90th General Assembly · Funnel one-pager · Monday, November 9, 2026

HF 2598: Establishing the criminal offense of looting, and providing penalties

Signed into law

What it does

This bill establishes the criminal offense of looting.2, with another person or any group of persons and the person obtains, exerts control over, damages, or removes the property of another without authorization. Joint criminal conduct occurs when two or more persons act in concert and knowingly participate in a public offense, and for which each is responsible for the acts of the other done in furtherance of the commission of the offense or escape therefrom, and each person’s guilt will be the same as that of the person so acting.

Cost

Can’t be estimated

House File 2598 creates new criminal offenses, and the fiscal impact cannot be estimated due to a lack of existing conviction data. Figure 2 shows the average State cost per offense for a Class C felony, a Class D felony, and an aggravated misdemeanor. The est…

Senate subcommittee · named March 11, 2024

Sen. Scott Webster (R) · scott.webster@legis.iowa.gov
Sen. Tony Bisignano (D) · tony.bisignano@legis.iowa.gov
Sen. J. Taylor

Lobbying · 1 for, 1 against

For: Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition

Against: American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa (ACLU-IA)

In plain words

February 19, 2024Filed in the House
March 5, 2024Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
March 6, 2024Passed the House, 94–0
March 7, 2024Arrived in the Senate
March 11, 2024Senate subcommittee named: Webster, Bisignano and J. Taylor
March 13, 2024Subcommittee recommended passing it
March 13, 2024Approved by the Senate committee
April 1, 2024Passed the Senate, 42–6
April 19, 2024Sent to the Governor
April 19, 2024Signed into law