Meeting Public Comments

Subcommittee meeting and times are as follows:

A bill for an act establishing the criminal offense of unlawful electronic transmission of sexually explicit visual material, and providing penalties.(See HF 899.)

Subcommittee members: Gustoff-CH, Meyer, B., Wengryn

Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Time: 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Location: House Lounge

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

Comments Submitted:

01-16-2025

Nancy Miller

I'm curious if there is an estimate of just how many people this would add to Iowa's sex offense registry. Is the department ready for the influx this bill would cause? Is the state ready for the amount of poverty, homelessness, and joblessness this bill is likely to make? The collateral consequences of being on the sex offense registry really need to be weighed against the harm that an unsolicited picture causes. A picture can be deleted. The sender can be blocked on most platforms that I'm aware of. Maybe a warning could be issued before someone has to have their entire life ruined for a foolish decision. The registry is already bloated with low risk offenders. More money needs to spent on primary prevention of sexual harmmore sex ed, fix the poverty problem in the country, bring socialemotional learning into classrooms and even into work places. Fix Iowa's mental health crisis. The harm of a sex offender registry lies in its potential to create significant negative consequences for registered individuals, including difficulty finding housing and employment, social isolation, increased risk of violence due to public knowledge of their status, and even hindering rehabilitation efforts, often with little evidence that such registries effectively prevent future crimes, especially when considering the wide range of offenses included and the lack of risk assessment nuance. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Key harms of sex offender registries: 1, 4, 5 Social exclusion and stigma: Public access to the registry can lead to widespread community prejudice, making it difficult for registered individuals to maintain relationships, find housing, and secure employment, impacting their ability to reintegrate into society. 1, 4, 5 Housing instability: Restrictions on where registered offenders can live can lead to homelessness or displacement to areas with fewer resources, potentially disrupting support systems and increasing vulnerability. 4, 6, 8 Employment challenges: Employers often screen potential hires using sex offender registries, leading to significant difficulty finding work, even for individuals with lowrisk offenses. 1, 5, 8 False sense of security: The registry can give the public a false sense of safety, potentially leading to vigilante actions against registered individuals, even if they pose no immediate threat. 2, 3, 4 Impact on mental health: The constant fear and stigma associated with being on the registry can lead to significant mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. 1, 3, 9 Limited effectiveness in preventing recidivism: Research has shown mixed results regarding the effectiveness of sex offender registries in reducing recidivism rates, with some studies indicating that it may even have a negative impact by hindering reintegration. 3, 4, 6 Potential for inaccurate information: Errors on the registry, including outdated information or incorrect addresses, can lead to further complications and potential for misidentification. 2, 10 Impact on juvenile offenders: Registering young people for sex offenses can have a particularly detrimental impact on their lives, potentially hindering their development and future opportunities. 9, 11, 12 Important considerations: 2, 7, 9 Severity of offense: Not all sex offenses are equally serious, and registries should consider the nature of the crime when deciding who to register and the level of public notification. 2, 7, 9 Risk assessment: Implementing robust risk assessment tools to identify individuals who pose a significant risk of reoffending could improve the effectiveness of registries while minimizing unnecessary harm. 2, 6 Rehabilitation focus: Supporting reintegration efforts, including access to treatment and counseling, can be more effective in preventing future offenses than solely relying on public notification. 1, 4, 6 Generative AI is experimental.1https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/78150.pdf2https://www.hrw.org/news/2007/09/11/ussexoffenderlawsmaydomoreharmgood3https://www.safeandjustmi.org/2020/05/25/blacklistedtheevidencebasedreasonstoendthesexoffenderregistry/4https://collective.coloradotrust.org/stories/theunintendedeffectsofsexoffenderregistries/5https://www.connecticutcriminallawyer.com/personalinjuryattorneyblog/willlifeaffectedsexoffenderregistry6https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EffectivenessofsexoffenderregistrationpoliciesintheUnitedStates7https://apps.it.purdue.edu/sites/Home/DirectoryApi/Files/98f4dcf834314b5fb0a383ae043dc2a1/Download8https://www.qualitativecriminology.com/pub/k459p48j9https://magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2022/harmsplacingkidssexoffenderregistries10https://www.npr.org/2020/08/25/808229392/sexoffenderregistriesoftenfailthosetheyaredesignedtoprotect11https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/231989.pdf12https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1024&context=alfieconferences

01-17-2025

Amanda Littrel

I am opposing Iowa House Bill HF43 (2025) because of these potential concerns related to its implications for individuals on the sex offender registry and the broader societal impact. Here are my reasons:Reinforcement of Stigmatization: HF43 could exacerbate the stigma surrounding individuals on the sex offender registry. This can hinder their reintegration into society and negatively impact their families, creating additional barriers to housing, employment, and community acceptance.Ineffectiveness in Reducing Crime: Research has shown that the registry does not effectively deter sexual offenses. Instead of promoting public safety, HF43 may perpetuate a false sense of security while failing to address the root causes of sexual offending.Disproportionate Punishment: If HF43 includes punitive measures, it may impose severe and disproportionate consequences on individuals who have already served their sentences. This can be viewed as a violation of the principles of justice and rehabilitation.Impact on Families: The effects of HF43 may extend beyond the individuals on the registry to their families, including increased isolation, mental health challenges, and financial strain. Supporting individuals in their rehabilitation is essential for healthy family dynamics.Limited Focus on Rehabilitation: HF43 may lack provisions for rehabilitation and support programs that could help individuals reintegrate into society. Without these resources, individuals may struggle to make positive changes in their lives.Chilling Effect on Reporting and HelpSeeking: Overly punitive measures can discourage victims of crimes from coming forward to seek help or support, fearing that their cases may result in harsh consequences for offenders without ensuring appropriate justice.Constitutionality Issues: Certain provisions of HF43 may raise constitutional concerns, including due process rights and potential violations of expost facto laws, especially if it retroactively changes the rules for individuals already on the registry.Resource Allocation: The proposed bill may lead to misallocation of state resources toward enforcement of harsh penalties rather than investing in prevention, education, and community support initiatives that could create safer environments.I encourage our representatives to focus on more pressing issues that our state is dealing with instead of finding new ways incarcerate individuals in Iowa especially our younger population whom may be involved in this type of behavior. How about creating an education bill that would teach our kids some of the dangers with technology instead of waiting for them to commit crimes and then lock them up and ruin their lives.

01-19-2025

Ben Hanson [Iowans Unafraid ]

It's crucial that we protect our children, but we must also consider the impact of such harsh consequences have on an offender's life. Some sexually explicit recordings do not have the same impact has actual, physical sex. We should treat rapists with heavier penalties than an individual sharing sexual explicit messages. They are not the same and yet the sex offender registry consolidates all sex crimes, including less severe ones. The 3 tier system fails to sufficiently differentiate the severity of the crime. Furthermore, once on the registry everyone knows and has access to those public records. We only do this for sex offenses. Wouldn't you want to know if a murderer lived next door to you too? The sex offender registry is uniquely different and the consequences are blown out of proportion when compared to the actual crime. So, the result these registries is that the whole community is turned against offenders causing the offenders to live in constant fear and anxiety rather than offering them the opportunity to make amends and move in with their lives. Also, I cannot believe that the HF17 castration bill is even proposed. Are we so foolish and cowardly to resort to such barbaric, inhumane measures? Please focus on actual sex offenses that involve actual sex and rape. Don't waste state resources on punishing these minor offenses.Alternatively, abolish the registry altogether and create less harsh penalties for crimes like sexting, child pornography, and especially urinating in public.