Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations and harassment against public utility employees or contractors, and making penalties applicable
Sponsored by the Senate Judiciary Committee
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 11, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 11, 2026
- Done: Senate committeeFebruary 18, 2026
- Done: Passes the SenateMarch 3, 202644–0
- Stopped: House committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the House
- 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 who work for or contract with public utilities would receive extra legal protection if they are assaulted while doing their jobs. If someone assaults these workers, the person responsible could face tougher penalties like higher fines or prison time. The law also makes harassing these utility workers a more serious crime.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations and harassment against public utility employees or contractors. The bill adds an employee or contractor of a public utility engaged in the performance of a public utility responsibility to the list of occupations that are protected by enhanced assault penalties. The penalty for assault against an employee or contractor of a public utility ranges from an aggravated misdemeanor to a class “C” felony depending on the nature of the assault. A class “C” felony is punishable by confinement for no more than years and a fine of at least $1,370 but not more than $13,660. 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. An aggravated misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than two years and a fine of at least $855 but not more than $8,540. The bill provides that harassment that occurs against an employee or contractor of a public utility while engaged in the performance of a public utility responsibility is harassment in the first degree. Harassment in the first degree is an aggravated misdemeanor.
Why it matters. Employees or contractors working for public utilities would receive enhanced legal protections if they are assaulted or harassed while performing their job duties. Assaults against these workers would face increased penalties ranging from an aggravated misdemeanor to a class C felony, and certain harassment would be classified as first-degree harassment. The state's fiscal impact cannot be determined because the number of new convictions cannot be estimated.2
House subcommittee
Named March 10, 2026. On March 11, 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
Can’t be estimated Compare with other bills
AI summary This bill adds employees or contractors of public utilities to a list of occupations protected by enhanced penalties for assault and harassment. The fiscal impact to the state's General Fund, including costs for the Judicial Branch, the Indigent Defense Fund, and the Department of Corrections, cannot be determined because the number of new convictions cannot be estimated.4
Read the fiscal note
Description
Senate File 2400 adds an employee or contractor of a public utility engaged in the performance of a public utility responsibility to the list of occupations that are protected by enhanced assault penalties. The penalty for assault against an employee or contractor of a public utility ranges from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class C felony. The Bill also provides that harassment that occurs against an employee or contractor of a public utility while engaged in the performance of a public utility responsibility is harassment in the first degree.
Background
Iowa Code sections 708.3A(1) through 708.3A(4) relate to assault against persons engaged in certain occupations as follows:
- Section 708.3A(1) relates to assaults with the intent to inflict a serious injury and establishes such assaults as a Class C felony under current law.
- Section 708.3A(2) relates to assaults with the use or display of a dangerous weapon in connection with an assault and establishes such assaults as a Class C felony under current law.
- Section 708.3A(3) relates to assault causing bodily injury or mental illness and establishes such assaults as a Class D felony under current law.
- Section 708.3A(4) relates to all other forms of assault and establishes such assaults as an aggravated misdemeanor under current law.
Harassment in the first degree is an aggravated misdemeanor under Iowa Code section 708.7(2)(a).
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. A Class C felony is punishable by confinement for up to 10 years and a fine of at least $1,370 but not more than $13,660.
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 Department of Corrections (DOC) for supervision during a selected time period, based on the most serious offense committed.
Correctional Impact
Senate File 2400 adds an employee or contractor of a public utility engaged in the performance of a public utility responsibility to the list of occupations that are protected by enhanced assault penalties, and as a result , the correctional impact cannot be determined because the number of new convictions under the Bill cannot be estimated. 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, Class D felony, and Class C 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 Persons 45.4% 9.8 $23.07 62.1% 27.6 $8.00 $16.35 $50.00 9.4 $8.00 D Felony Persons 79.7% 18.1 $23.07 57.6% 40.0 $8.00 $16.35 $50.00 16.8 $8.00 C Felony Persons 89.1% 39.1 $23.07 30.1% 42.8 $8.00 $16.35 $50.00 27.2 $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 because the number of new convictions under the Bill cannot be estimated. 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 cannot be determined because the number of new convictions under the Bill cannot be estimated. Figure 2 shows the average State cost per relevant offense. 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 Per Offense
Offense Class Average Cost
Aggravated Misdemeanor $8,300 to $12,200 Class D Felony $13,000 to $18,100 Class C Felony $15,000 to $25,200
Sources
- Department of Corrections
- Division of Data, Planning, and Improvement (DPI), Department of Management (DOM)
- Assaults on Public Utility Workers · March 2, 2026
Iowa Code it changes
Lobbying
20 for · 0 against · 4 undecided · Who →
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91st General Assembly