Criminal Justice

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 · Senate Jan 13, 2026

SF 2017: 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 and strengthen penalties for intimidation involving dangerous weapons. It creates two felony classifications: a class "C" felony (up to 10 years in prison, $1,370-$13,660 fine) for intentionally discharging a weapon to provoke fear or anger in others, and a class "D" felony (up to 5 years, $1,025-$10,245 fine) for similar acts without that specific intent. The law applies when someone shoots, throws, or launches a weapon at or near occupied buildings, vehicles, or assemblies, causing reasonable fear of serious injury. It directly affects individuals who threaten or carry out such acts, updating existing penalties to address specific scenarios.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill strengthens penalties for weapon intimidation by creating stricter felony classifications and increasing prison terms, opposing criminal justice reform efforts that reduce harsh sentencing.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 28, 2026

HF 2139: A bill for an act related to eluding, including aggravated eluding and fresh pursuit, and providing penalties.

HF 2139 amends Iowa law to address fleeing police across state lines. It defines "aggravated eluding" as knowingly crossing into another state while being pursued without yielding to police, making it a class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison and fines up to $10,245. The bill also allows Iowa officers to continue pursuing and arresting drivers in other states during "fresh pursuit" (defined as pursuit without unreasonable delay), requiring them to report the arrest to that state's authorities and subjecting the driver to extradition. This directly affects drivers fleeing police across state borders and Iowa law enforcement officers conducting interstate pursuits.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for fleeing police across state lines, classifying aggravated eluding as a class D felony with harsher sentencing, expanding criminalization.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 10, 2026

SF 2028: A bill for an act relating to fire fighter training and certification.

SF 2028 prohibits individuals currently listed on a sex offender registry from becoming certified firefighters or serving as noncertified or volunteer firefighters in Iowa. The bill requires the Department of Public Safety to revise certification rules by January 1, 2027, to implement this restriction for anyone convicted of an adult crime mandating sex offender registration. It directly affects individuals with active sex offender registry status who seek firefighting roles. The law aims to prevent such individuals from working in firefighting positions, whether certified or volunteer, through updated state certification rules.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRestricts sex offenders from firefighting roles, adding employment barrier contrary to criminal justice reform goals of reintegration.85% confidence

Tags Public Safety

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signed · Iowa · Senate May 13, 2026

SF 2114: A bill for an act relating to intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and making penalties applicable.

SF 2114 amends Iowa law to define intimidation involving a dangerous weapon as a felony, directly affecting anyone who threatens or shoots/throws such a weapon at others to cause fear of serious injury. It creates two felony classifications: Class C (up to 10 years in prison and up to $13,660 fine) for more severe cases, and Class D (up to 5 years and up to $10,245 fine) for less severe cases. The bill removes the previous reference to "assembly of people" but keeps the core offense of threatening with a weapon at individuals or occupied spaces (like buildings or vehicles). Penalties apply when the threat causes reasonable fear of serious injury or is carried out under circumstances that make the threat credible.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill elevates intimidation with dangerous weapon to felony with up to 10-year prison term, increasing penalties for this offense.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SF 2115: A bill for an act relating to sexual exploitation of a minor and deferred and suspended sentences.

This bill (SF 2115) changes sentencing rules for certain sexual exploitation of minors cases in Iowa. It prohibits judges from granting deferred or suspended sentences to individuals convicted under Iowa Code section 728.12 when the victim was under 12 years old or prepubescent at the time of the offense. The key provision amends sentencing guidelines to automatically disqualify offenders in these specific cases from receiving lenient sentencing options. This directly affects convicted offenders of severe sexual exploitation crimes involving very young children, ensuring they face immediate sentencing consequences.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill eliminates deferred/suspended sentences for severe minor exploitation cases, increasing mandatory penalties and restricting judicial leniency in sentencing.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Sentencing

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 21, 2026

SF 2012: A bill for an act establishing the offense of assault by criminal groping, and providing penalties.

SF 2012 creates a new criminal offense called "assault by criminal groping" for intentional touching of specific body areas (like inner thighs, groin, or breasts) without the intent to commit sexual abuse. First offenses are classified as serious misdemeanors, repeat offenses escalate to aggravated misdemeanors or class D felonies, and courts may require sex offender registration (tier I for victims 14+, tier II for victims under 14) if the act is deemed sexually motivated. The law directly affects individuals committing such acts in Iowa and defines the specific body parts and penalty structure.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new offense with escalating penalties, aligning with 'oppose' indicators of expanded criminalization.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

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