Bills › 88th General Assembly
Relating to going armed with, carrying, or transporting weapons on school district property
Sponsored by the Senate Judiciary (successor To Ssb 1017) Committee
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 28, 2019
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 15, 2020
- Done: Senate committeeJanuary 28, 2019
- Stopped: Passes the SenateDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: House committee
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2020 session adjourned on June 14, 2020, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill relates to going armed with, carrying, or transporting weapons on school district property. The bill provides that a person who has in the person’s possession a valid nonprofessional permit to carry weapons may go armed with, carry, or transport a concealed pistol or revolver on school district property that comprises its driveways and parking lots. The bill provides that a school shall be immune from any claim, cause of action, or lawsuit by a person seeking damages that are alleged, directly or indirectly, as a result of a concealed pistol or revolver brought onto school district property by a person pursuant to the bill.
Read the full explanation
7.4B commits a class “D” felony. A class “D” felony is punishable by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least $750 but not more than $7,500.
Fiscal note
Can’t be estimated Compare with other bills
AI summary This bill allows people with a valid nonprofessional permit to carry a firearm on school grounds when they are in a parking area or driveway to transport a person or deliver an item. The fiscal impact cannot be determined, though local schools and school districts may see an increase in insurance coverage costs and a minimal increase in operational costs. Any insurance rate increases would be paid from the School District Management Fund using local property taxes.2
Read the fiscal note
Description
Senate File 2224 relates to being armed with, carrying, or transporting a firearm when transporting a person to or from a school, or delivering an item to or from school. The Bill provides that a person with a valid nonprofessional permit to carry weapons may go armed with, carry, or transport a firearm on school grounds when the person is on school grounds for the purpose of transporting another person or delivering an item to or from school, as long as the person remains in the school parking area or school driveway designed for a motor vehicle. Senate File 2224 also provides that a school shall be immune from any claim, cause of action, or lawsuit filed by an individual seeking relief from damages that are alleged, directly or indirectly, as a result of any concealed pistol or revolver brought onto the school district property. Additionally, schools governed by the Board of Regents are specifically excluded from the provisions of this Bill.
Background
Senate File 2224 establishes an exception to Iowa Code section 724.4B, which establishes a penalty for carrying firearms on school grounds. Under current law, a person who goes armed with, carries, or transports a firearm of any kind, concealed or not, on the grounds of a school commits a Class D felony. A Class D felony is punishable by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least $750, but not more than $7,500.
In FY 2019, there were a total of four convictions for carrying a weapon on school grounds.
Assumptions
- It is assumed insurance companies, in conjunction with an individual school or school district, will evaluate the need to update existing individual school or school district insurance policies for any potential increase in claims related to the exception for being armed with, carrying, or transporting firearms on specific areas of school grounds.
- Providing an exception for carrying firearms on limited school grounds is assumed to increase liability and risk coverage for individual school or school district insurance policies.
Correctional Impact
The correctional impact of SF 2224 cannot be determined. The Bill creates an exception to an existing offense, and sufficient information is not available to estimate the number of convictions that will specifically be affected by this exception.
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact of SF 2224 cannot be determined. Although the State is not expected to incur a fiscal impact, local schools and school districts may incur an increase in insurance coverage costs after initial policy implementation. Any insurance rate increases are expected to be paid out of the School District Management Fund, which is solely funded by local property taxes. An increase in insurance rates will likely result in an increase in property taxes, but any potential fiscal impact cannot be determined at this time.
Additionally, individual schools and school districts may experience an increase in operational costs to accommodate changes in school safety and associated local school board policies, but this increase is expected to be minimal.
Sources
- Legislative Services Agency
- Department of Education
- Iowa Association of School Boards
- Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning Division, Department of Human Rights
- School Grounds Firearms · February 17, 2020
- School Grounds Firearms · February 27, 2019
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88th General Assembly