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

HF 826: Relating to obscene materials involving minors, and providing penalties

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 obscene materials involving minors. The bill defines “obscene material involving a minor” as any visual depiction that depicts or appears to depict a minor engaging in a prohibited sexual act that the average person, taking the visual depiction as a whole and applying contemporary adult community standards, would find appeals to the prurient interest and is patently offensive, and, when taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, scientific, political, or artistic value. The bill prohibits a person from knowingly producing, distributing, receiving, or possessing with the intent to distribute any obscene material involving a minor, or attempting any such conduct.

Sponsors

Rep. Helena Hayes (R)

Cost

Can’t be estimated

House File 826 creates a new criminal offense, and the fiscal impact is unknown. Figure 2 shows the average State cost per offense for an aggravated misdemeanor and Class D felony. The estimated impact to the General Fund includes operating costs incurred by t…

Senate subcommittee · named February 26, 2026

  • Sen. Tom Shipley (R) · tom.shipley@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Tony Bisignano (D) · tony.bisignano@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Cherielynn Westrich (R) · cherielynn.westrich@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 13 for, 0 against

For: Iowa Baptists For Biblical Values; Iowa County Attorneys Association; Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition; Iowa Integrated Health Planning and Advisory Council; Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance; Katherine Bogaards; Network Against Human Trafficking; PELLA PAC; Protect My Innocence; Soaring Hearts; The Family Leader; The Family Leader Foundation; and 1 more

In plain words

  1. March 6, 2025Filed in the House
  2. March 18, 2025Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
  3. March 26, 2025Passed the House, 96–0
  4. March 27, 2025Arrived in the Senate
  5. March 31, 2025Senate subcommittee named: Schultz, Blake and Bousselot
  6. February 26, 2026Senate subcommittee named: Shipley, Bisignano and Westrich
  7. March 4, 2026Subcommittee recommended passing it
  8. March 18, 2026Approved by the Senate committee

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/HF826