Criminal Justice (Policing)

signed · Iowa · House Jun 2, 2026

HF 2787: A bill for an act prohibiting warrant resolution clinics, including enforcement mechanisms, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions.

This bill prohibits any organization, government agency, or individual from hosting or promoting events designed to help people with outstanding arrest warrants resolve them without facing immediate arrest. Instead, the law requires that warrant resolution occur only through standard legal processes, such as surrendering to police, attending a scheduled court hearing, or filing a motion within an existing case. Violators face penalties including misdemeanor charges, civil fines up to $10,000, and the potential loss of public funding for counties involved in such activities. The legislation also allows private citizens to sue for damages if a warrant resolution clinic is held in their county and preempts any local laws that might permit these events.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill restricts warrant resolution clinics, limiting access to legal processes and reducing defendant rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Policing

signed · Iowa · Senate May 19, 2025

SF 311: A bill for an act relating to city civil service employees and related procedures and including effective date provisions.

This bill revises regulations for city civil service employees, primarily impacting police and fire departments, and modifies city civil service commissions. It prohibits cities with civil service commissions from establishing citizen review boards for officer conduct and mandates that larger cities (over 50,000 residents) establish civil service commissions with five to seven members. The legislation also changes the standard for employee discipline, requiring "just cause" and proof by a "preponderance of the evidence" for violations of law, city policies, or department rules, with cities bearing the burden to show punishment is proportionate. Furthermore, it requires the disclosure of exculpatory evidence to employees facing charges and adjusts appeal hearing procedures.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill prohibits citizen review boards for officer conduct, reducing police accountability and oversight mechanisms.85% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill restricts collective bargaining by prohibiting citizen review boards and changes discipline standards, limiting public employee protections.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Public Employees

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2026

HF 2561: A bill for an act relating to street takeovers, and providing penalties.

HF 2561 prohibits "street takeovers" - events involving three or more motor vehicles operating in violation of traffic laws (like reckless driving or drag racing) or with spectators present. Participants face escalating penalties: a first offense includes a $500-$2,000 fine and driver’s license revocation, while third offenses carry up to $7,500 fines and five years in prison. Organizers face a class D felony charge (up to five years in prison), and spectators risk a $400 fine. Police must impound vehicles used in these events for 30 days, with unclaimed vehicles subject to abandonment laws.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for street takeovers, expanding criminalization and harsh sentencing through escalating fines, license revocation, and felony charges.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationProhibits dangerous driving events with penalties to enhance road safety, directly addressing transportation safety standards on highways.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Policing

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 25, 2026

HF 2726: A bill for an act relating to testing for communicable diseases for certain persons who have committed an assault against a member of a protected occupation, and including penalties.

This Iowa bill (HF 2726) strengthens penalties for assaults against specific public safety and health workers (like police, nurses, correctional staff, and firefighters) and adds a new requirement for disease testing. It defines "protected occupations" and classifies assaults on these workers as serious crimes (felonies or aggravated misdemeanors) based on circumstances like weapon use or injury. Crucially, if a victim contacts bodily fluids (blood, saliva, etc.) during an assault and suspects the perpetrator may have a communicable disease, they can request a court-ordered medical test of the perpetrator. The medical professional conducting the test must then share results directly with the victim as soon as possible. This provision applies specifically to assaults where bodily fluid exposure occurred, focusing on victim safety and transparency.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeStrengthens penalties for assaults on first responders, expanding criminalization and increasing sentencing severity - contradicts reform indicators like reducing recidivism or protecting rights.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProtects workers in protected occupations (e.g., nurses, police) by increasing penalties for assaults, directly enhancing workplace safety for these employees.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Policing Violent Crime

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 18, 2026

SSB 3156: 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 (SSB 3156) increases penalties for assaults against specific public safety and service workers, including public utility employees and contractors while they perform their job duties. It adds these workers to a list of protected occupations previously covering police, firefighters, healthcare workers, and others. Assaults causing serious injury or using weapons become higher-level felonies, while lesser assaults (like spitting) are elevated to aggravated misdemeanors with a minimum 7-day jail term. The law directly affects public utility workers performing their responsibilities and aims to deter violence against them during work.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for assaults on protected workers, expanding criminalization and harsher sentencing per indicators for 'oppose'.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProtects public utility workers by increasing penalties for assaults against them, enhancing workplace safety protections under Labor & Employment.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Policing Employment Discrimination

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 11, 2026

HSB 685: 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 increases penalties for assaults against public utility employees or contractors while they're performing job duties, such as during service calls or maintenance. It classifies certain assaults as a class C felony (if the attacker knew the victim was a utility worker and intended serious harm), a class D felony (if injury occurs), or an aggravated misdemeanor (including acts like spitting), with a mandatory minimum 7-day jail term for the misdemeanor level. The law specifically expands existing protections for essential workers - like police, firefighters, and healthcare staff - to cover public utility workers during work. It applies to assaults committed with knowledge of the victim's occupation, aiming to deter violence against these frontline workers.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties with mandatory minimums for assaults on utility workers, aligning with 'oppose' indicators of harsher sentencing.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases penalties for assaults against public utility workers during job duties, directly enhancing workplace safety and protecting workers' rights per bill's focus on harassment and assaults.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Policing Sentencing Employment Discrimination

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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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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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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 Mar 2, 2026

SF 2035: A bill for an act related to eluding, including aggravated eluding and fresh pursuit, and providing penalties.

This bill creates a new offense called "aggravated eluding" in Iowa law. It makes it a class D felony (carrying up to 5 years in prison and a $1,025-$10,245 fine) for a driver who, while being chased by police within Iowa, knowingly crosses into another state without yielding to the officer. The bill also allows Iowa police to continue pursuing and arresting such drivers in other states during "fresh pursuit" (defined as pursuit without unreasonable delay), requiring them to report the arrest to the other state's authorities and follow extradition rules. It directly affects drivers fleeing police across state lines and law enforcement officers conducting cross-state pursuits.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for eluding police (class D felony), expanding criminalization and harsher sentencing without reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement Policing

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