Back to Iowa

SJR5 • 2026

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa eliminating involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime.

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa eliminating involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime.

Crime
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
KNOX
Last action
2025-02-18
Official status
Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Celsi, and Schultz. S.J. 303 .
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 eliminating involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime.

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa eliminating involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime.

What This Bill Does

  • A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa eliminating involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime.

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. 2025-02-18 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Celsi, and Schultz. S.J. 303 .

  2. 2025-02-13 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to State Government. S.J. 264 .

Official Summary Text

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa eliminating involuntary servitude as a punishment for crime.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate

Joint

Resolution

5

-

Introduced

SENATE

JOINT

RESOLUTION

5

BY

KNOX

SENA

TE

JOINT

RESOLUTION

A

Joint

Resolution

proposing

an

amendment

to

the

Constitution

1

of

the

State

of

Iowa

eliminating

involuntary

servitude

as

a

2

punishment

for

crime.

3

BE

IT

RESOLVED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

4

TLSB

1240XS

(2)

91

as/js

S.J.R.

5

Section

1.

The

following

amendment

to

the

Constitution

of

1

the

State

of

Iowa

is

proposed:

2

Section

23

of

Article

I

of

the

Constitution

of

the

State

of

3

Iowa

is

repealed

and

the

following

adopted

in

lieu

thereof:

4

Sec.

23.

Slavery

——

involuntary

servitude.

There

shall

5

be

no

slavery

in

this

state,

nor

shall

there

be

involuntary

6

servitude.

Upon

conviction

of

a

crime,

an

Iowa

court

or

an

7

Iowa

probation

or

parole

agency

may

order

the

convicted

person

8

to

engage

in

community

service

or

another

alternative

to

9

incarceration

as

part

of

sentencing

for

the

crime

in

accordance

10

with

programs

that

have

been

in

place

historically

or

that

11

may

be

developed

in

the

future

to

provide

accountability,

12

reformation,

protection

of

society,

or

rehabilitation.

13

Sec.

2.

REFERRAL

AND

PUBLICATION.

The

foregoing

proposed

14

amendment

to

the

Constitution

of

the

State

of

Iowa

is

referred

15

to

the

general

assembly

to

be

chosen

at

the

next

general

16

election

for

members

of

the

general

assembly,

and

shall

be

17

published

as

provided

by

law

for

three

months

previous

to

the

18

date

of

that

election.

19

EXPLANATION

20

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

21

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

22

This

joint

resolution

proposes

an

amendment

to

the

23

Constitution

of

the

State

of

Iowa

eliminating

involuntary

24

servitude

as

a

legal

punishment

for

crime.

25

The

resolution

provides

that

an

Iowa

court

or

an

Iowa

26

probation

or

parole

agency

may

order

community

service

or

27

another

alternative

to

incarceration.

28

The

resolution,

if

adopted,

would

be

published

and

then

29

referred

to

the

next

general

assembly

(92nd)

for

adoption,

30

before

being

submitted

to

the

electorate

for

ratification.

31

-1-

LSB

1240XS

(2)

91

as/js

1/

1