This bill establishes a grant program and trust fund to support sexual assault forensic examination centers in Iowa, primarily affecting nonprofit organizations and survivors of sexual violence. It requires the Attorney General to contract with eligible nonprofits that are independent of hospitals and focus on serving diverse populations, including rural residents and people with disabilities. The funded centers must provide medical forensic services, offer training to professionals and the public, and submit annual reports on their activities and service gaps. Additionally, the bill creates a dedicated trust fund to accept private contributions and state or federal money specifically for operating these centers.
This bill establishes a grant program within the Iowa Department of Justice to fund nonprofit organizations that operate sexual assault forensic examination centers. To qualify for funding, these nonprofits must be independent of hospitals, employ sexual assault nurse examiners, and prioritize services for survivors, including adults, people with disabilities, and rural residents. The program requires the selected organization to provide medical forensic care, offer training to law enforcement and medical professionals, and submit annual reports on services provided and client demographics. Additionally, the bill creates a trust fund in the state treasury to accept private donations and state or federal money specifically for supporting these examination centers.
HF 2302 creates a public registry for "persistent domestic abuse assault offenders" in Iowa - defined as individuals convicted of domestic abuse assault (under §708.2A) with at least one prior similar conviction. The registry, maintained by the Department of Public Safety, will include offenders' names, birth dates, conviction dates, counties, and photos, but exclude addresses, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license details. Courts must report qualifying convictions to the Department within seven days, and offenders must pay a $150 registration fee ($50 to the court, $100 to the Department). Offenders are removed from the registry after 2, 5, or 10 years, depending on prior convictions, with the registry applying only to offenses occurring on or after July 1, 2026.
HF 2301 creates a public registry for individuals convicted of multiple domestic abuse assaults (defined as repeated offenses under Iowa Code §708.2A). It requires courts to order registration after a conviction with at least one prior domestic abuse assault conviction, including the offender’s name, date of birth, conviction details, and photo on the Iowa Department of Public Safety website (excluding addresses or Social Security numbers). Offenders must pay a $150 registration fee ($50 retained by the court, $100 for registry administration), and the registry automatically removes names after 2-10 years based on prior convictions. The registry applies only to offenses occurring on or after July 1, 2026, with prior convictions dating back to any time.
SF 2398 (Iowa) restricts a legal defense called "justification" for certain violent crimes. It prohibits defendants from using this defense if they commit a violent crime (as defined in Iowa law) because of a nonviolent sexual advance they received, or solely because of the victim's sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The bill directly affects individuals accused of violent crimes who might otherwise claim justification based on these specific circumstances. It changes the legal standard by removing this defense option in those defined situations, without altering the definition of violent crimes themselves.
SF 2379 strengthens protections for crime victims by establishing strict confidentiality for communications between victims and certified victim counselors, prohibiting disclosure without written consent or in cases of imminent danger. It allows courts to issue lifetime protective orders for victims of sexual offenses, removing previous one-year limits and enabling unlimited extensions based on ongoing safety concerns. The bill also clarifies that confidentiality does not apply to evidence chain-of-custody matters or if a counselor suspects a victim provided false testimony. These changes directly affect victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes who use victim services or seek protective orders.
SF 2161 defines "coercive control" as a pattern of behavior causing physical, emotional, or psychological harm that unreasonably interferes with someone's free will and personal liberty. It expands the legal definition of domestic abuse to include these controlling tactics, such as financial exploitation, isolation, technology-based harassment, or threats involving children or immigration status. The bill affects individuals in intimate relationships or family/household situations where such control occurs, making protective orders automatically cover coercive control behaviors. This change ensures courts can address psychological and financial abuse as part of domestic abuse cases, without requiring physical assault.
This bill allows victims of human trafficking in Iowa to petition courts to remove certain criminal records from public access. It directly affects individuals who committed offenses (like drug possession or prostitution) while being trafficked, enabling them to clear these records through a simplified court process. Key provisions include no filing fees, requiring only a sworn statement (with official victim documentation as evidence), and creating a presumption of trafficking victim status when documentation is provided. Serious crimes like homicide, sexual abuse, or kidnapping are excluded from this expungement. The bill was withdrawn in March 2025 and never became law.
This bill expands Iowa's victim compensation fund to cover emergency contraception and health care treatment for sexual assault victims, including abortion services. It directly affects victims of sexual assault who seek these specific medical treatments. The key change amends the fund's authorized uses to explicitly include reimbursement for emergency contraception, other health care, and abortion as part of victim care. The fund, administered by the Department of Justice, will now cover these costs alongside existing provisions like medical examinations and venereal disease treatment. This is a policy change to broaden access to covered medical services for sexual assault victims.
SF 343 establishes a state grant program within Iowa's Department of Justice to fund nonprofit organizations operating sexual assault forensic examination centers. Eligible nonprofits must be Iowa-incorporated, employ sexual assault nurse examiners, maintain dedicated treatment facilities for survivors, and prioritize sexual assault care as their primary mission. The program requires grantees to provide medical forensic services to all survivors - including adults, children, people with disabilities, and rural Iowans - while offering trainings for medical staff, law enforcement, prosecutors, and the public on sexual assault services and prevention. Grantees must submit annual reports to the Attorney General and may seek additional funding, though the state grant covers general operating costs without making them state agencies.
