Criminal Justice (Corrections)

signed · Iowa · Senate Jun 2, 2026

SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions.

SF 2399 sets minimum pretrial bond amounts for specific felony charges in Iowa: $500,000 for Class A felonies and $25,000, $10,000, and $5,000 for Class B, C, and D forcible felonies, respectively. Courts must consider public safety risks when setting bond, and these amounts are presumed reasonable unless a judge provides written justification for a lower amount. The bond schedule must be adjusted annually for inflation. The bill also requires the Department of Corrections to verify pretrial release evaluations before they are used by magistrates.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeSets higher minimum pretrial bonds, presuming reasonableness unless justified, reducing defendant release options and opposing reform efforts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Judges

died · Iowa · House Mar 24, 2026

HF 2621: A bill for an act relating to intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and making penalties applicable.

HF 2621 (Iowa) creates two felony classifications for threatening others with a dangerous weapon. A Class C felony (up to 10 years in prison, $1,370-$13,660 fine) applies when someone shoots, throws, or discharges a weapon at another person or in occupied spaces like buildings, vehicles, or assemblies, causing reasonable fear of serious injury. A Class D felony (up to 5 years, $1,025-$10,245 fine) applies to direct threats at individuals without the occupied-space context. The bill specifically removes the prior reference to "assembly of people" as a trigger for the higher penalty, focusing instead on the act of threatening or discharging a weapon. It directly affects individuals who threaten others with weapons in ways that create immediate fear.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for weapon intimidation by creating new felony classifications with longer prison terms and higher fines, expanding criminalization and increasing sentencing severity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Firearms

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in committee · Iowa · House Mar 11, 2026

HF 2579: A bill for an act prohibiting disorderly conduct related to religious services, and providing penalties.

HF 2579 prohibits intentionally disrupting religious services through persistent noise, physical obstruction of entrances, or causing reasonable fear among attendees. It directly affects individuals who interfere with the orderly conduct of worship gatherings. Violators face a class "D" felony charge, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $1,025-$10,245 fine. This bill raises penalties for such disruptions from current misdemeanor levels to felony status under Iowa law. The measure is currently in committee review after its February 2026 introduction.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties for disrupting religious services from misdemeanor to felony, expanding criminalization under criminal justice framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SF 2210: A bill for an act relating to sexual abuse by fraud, concealment, or artifice regarding marital status, and providing penalties.

This bill (SF 2210) makes it a crime to commit sexual abuse by deceiving someone about your marital status to obtain their consent. It specifically targets situations where a person intentionally hides their marital status (e.g., falsely claiming to be single) and the other person would not have consented without that deception. If convicted, the offense is classified as a class "C" felony (up to 10 years in prison and a $1,370-$13,660 fine), and the perpetrator must register as a Tier III sex offender. The bill directly affects individuals who commit sexual abuse through marital status deception, expanding the definition of sexual abuse under Iowa law.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new felony for marital deception in sexual abuse, expanding criminalization and increasing penalties (class C felony, 10-year prison).95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SF 2192: A bill for an act designating kratom as a schedule I controlled substance, and making penalties applicable.

This Iowa bill (SF 2192) designates kratom - a substance derived from the *Mitragyna speciosa* plant - as a Schedule I controlled substance, placing it in the same legal category as drugs like heroin. It directly affects anyone possessing kratom in Iowa, making first-time possession a serious misdemeanor (up to 1 year in jail or $2,560 fine), repeat offenses an aggravated misdemeanor (up to 2 years or $8,540), and three or more convictions a Class D felony (up to 5 years or $10,245). The bill defines kratom broadly to include all plant parts, synthetic versions, and key compounds like mitragynine. These penalties apply to possession only; the bill does not address other uses or sales.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill criminalizes kratom possession with escalating penalties, expanding criminalization and increasing sentences per drug policy enforcement.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy

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died · Iowa · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SF 2281: A bill for an act relating to controlled substances schedules and precursor substances reporting requirements, making penalties applicable, and including effective date provisions.

SF 2281 adds specific synthetic opioids and related compounds to Iowa's list of controlled substances under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. It directly affects individuals possessing, distributing, or manufacturing these newly listed substances, which include fentanyl analogs like Butonitazene and Flunitazene, as well as other novel synthetic drugs. The bill establishes penalties: violations could result in a class B felony (with a 25-year minimum prison term and fines up to $100,000), a class C felony (up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $50,000), or an aggravated misdemeanor (up to 2 years in jail and fines up to $8,540). The law takes effect immediately upon enactment to align with federal chemical designations.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeAdds synthetic opioids to controlled substances with strict penalties (25-year minimum), expanding criminalization and mandatory sentencing.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Drug Policy

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introduced · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2026

HF 2535: A bill for an act establishing a criminal offense for written or electronic threats to kill, cause bodily injury, or conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism, and providing penalties.

HF 2535 makes it a class C felony to send, post, or transmit written or electronic threats to kill, cause bodily injury, or carry out a mass shooting or act of terrorism via any digital platform visible to others. The law applies to threats shared through social media, messaging, or other digital communications (excluding phone calls), targeting individuals who make such threats online. Violators face up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $13,660. This directly affects people who issue violent digital threats, while exempting internet service providers from liability for users' violations. The bill creates new criminal penalties for digital threats, distinct from existing laws covering in-person or verbal threats.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new felony for online threats, increasing punitive measures per indicators.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 31, 2026

HF 2629: A bill for an act relating to trespass, and providing penalties.

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.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new offense for squatting, increasing penalties for non-violent occupancy, aligning with oppose indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement Policing

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introduced · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2026

HF 2625: A bill for an act relating to orders for child support including requests for information regarding digital financial accounts, and providing penalties.

HF 2625 allows Iowa child support agencies to subpoena 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, and permits agencies to obtain transaction histories, income payments, and other relevant financial data. Parents or putative fathers who fail to comply with such subpoenas without a valid reason face a class "D" felony charge, punishable by up to five years in prison and fines between $1,025 and $10,245. The bill directly affects individuals obligated to pay child support who use digital financial services.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill imposes class D felony penalties for child support non-compliance, expanding criminalization of civil enforcement (noted in summary).85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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passed · Iowa · Senate Mar 11, 2026

SF 2400: A bill for an act relating to assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations and harassment against public utility employees or contractors, and making penalties applicable.

This bill (SF 2400) strengthens penalties for assaults against specific public safety and service workers in Iowa. It adds "employee or contractor of a public utility engaged in public utility responsibilities" to the list of protected occupations, expanding existing assault penalty tiers. Assaults causing injury or using weapons against these workers become class C felonies, while assaults involving spitting or saliva contact are classified as aggravated misdemeanors requiring a minimum 7-day jail term. The bill directly affects public utility employees and contractors, as well as other covered professions like police, firefighters, and healthcare workers, by increasing legal consequences for violence against them.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill elevates assaults on public utility workers to class C felonies and expands criminalization, increasing penalties and aligning with 'oppose' indicators: increases mandatory sentences and expands criminalization.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands workplace safety protections for public utility workers by increasing penalties for assaults, directly strengthening labor protections under the Labor & Employment topic.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Policing Violent Crime Employment Discrimination

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