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HF63 • 2026

A bill for an act establishing the criminal offense of human smuggling, and providing penalties.

A bill for an act establishing the criminal offense of human smuggling, and providing penalties.

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
WILLS
Last action
2025-01-15
Official status
Introduced, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 62 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act establishing the criminal offense of human smuggling, and providing penalties.

A bill for an act establishing the criminal offense of human smuggling, and providing penalties.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act establishing the criminal offense of human smuggling, and providing penalties.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-01-15 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 62 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act establishing the criminal offense of human smuggling, and providing penalties.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

File

63

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

63

BY

WILLS

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

establishing

the

criminal

offense

of

human

smuggling,

1

and

providing

penalties.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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Section

1.

NEW

SECTION

.

710.12

Human

smuggling

——

1

aggravated

human

smuggling.

2

1.

a.

A

person

commits

the

offense

of

human

smuggling

when

3

the

person

knowingly

transports

another

person

into

the

state,

4

or

harbors

or

conceals

another

person

within

the

state,

and

all

5

of

the

following

apply:

6

(1)

The

person

knows

or

should

have

known

that

the

other

7

person

is

entering

into

or

remaining

in

the

United

States

8

without

proper

documentation.

9

(2)

The

person

benefits

financially,

or

receives

anything

10

of

value.

11

(3)

The

person

knows

or

should

have

known

that

the

person

12

being

smuggled

is

likely

to

be

exploited

for

the

financial

gain

13

of

another.

14

b.

A

person

who

commits

the

offense

of

human

smuggling

15

commits

a

class

“D”

felony.

16

2.

a.

Aggravated

human

smuggling

is

human

smuggling

for

17

which

any

of

the

following

apply:

18

(1)

The

offense

is

committed

using

a

dangerous

weapon.

19

(2)

The

offense

causes

bodily

harm,

serious

bodily

harm,

or

20

disfigurement

to

the

person

being

smuggled.

21

(3)

The

offense

causes

the

person

being

smuggled

to

become

22

a

victim

of

sexual

assault

or

sexual

abuse,

or

involved

in

23

commercial

sexual

activity

as

defined

in

section

710A.1.

24

b.

A

person

who

commits

the

offense

of

aggravated

human

25

smuggling

commits

a

class

“B”

felony.

26

EXPLANATION

27

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

28

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

29

This

bill

establishes

the

criminal

offense

of

human

30

smuggling.

31

The

bill

provides

that

a

person

commits

the

offense

of

human

32

smuggling

when

the

person

knowingly

transports

another

person

33

into

the

state,

or

harbors

or

conceals

another

person

within

34

the

state

and:

the

person

knows

or

should

have

known

that

the

35

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63

other

person

is

entering

into

or

remaining

in

the

United

States

1

without

proper

documentation;

the

person

benefits

financially,

2

or

receives

anything

of

value;

and

the

person

knows

or

should

3

have

known

that

the

person

being

smuggled

is

likely

to

be

4

exploited

for

the

financial

gain

of

another.

Human

smuggling

5

is

a

class

“D”

felony.

A

class

“D”

felony

is

punishable

by

6

confinement

for

no

more

than

five

years

and

a

fine

of

at

least

7

$1,025

but

not

more

than

$10,245.

8

A

person

commits

aggravated

human

smuggling

when

the

offense

9

of

human

smuggling

is

committed

using

a

dangerous

weapon

as

10

defined

in

Code

section

702.7;

causes

bodily

harm,

serious

11

bodily

harm,

or

disfigurement

to

the

person

being

smuggled;

12

or

causes

the

person

being

smuggled

to

become

a

victim

of

13

sexual

assault

or

sexual

abuse,

or

involved

in

commercial

14

sexual

activity

as

defined

in

Code

section

710A.1.

Aggravated

15

human

smuggling

is

a

class

“B”

felony.

A

class

“B”

felony

is

16

punishable

by

confinement

for

no

more

than

25

years.

17

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