Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to the defenses of justification and diminished capacity for certain violent crimes
Sponsored by Sen. Liz Bennett (D), Sen. Matt Blake (D), Sen. Molly Donahue (D), Sen. William A. Dotzler Jr. (D), Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott (D), Sen. Janet Petersen (D), Sen. Art Staed (D), Sen. Cindy Winckler (D)
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 20, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 25, 2025
- Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill specifies that the defenses of justification and diminished capacity are not available when a person who is the subject of a nonviolent sexual advance commits a violent crime or an assault upon another person as the result of that sexual advance or solely as a result of the person’s discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of the victim’s sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.11, and includes any other felony or aggravated misdemeanor which involved the actual or threatened infliction of physical or emotional injury on one or more persons.
Read the full explanation
1 defines assault. A person commits an assault when, without justification, the person does any of the following: any act which is intended to cause pain or injury to, or which is intended to result in physical contact which will be insulting or offensive to another, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act; any act which is intended to place another in fear of immediate physical contact which will be painful, injurious, insulting, or offensive, coupled with the apparent ability to execute the act; intentionally points any firearm toward another, or displays in a threatening manner any dangerous weapon toward another; and intentionally points a laser toward a person or aircraft.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Amendments adopted later aren’t reflected. Full bill text
Senate subcommittee
Named February 25, 2025. It hasn’t reported yet.
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
Iowa Code it changes
Amends§704.6
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
3 for · 0 against · 0 undecided · Who →
Family tree
Where this legislation came from and where it went: earlier tries, the versions it moved through this Assembly, and later bills built on it.
91st General Assembly
Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title; check the text to be sure it’s the same idea.
Tried before
This idea has been filed in 2 earlier General Assemblies. None became law, though one got through a chamber.
- HF 159 Relating to the defenses of justification and diminished capacity for certain violent crim…90th General Assembly · Passed House · nearly identicalPassed a chamber
- HF 310 Relating to the defenses of justification and diminished capacity for certain violent crim…89th General Assembly · Passed House · same titlePassed a chamber
Matched by the wording of each bill’s explanation, or an identical title. Companion bills and renumbered versions of this bill aren’t listed; they’re the same bill.