Read the full stored bill text
STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
April 18, 2025
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
Senate File 397, an Act relating to assaults, including assaults on persons engaged in
certain occupations and inmate assaults on department of corrections employees, and
providing penalties.
The above Senate File is hereby approved on this date.
Sinc^ely,
Governor of lo
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 FAX 515.725.3527 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
flJGMT
iiimn;""
l!.;: i^iIiEilllllltllli!
GENERAL ASSECTIHWiT
Senate File 397
AN ACT
RELATING TO ASSAULTS, INCLUDING ASSAULTS ON PERSONS ENGAGED IN
CERTAIN OCCUPATIONS AND INMATE ASSAULTS ON DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS EMPLOYEES, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1, Section 708.3A, subsections 1, 2, 3, and 4, Code
2025, are amended to read as follows:
1. A person who commits an assault, as defined in section
708.1, against a peace officer, jailer, correctional or
juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board
of parole, health care provider, employee of the department
of health and human services, employee of the department of
inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations
or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national
guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active
duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian
employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, whether paid or
volunteer, with the knowledge that the person against whom the
assault is committed is a peace officer, jailer, correctional
or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board
of parole, health care provider, employee of the department
of health and human services, employee of the department of
inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations
or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national
guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active
duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian
Senate File 397, p. 2
employee of a fire department, or fire fighter and with the
intent to inflict a serious injury upon the peace officer,
jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or
employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee
of the department of health and human services, employee of the
department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts
investigations or inspections, employee of the department of
revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty
or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement
agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire
fighter, is guilty of a class felony.
2. A person who commits an assault, as defined in section
708.1, against a peace officer, jailer, correctional or
juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board
of parole, health care provider, employee of the department
of health and human services, employee of the department of
inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations
or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national
guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active
duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian
employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, whether paid
or volunteer, who knows that the person against whom the
assault is committed is a peace officer, jailer, correctional
or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board
of parole, health care provider, employee of the department
of health and human services, employee of the department of
inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations
or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national
guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active
duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian
employee of a fire department, or fire fighter and who uses or
displays a dangerous weapon in connection with the assault, is
guilty of a class felony.
3. A person who commits an assault, as defined in section
708.1, against a peace officer, jailer, correctional or
juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board
of parole, health care provider, employee of the department
of health and human services, employee of the department of
inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations
Senate File 397, p. 3
or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national
guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active
duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian
employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, whether paid
or volunteer, who knows that the person against whom the
assault is committed is a peace officer, jailer, correctional
or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board
of parole, health care provider, employee of the department
of health and human services, employee of the department of
inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations
or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national
guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active
duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian
employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, and who causes
bodily injury or mental illness, is guilty of an aggravated
misdemeanor a class felony.
4. Any other assault, as defined in section 708.1, including
an assault causing another to come into contact with saliva
by throwing, tossing, spitting, or expelling the fluid,
committed against a peace officer, jailer, correctional or
juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board
of parole, health care provider, employee of the department
of health and human services, employee of the department of
inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations
or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national
guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active
duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian
employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, whether paid
or volunteer, by a person who knows that the person against
whom the assault is committed is a peace officer, jailer,
correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee
of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of
the department of health and human services, employee of the
department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts
investigations or inspections, employee of the department of
revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty
or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement
agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire
fighter, is a serious an aggravated misdemeanor. A person
Senate File 397, p. 4
convicted of violating this subsection shall serve a minimum
term of seven days of the sentence imposed by law, and shall
not be eligible for suspension of the minimum sentence.
Sec. 2. Section 708.3B, Code 2025, is amended to read as
follows:
708.30 Inmate assaults — bodily fluids or secretions.
A person who, while confined in a jail or in an institution
or facility under the control of the department of corrections,
commits any of the following acts commits a class felony:
1. An assault, as defined under section 708.1, upon an
employee of the jail or institution or facility under the
control of the department of corrections-y—which that results
in the employee's contact with blood, seminal fluid, urine,
saliva, or feces.
2. An act which that is intended to cause pain or injury
or be insulting or offensive and which that results in blood,
seminal fluid, urine, saliva, or feces being cast or expelled
upon an employee of the jail or institution or facility under
the control of the department of corrections.
AMY SINgliAIR PAT CRASSLY
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and
is known as Senate File 397, Ninety-first General Assembly.
W. CHi^LES SMJTHSON '
Secre^ry off jAe Senate^
Approved I l^j , 2025
KJffl HEYNOLD.
Governor