91st General Assembly · Funnel one-pager · Monday, November 9, 2026

HF 2542: Relating to habitual offenders, and providing penalties

Signed into law

What it does

This bill relates to habitual offenders. The bill strikes the current law regarding habitual offenders and provides that a habitual offender is a person who has been convicted, in a court of this state of an offense, or has been convicted of an offense committed in another jurisdiction that would constitute an equivalent offense, or any combination of level one or level two offenses resulting in the accumulation of three or more points.2B(3)(c), theft, and possession of a controlled substance. Each conviction of a level one offense is worth one point.

Cost

Cost: up to $43,000

The cost increase per individual is approximately $43,000 for prison admissions based on the increased LOS. In FY 2025, there was a total of 121 new prison admissions with an average LOS of 675 days. Under the Bill, the new LOS would be approximately 2,555 day…

Senate subcommittee · named March 10, 2026

Sen. Mike Bousselot (R) · mike.bousselot@legis.iowa.gov
Sen. Dan Dawson (R) · dan.dawson@legis.iowa.gov
Sen. Izaah Knox (D) · izaah.knox@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 5 for, 17 against

For: Cicero Action; Iowa Attorney General Dept. of Justice; Iowa Baptists For Biblical Values; Iowa County Attorneys Association; Iowa State Sheriffs' & Deputies' Association

Against: AFSCME Council 61; Bitches Get Stuff Done; Episcopal Diocese of Iowa; Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church; FAMM; Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund; Iowa Association for Justice; Iowa Catholic Conference; Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church; Iowa Integrated Health Planning and Advisory Council; Iowans for Medical Marijuana; and 5 more

In plain words

February 4, 2026Filed in the House and sent to the Judiciary committee · as HSB 666
February 4, 2026House subcommittee named: Holt, Fett and Wilburn · as HSB 666
February 5, 2026Subcommittee recommended passing it · as HSB 666
February 12, 2026Approved by the House committee · as HSB 666
February 12, 2026Committee vote: 14–7 · as HSB 666
February 16, 2026Filed in the House
February 16, 2026Approved by the House committee, and given a new number: HF 2542 · as HSB 666
March 3, 2026Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
March 4, 2026Passed the House, 68–23
March 5, 2026Arrived in the Senate
March 10, 2026Senate subcommittee named: Bousselot, Dawson and Knox
March 12, 2026Subcommittee recommended passing it
March 16, 2026Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
March 24, 2026Approved by the Senate committee
May 2, 2026Passed the Senate, 39–6
May 2, 2026Passed the House, 66–20
May 13, 2026Sent to the Governor
May 20, 2026Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
June 2, 2026Signed into law