HF 1036: A bill for an act relating to human trafficking, including screening children, civil statutes of limitations, an annual stakeholder meeting and report, depositions of victims, restitution, restorative facilities and protective services, and investigation and prosecution, and including effective date provisions. - Iowa

Enrolled with Governor's Action → Reprinted · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands Iowa's human trafficking laws by extending the statute of limitations for victims to file civil lawsuits, mandating standardized screening for children in the child welfare system, and requiring an annual stakeholder meeting to develop legislative proposals. It also adds specific definitions for 'commercial sexual exploitation' and 'human trafficking' to clarify legal standards.

Scope change

The bill broadens the scope of civil liability by allowing victims who were minors to file lawsuits up to five years after turning eighteen, and it extends this to four years after discovery for injuries discovered after the victim reached adulthood.

TIMELINE

Extended the statute of limitations for civil actions related to sexual abuse or human trafficking occurring when a victim was a minor to five years after they turn eighteen.

Added a four-year statute of limitations for damages discovered after a victim reaches adulthood, measured from the time of discovery rather than the time of the incident.

REQUIREMENT

Mandated an annual stakeholder meeting to develop legislative proposals against human trafficking, with a report due by December 15, 2025, and annually through 2030.

Required courts and the Department of Health and Human Services to screen children for commercial sexual exploitation using standardized, evidence-based, trauma-informed tools.

Ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan to increase restoration facilities and protective services for juvenile victims of human trafficking.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'commercial sexual exploitation' to clarify it includes sexual abuse or exploitation of a child for financial benefit or exchange of value.

Enrolled → Enrolled with Governor's Action · 5 edits · May 15, 2026

MODERATE

This bill amends Iowa statutes to strengthen protections against human trafficking by establishing a mandatory annual stakeholder meeting, creating a new definition for 'commercial sexual exploitation,' and extending the statute of limitations for victims to file civil lawsuits. It also introduces specific screening requirements for children and updates restitution rules to better support victims.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of civil liability by extending the time limit for victims to file lawsuits and adds a specific definition for commercial sexual exploitation to clarify prosecutorial and civil standards.

REQUIREMENT

Requires an annual stakeholder meeting to develop legislative proposals and submit reports to the governor and legislature.

Mandates that courts and departments screen children for commercial sexual exploitation using standardized, evidence-based tools.

DEFINITION

Adds a new definition for 'commercial sexual exploitation' covering crimes involving the sexual abuse of a child for financial benefit or value.

TIMELINE

Extends the statute of limitations for civil actions related to sexual abuse or human trafficking that occurred when the victim was a minor.

FISCAL

Updates definitions of restitution categories to include specific payments for medical assistance and investigative costs.

Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) → Enrolled · 4 edits · May 15, 2026

MODERATE

The bill text was cleaned of formatting artifacts and signatures to create a final 'Enrolled' version. Substantively, the text retains the same provisions for an annual stakeholder meeting, expanded definitions of commercial sexual exploitation, mandatory screening tools for children, and extended statutes of limitations for victims.

Scope change

No change in scope or applicability; the content remains identical to the previous version.

TECHNICAL

Removed the Governor's signature block, date, and official letterhead from the beginning of the document.

Removed page headers and footers containing page numbers and 'House File 1036' labels.

Corrected minor typos and formatting inconsistencies, such as changing 'Secretaiy' to 'Secretary' and 'Sinceifly' to 'Sincerely'.

Replaced visual markup symbols (like 1...1) used in the draft version with standard line breaks and paragraph spacing.

Introduced → Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) · 5 edits · May 15, 2026

MODERATE

This bill transforms a human trafficking initiative from a draft proposal into an official signed law. The primary changes involve formalizing the document structure, correcting typos in the text, and ensuring the final version accurately reflects the intended policy of expanding protections for child victims.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on human trafficking, civil statutes of limitations, stakeholder meetings, and victim services, but the text is now finalized and ready for implementation.

TECHNICAL

Removed draft formatting artifacts, placeholder lines, and inconsistent numbering to create a clean, official legislative text.

TIMELINE

Corrected the effective date from an ambiguous placeholder to a specific date of July 1, 2026, ensuring the law activates on a clear schedule.

REQUIREMENT

Refined the requirements for the annual stakeholder meeting and report, clarifying the list of required participants and the five-year reporting timeline ending in 2030.

DEFINITION

Standardized the definitions of 'commercial sexual exploitation' and 'human trafficking' to ensure consistent legal interpretation across the state.

ELIGIBILITY

Finalized the civil statute of limitations, extending the time for minors to file lawsuits for sexual abuse or trafficking to five years after they turn 18.

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