Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to trespass, and providing penalties
Sponsored by the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. David Sieck (R)
Topics:Crime & corrections
Same legislation: HF 981
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedMarch 31, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 4, 2026
- Done: House committeeFebruary 17, 2026
- Done: Passes the HouseMarch 12, 202689–2
- Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the Senate
- 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 Iowa would create a new crime called unlawful squatting for people who live on someone else's private property without permission or legal documents. Property owners or their representatives can report these individuals to the police if they have been told to leave and there is no ongoing court case about the property. Depending on how many times a person commits this offense, they could face fines or time in jail.1
Read the official explanation
This bill establishes the criminal offense of unlawful squatting. The bill provides that a person commits the offense of unlawful squatting if all of the following circumstances apply: the person knowingly enters the premises of another person and resides on the premises of the other person for any period of time without lawful authority in entering and residing on the premises, and cannot produce any document authorizing the person’s presence; the premises the person enters upon is not open to the public at the time of entry; the owner of the premises has directed the person entering upon the premises to leave the premises or has contacted law enforcement to make a report of unlawful squatting; and no pending litigation exists between the owner of the premises and the person entering upon the premises. The bill provides that a law enforcement agency shall not accept a report of unlawful squatting unless the report is made by an owner of the premises upon which the unlawful squatting occurred, or by an authorized representative of the owner of the premises upon which the unlawful squatting occurred. A law enforcement officer acting in good faith in response to a report of a violation of this section is immune from criminal and civil liability. The bill provides that unlawful squatting is a serious misdemeanor. A second offense of unlawful squatting is an aggravated misdemeanor. A third offense of unlawful squatting is a class “D” felony. A person who provides a false document as justification for the person’s presence on the premises commits a class “D” felony. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560. 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. 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. The bill provides a private cause of action for a person aggrieved by a violation of the bill and the person is entitled to recover damages, including without limitation restitution, and reasonable attorney fees. The bill provides definitions of “immediate family member”, “premises”, and “unlawful squatting”.
Changed since by amendment H-8200; see Amendments.
Senate subcommittee
Named March 17, 2026. On March 18, 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
3 written public comments to its subcommittee: March 18, 2026 (1), February 10, 2026 (2) · on the Legislature’s site
Fiscal note
Can’t be estimated Compare with other bills
AI summary This bill creates a new criminal offense for squatting and establishes penalties ranging from a serious misdemeanor to a Class D felony. The fiscal impact on 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.3
From the note: The fiscal impact of the Bill cannot be determined because the number of new convictions 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.
- Unlawful Squatting, Criminal Offense · March 31, 2026
- Unlawful Squatting, Criminal Offense · March 6, 2026
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91st General Assembly
Similar bills
- HF 2317 Relating to real property, including the removal of unauthorized persons and trespass, and…91st General Assembly · In committeeNearly identical
- HF 322 Relating to real property, including the removal of unauthorized persons and trespass, and…91st General Assembly · Subcommittee recommends passageNearly identical
Matched by wording or an identical title.