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

HF 602: Relating to testimony by a minor witness using two-way, closed-circuit equipment

Died when the session ended · The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died.

What it does

This bill relates to testimony by a minor witness using two-way, closed-circuit equipment. The bill provides that a court may protect a minor from trauma caused by testifying in the physical presence of a defendant where it would impair the minor’s ability to communicate, by ordering that the testimony of the minor be taken in a room other than the courtroom. The testimony will be televised by two-way, closed-circuit equipment with both audio and video feeds for listening and viewing in the courtroom. Current law does not specify that the closed-circuit equipment have two-way capabilities.

Sponsors

Judiciary committee

Cost

No fiscal note

Senate subcommittee · named March 18, 2025

  • Sen. Dan Dawson (R) · dan.dawson@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Lynn Evans (R) · lynn.evans@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Janet Petersen (D) · janet.petersen@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 15 for, 1 against

For: American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa (ACLU-IA); Blank Childrens Hospital; Iowa Association for Justice; Iowa Chapter-American Academy of Pediatrics; Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association; Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance; Iowa Psychiatric Physicians Society; Iowa Psychological Association; Iowa State Bar Association; Iowa State Sheriffs' & Deputies' Association; and 3 more

Against: Iowa Academy of Trial Lawyers

In plain words

  1. January 17, 2025Filed in the House and sent to the Judiciary committee · as HSB 38
  2. January 17, 2025House subcommittee named: Lawler, James, Thomson and C · as HSB 38
  3. February 6, 2025House subcommittee named: Lawler, Holt and James · as HSB 38
  4. February 18, 2025Subcommittee recommended passing it · as HSB 38
  5. February 24, 2025Approved by the House committee · as HSB 38
  6. February 24, 2025Committee vote: 21–0 · as HSB 38
  7. February 25, 2025Filed in the House
  8. February 25, 2025Approved by the House committee, and given a new number: HF 602 · as HSB 38
  9. March 12, 2025Passed the House, 95–1
  10. March 13, 2025Arrived in the Senate
  11. March 18, 2025Senate subcommittee named: Dawson, Evans and Petersen

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/91/HF602