Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to the confinement of persons found incompetent to stand trial
Sponsored by Rep. Matthew Rinker (R)
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 30, 2026
- Stopped: SubcommitteeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by February 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- 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 If a person is found unfit to stand trial because of a brain or mental disability and is considered dangerous, they can be sent to a state medical facility for treatment. These individuals must have an expert check their threat level every year, and a court will review their case annually to decide if they can be released. They can stay in this facility for no longer than the maximum prison sentence for their original crime.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to the confinement of persons found incompetent to stand trial. The bill provides that a defendant who poses a danger to the public peace or safety and whose competency the court finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, is unlikely to be restored due to a cognitive or neurophysiological disability shall be committed as a safekeeper to the department of corrections at the Iowa medical and classification center, or other appropriate treatment facility as designated by the director. A rebuttable presumption exists that the commitment shall continue. The defendant is required to have an annual threat assessment conducted by a qualified expert or professional. The bill requires the treatment facility to prepare an annual report and provide the report to the court, which shall conduct an annual review, and, if warranted, set a hearing on the status of the defendant. The bill provides that the defendant remain in placement no longer than the maximum term of confinement for the criminal offense of which the defendant is accused. When the defendant’s placement equals the length of the maximum term of confinement, the complaint for the criminal offense of which the defendant is accused shall be dismissed with prejudice.