Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to sexual misconduct with offenders and juveniles, and providing penalties
Sponsored by the House Public Safety Committee
Proposed by the Department of Corrections · their explanation · all agency proposals
Topics:Crime & correctionsPublic safety & emergencies
Same legislation: HSB 529
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 13, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 13, 2026
- Done: House committeeJanuary 27, 2026
- Stopped: Passes the HouseDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Senate committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, 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 People working in jails, juvenile facilities, or correctional departments would face harsher punishments if they commit a sex act with someone in their custody. Instead of a misdemeanor, this crime would become a felony. This change means offenders could face up to five years in prison and significant fines.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to sexual misconduct with offenders and juveniles. The bill increases the penalty from an aggravated misdemeanor to a class “D” felony for any peace officer, or an officer, employee, contractor, vendor, volunteer, or an agent of the department of corrections or a judicial district department of correctional services or an agent of a county, or an agent of a juvenile placement facility or county jail, who engages in a sex act with a person committed to the custody of the department of corrections or a judicial district department of correctional services, with a juvenile placed at a juvenile placement facility, or with a prisoner incarcerated in a county jail. A class “D” felony is punishable by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least $1,025 but not more than $10,245.
House subcommittee
Named January 13, 2026 (as HSB 529). On January 20, 2026 it recommended passage.
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
Fiscal note
Minimal Compare with other bills
AI summary This bill increases the penalty for certain officials or agents who engage in sexual misconduct with people in their custody from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony. The fiscal impact on the state's General Fund, including costs for the Judicial Branch, the Indigent Defense Fund, and the Department of Corrections, is estimated to be minimal.3
Read the fiscal note
Description
House File 2201 increases the penalty for any peace officer, or an officer, employee, contractor, vendor, volunteer, or an agent of the Department of Corrections (DOC) or a judicial district department of correctional services or an agent of a county, or an agent of a juvenile placement facility or county jail, who engages in a sex act with a person committed to the custody of the DOC or a judicial district department of correctional services, with a juvenile placed at a juvenile placement facility, or with a prisoner incarcerated in a county jail from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony.
Background
Iowa Code section 709.16 currently establishes the crime of sexual misconduct with offenders and juveniles as an aggravated misdemeanor.
In FY 2025, there were no convictions or individuals admitted to prison, probation, or parole under Iowa Code section 709.16.
An aggravated misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for up to two years and a fine of at least $855 but not more than $8,540. A Class D felony is punishable by confinement for up to five years and a fine of at least $1,025 but not more than $10,245.
Assumptions
- The following will not change over the projection period: charge, conviction, and sentencing patterns and trends; prisoner length of stay (LOS); revocation rates; plea bargaining; and other criminal justice system policies and practices.
- County jail data is unavailable. For purposes of this analysis, the marginal cost for county jails is assumed to be $50 per day.
- Conviction data reflects the total number of convictions in adult court, which may include multiple convictions per individual. Not all convictions lead to incarceration, and there may be a delay between conviction and prison admission, which can contribute to differences in totals.
- A six-month delay is assumed from the effective date of the Bill to the date the first offender will enter the correctional system.
- Offender-based convictions are a count of individuals convicted of the same offense. Each offender is counted only once per Iowa Code section, regardless of the number of individual convictions.
- Admissions are a count of individuals newly admitted to the DOC for supervision during a selected time period, based on the most serious offense committed.
Correctional Impact
The correctional impact of the Bill is estimated to be minimal. Figure 1 shows estimates for sentencing to State prison, parole, probation, or Community-Based Corrections (CBC) residential facilities; LOS in months under those supervisions; and supervision marginal costs per day for an aggravated misdemeanor and Class D felony.
Figure 1 — Sentencing Estimates and Length of Stay (LOS) in Months
Conviction Offense Class
Percent
Ordered to
State
Prison
FY 2025 Avg
LOS in
Prison (All Releases)
Marginal
Cost Per
Day
Prison
Percent
Ordered to
Probation
FY 2025
Field Avg
LOS on
Probation
Avg Cost
Per Day
Probation
Marginal
Cost Per
Day CBC
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Jail
FY 2025
Field Avg
LOS on
Parole
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Parole
Aggravated Misdemeanor Sex 67.8% 12.1 $23.07 55.4% 26.1 $8.00 $16.35 $50.00 N/A $8.00 D Felony Sex 91.2% 20.8 $23.07 54.4% 30.8 $8.00 $16.35 $50.00 5.0 $8.00 Refer to the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) memo addressed to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional Impact Statements, dated January 12, 2026, for information related to the correctional system.
Minority Impact
The minority impact cannot be determined. Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly, Minority Impact Statements, dated January 12, 2026, for information related to minorities in the criminal justice system.
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact of the Bill is estimated to be minimal. Figure 2 shows the average State cost per relevant offense and shows the estimated cost increase for one conviction from the increased penalty under the Bill. The estimated impact to the General Fund includes operating costs incurred by the Judicial Branch, the Indigent Defense Fund, and the DOC. The costs would be incurred across multiple fiscal years for prison and parole supervision. Figure 2 — Average State Cost Increase Per Conviction
Offense Class Average Cost Range
Class D Felony (HF2201) $13,000 to 18,100 Aggravated Misdemeanor (Current Law) $8,300 to $12,200 Additional Cost $4,700 to $5,900
Sources
- Department of Corrections
- Division of Data, Planning, and Improvement (DPI), Department of Management (DOM)
- Sexual Misconduct with Offenders and Juveniles, Felony · February 24, 2026
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91st General Assembly