Bills › 89th General Assembly
Relating to spousal privilege and confidential communication between spouses
Sponsored by the House Judiciary Committee
Topics:Courts & civil law
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 11, 2022
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 11, 2022
- Done: House committeeFebruary 2, 2022
- Done: Passes the HouseFebruary 23, 202297–0
- Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2022 session adjourned on May 24, 2022, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Currently, spouses in Iowa are protected from being forced to testify about private conversations they had with each other in court. This bill would create three exceptions where those conversations could be used as evidence: if there were threats made against someone, if the information was already shared with another person, or if one spouse is accused of a crime against the other.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to the privilege of confidential communications between spouses in a case. Marital privilege allows communication that occurs between spouses to remain confidential and free from public exposure and protects spouses from being required to testify against one another in a civil or criminal case. The bill specifies three exceptions to the marital privilege: (1) threats against spouse or third party, (2) communications that have been disclosed to a third party, and (3) when one spouse is charged with an offense against the other. Current law does not provide exceptions. The bill makes conforming changes.
Senate subcommittee
Named February 24, 2022. It hasn’t reported yet.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
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89th General Assembly