A bill for an act relating to prostitution, and making penalties applicable.

Children Crime

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: GJERDE
Last action: 2025-02-19
Official status: Subcommittee recommends passage.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on penalties for reasonable belief scenarios.

Law to Punish Buying Sex from Minors

This law makes it a serious crime for adults to buy or offer to buy sexual services from someone under 18 years old, including situations where law enforcement officers pretend to be minors.

What This Bill Does

Makes buying or offering to buy sexual services as a partner in a sex act from someone under 18 a class 'D' felony (serious crime).
Includes situations where law enforcement officers pose as minors in undercover operations.

Who It Names or Affects

Adults who buy or offer to buy sexual services from someone under 18 years old.
Law enforcement officers and agents who pose as minors in undercover operations.

Terms To Know

Felony: A serious crime that can lead to a prison sentence of more than one year.
Undercover operation: An activity where police officers pretend to be someone else to catch criminals.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact penalties for those who reasonably believe they are dealing with a minor.
It is unclear how this law will affect people unsure about the age of the person they are buying services from.

Bill History

2025-02-19 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee recommends passage.
2025-02-18 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee Meeting: 02/19/2025 12:30PM RM 304.1.
2025-02-11 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee: Thompson, M., Wessel-Kroeschell and Williams. H.J. 290 .
2025-02-06 Iowa Legislature
Introduced, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 256 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to prostitution, and making penalties applicable.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

House

File

228

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

228

BY

GJERDE

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

prostitution,

and

making

penalties

1

applicable.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

TLSB

2126YH

(3)

91

as/js

H.F.

228

Section

1.

Section

725.1,

subsection

2,

paragraph

b,

Code

1

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

b.

A

person

who

purchases

or

offers

to

purchase

services

as

3

a

partner

in

a

sex

act

from

a

person

who

is

under

the

age

of

4

eighteen

,

or

who

is

reasonably

believed

to

be

under

the

age

of

5

eighteen

including

a

law

enforcement

officer

or

agent

posing

as

6

a

minor

under

the

age

of

eighteen,

commits

a

class

“D”

felony.

7

EXPLANATION

8

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

9

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

10

This

bill

relates

to

prostitution.

11

Current

law

provides

that

a

person

commits

a

class

“D”

felony

12

when

the

person

purchases

or

offers

to

purchase

services

as

a

13

partner

in

a

sex

act

from

a

person

who

is

under

the

age

of

18.

14

The

bill

adds

that

it

is

a

class

“D”

felony

for

a

person

15

to

purchase

or

offer

to

purchase

services

as

a

partner

in

a

16

sex

act

from

a

person

who

is

reasonably

believed

to

be

under

17

the

age

of

18

including

a

law

enforcement

officer

or

agent

18

posing

as

a

minor

under

the

age

of

18.

A

class

“D”

felony

is

19

punishable

by

confinement

for

not

more

than

five

years

and

a

20

fine

of

at

least

$1,025

but

not

more

than

$10,245.

21

-1-

LSB

2126YH

(3)

91

as/js

1/

1