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

SF 401: Relating to the defenses of justification and diminished capacity for certain violent crimes

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 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.

Sponsors

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)

Cost

No fiscal note

Senate subcommittee · named February 25, 2025

  • Sen. Jason Schultz (R) · jason.schultz@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Matt Blake (D) · matt.blake@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Mike Bousselot (R) · mike.bousselot@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 3 for, 0 against

For: Episcopal Diocese of Iowa; Iowa Integrated Health Planning and Advisory Council; League of Women Voters of Iowa

In plain words

  1. February 20, 2025Filed in the Senate and sent to the Judiciary committee
  2. February 25, 2025Senate subcommittee named: Schultz, Blake and Bousselot

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/SF401