HJR9 • 2026

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of an accused to confront children and other witnesses.(Formerly HSB 35 .)

Children

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
Last action: 2025-04-17
Official status: Withdrawn. H.J. 985 .
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 joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of an accused to confront children and other witnesses.(Formerly HSB 35 .)

What This Bill Does

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of an accused to confront children and other witnesses.(Formerly HSB 35 .)

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

2025-04-17 Iowa Legislature
Withdrawn. H.J. 985 .
2025-04-17 Iowa Legislature
SJR 9 substituted. H.J. 965 .
2025-04-03 Iowa Legislature
Placed on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 894 .
2025-02-25 Iowa Legislature
Introduced, placed on calendar. H.J. 422 .

Official Summary Text

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the right of an accused to confront children and other witnesses.(Formerly HSB 35 .)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

House

Joint

Resolution

9

-

Introduced

HOUSE

JOINT

RESOLUTION

9

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

JUDICIARY

(SUCCESSOR

TO

HSB

35)

HOUSE

JOINT

RESOLUTION

A

Joint

Resolution

proposing

an

amendment

to

the

Constitution

1

of

the

State

of

Iowa

relating

to

the

right

of

an

accused

to

2

confront

children

and

other

witnesses.

3

BE

IT

RESOLVED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

4

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H.J.R.

9

Section

1.

The

following

amendment

to

the

Constitution

of

1

the

State

of

Iowa

is

proposed:

2

Article

I

of

the

Constitution

of

the

State

of

Iowa

is

amended

3

by

adding

the

following

new

section:

4

Sec.

10A.

Protection

of

children

and

other

witnesses.

To

5

protect

children

under

the

age

of

eighteen

and

any

witness

6

with

a

mental

illness,

intellectual

disability,

or

other

7

developmental

disability,

the

right

of

an

accused

to

confront

8

such

witnesses

may

be

limited

by

law.

9

Sec.

2.

REFERRAL

AND

PUBLICATION.

The

foregoing

proposed

10

amendment

to

the

Constitution

of

the

State

of

Iowa

is

referred

11

to

the

general

assembly

to

be

chosen

at

the

next

general

12

election

for

members

of

the

general

assembly,

and

shall

be

13

published

as

provided

by

law

for

three

months

previous

to

the

14

date

of

that

election.

15

EXPLANATION

16

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

17

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

18

This

joint

resolution

proposes

an

amendment

to

the

19

Constitution

of

the

State

of

Iowa

relating

to

the

right

of

an

20

accused

to

confront

children

and

other

witnesses.

21

The

resolution

provides

that

in

order

to

protect

children

22

under

the

age

of

18

and

any

witness

with

a

mental

illness,

23

intellectual

disability,

or

other

developmental

disability,

the

24

right

of

an

accused

to

confront

such

witnesses

may

be

limited

25

by

law.

26

The

resolution,

if

adopted,

would

be

published

and

then

27

referred

to

the

next

general

assembly

(92nd)

for

adoption,

28

before

being

submitted

to

the

electorate

for

ratification.

29

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