Bills › 89th General Assembly
HSB 528
Topics:Courts & civil law
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 11, 2022
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 11, 2022
- Done: House committeeFebruary 2, 2022
- Skipped: Passes the HouseContinued as HF 2282
- Next: Senate committee
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Became HF 2282 → Its progress continues under the new number. Go to HF 2282 What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Currently, spouses in Iowa are protected from being forced to testify about their private conversations in court. This bill would create six specific situations where those conversations could be used as evidence, such as when one spouse threatens another or when the couple is already separated. These changes would affect how much privacy married couples have during legal cases.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 six exceptions to the marital privilege: (1) threats against spouse or third party, (2) communications that have been disclosed to a third party, (3) communications criminal in nature, (4) communications between spouses that are separated, (5) communications that have no relation to their mutual trust and confidence as spouses, and (6) other communications that the court determines were not intended to be confidential. Current law does not provide exceptions. The bill makes conforming changes.
House subcommittee
Named January 11, 2022. On January 19, 2022 it recommended passage. Vote Total: 2-0.
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