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

SF 204: Relating to criminal law including defense subpoenas, depositions, conditional guilty pleas, prosecution witnesses who are minors, and juror qualifications, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions

Became SF 523 · Its progress continues under the new number.

What it does

This bill relates to criminal law including defense subpoenas, depositions, conditional guilty pleas, prosecution witnesses who are minors, and juror qualifications. DIVISION I —— DEFENSE SUBPOENAS. The bill provides that a criminal defendant or counsel acting on the defendant’s behalf shall not issue any subpoena for documents or other evidence except upon application to the court. An application shall not be granted unless a defendant proves by clear and convincing evidence there is a compelling need for the evidence sought and that such evidence is material, necessary, exculpatory, and admissible at trial; and the evidence sought does not include the private information of a crime victim or any other person except for the defendant’s own private information.

Sponsors

Not listed

Cost

See the fiscal note

Division I is not estimated to have a fiscal impact. Division II — Conditional Guilty Pleas Description Division II provides that a conditional guilty plea that reserves an issue for appeal must only be entered with the consent of the prosecuting attorney and …

Senate subcommittee · named February 7, 2023

  • Sen. Dan Dawson (R) · dan.dawson@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Nate Boulton (D)
  • Sen. Brad Zaun (R)

Lobbying · 3 for, 2 against

For: Blank Childrens Hospital; Iowa Attorney General Dept. of Justice; Iowa County Attorneys Association

Against: Iowa Association for Justice; The Innocence Project

In plain words

  1. February 2, 2023Filed in the Senate and sent to the Judiciary committee
  2. February 7, 2023Senate subcommittee named: Dawson, Boulton and Zaun
  3. February 23, 2023Subcommittee recommended passing it with changes
  4. March 6, 2023Approved by the Senate committee, and given a new number: SF 523

From public records at legis.iowa.gov, compiled by Funnel (iowafunnel.com), an independent, nonpartisan site. Current as of Monday, November 9, 2026. https://iowafunnel.com/bills/90/SF204