law enforcement.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 14, 2025

HF 51: A bill for an act relating to obscenity, including the exposure of a minor to an obscene performance and admittance of a minor to a premises with obscene performances, establishing a private civil cause of action, and providing penalties.

HF 51 defines "obscene performance" as visual shows exposing genitals, buttocks, or breasts, involving sexual acts, or lacking artistic value, judged by community standards for minors. It creates criminal penalties: exposing a minor to such performances is an aggravated misdemeanor, while admitting minors (under 18, with stricter rules for under 14) to venues showing them is a serious or aggravated misdemeanor. The bill establishes a private civil cause of action, allowing parents/guardians or minors (after age 18) to sue for damages (minimum $10,000), injunctions, or other relief if obscene material/performance was knowingly disseminated to them. It also prohibits public institutions, facilities, or funds from being used for obscene performances or exhibitions. The bill directly affects minors, venue operators, performers, and parents seeking legal remedies.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new criminal offenses (aggravated misdemeanors) for exposing minors to obscenity, expanding criminalization which aligns with 'oppose' indicators.95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2025

SSB 1097: A bill for an act relating to illegal gaming, and making penalties applicable.

This bill defines "account sharing" (sharing gambling accounts to hide identity) and "proxy betting" (placing bets for others to conceal identity) as illegal gaming activities under Iowa law. It adds these specific practices to the existing list of prohibited actions in section 725.7, making them subject to criminal penalties. Penalties range from serious misdemeanors to class C felonies based on the amount involved ($100 or less up to over $5,000) and whether it's a first or repeat offense. The bill directly affects individuals engaging in these specific gambling-related activities, including those sharing accounts or placing bets on behalf of others to conceal their identity.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by adding new gambling offenses (account sharing, proxy betting) with penalties, aligning with 'oppose' indicators of expanding criminalization and increasing penalties.90% confidence

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died · Iowa · House Mar 21, 2025

HF 265: A bill for an act relating to fire fighter training and certification.

HF 265 would require Iowa's Department of Public Safety to revise firefighter certification rules by January 1, 2026, to prohibit individuals who committed adult crimes requiring sex offender registry registration from becoming certified firefighters (including volunteers). The bill directly affects people seeking or holding firefighter certification in Iowa who have such criminal histories. It mandates a specific rule change to block certification for these individuals, without altering existing requirements for other criminal backgrounds. The bill was recommended for passage by committees in February 2025 but was withdrawn on March 21, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill restricts firefighter certification for sex offenders, adding employment barriers contrary to criminal justice reform goals of reintegration.90% confidence

Tags Public Safety

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died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 64: A bill for an act relating to the dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to minors and providing penalties.

HF 64 amends Iowa Code 728.2 to increase penalties for distributing or displaying obscene material to minors, excluding parents or guardians. The bill upgrades the offense from a serious misdemeanor to a class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines of $1,025-$10,245. Convicted individuals must also register as sex offenders for 10 years. The bill was withdrawn on March 14, 2025, after committee approval.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill upgrades offense to felony with harsher penalties and sex offender registration, expanding criminalization and increasing sentencing severity.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 26, 2025

SSB 1125: A bill for an act relating to the sharing of identifying information of persons prohibited from acquiring a pistol or revolver by court order.

This bill repeals Iowa Code section 724.31A, which required district court clerks to forward to the Department of Public Safety the identifying information of individuals prohibited from purchasing handguns by court order. The repeal removes the existing process for sharing this information with the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). It directly affects court clerks, the Department of Public Safety, and the federal background check system by eliminating a mandatory reporting requirement. The bill does not create new restrictions or change who is prohibited from purchasing firearms.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRepeals mandatory sharing of prohibited gun purchaser data with NICS, weakening federal background checks and firearm access restrictions in criminal justice.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

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