House File 2011 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2011 BY JONES A BILL FOR An Act relating to the criminal offense of sexual exploitation 1 by a school employee. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5270YH (3) 86 kh/nh
H.F. 2011 Section 1. Section 709.15, subsection 1, paragraph f, Code 1 2016, is amended to read as follows: 2 f. (1) “School employee” means a any of the following, 3 except as provided in subparagraph (2): 4 (a) A practitioner as defined in section 272.1 or a . 5 (b) A person issued a coaching authorization under section 6 272.31, subsection 1 . 7 (c) A person employed by a school district full-time, 8 part-time, or as a substitute. 9 (d) A person who performs services as a volunteer for a 10 school district and who has significant contact with students. 11 (e) A contract employee of the school district who has 12 significant contact with students. 13 (2) “School employee” does not include a student enrolled 14 in a school district. A person who would otherwise meet 15 the definition of school employee under subparagraph (1), 16 subparagraph divisions (b) through (e), shall not be considered 17 a school employee for purposes of this paragraph “f” if the 18 person is less than four years older than the student with whom 19 the person engages in conduct prohibited under subsection 3, 20 paragraph “a” , and the person is not in a position of direct 21 authority over the student. 22 EXPLANATION 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 24 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 25 This bill expands the Code provision that establishes the 26 criminal offense of sexual exploitation by a school employee 27 to include a person employed by a school district full-time, 28 part-time, or as a substitute; and a person who performs 29 services as a volunteer or contract employee for a school 30 district and who has significant contact with students. 31 However, under the bill, “school employee” does not include 32 a student enrolled in a school district. A person who would 33 otherwise meet the definition of school employee shall not be 34 considered a school employee if the person is less than four 35 -1- LSB 5270YH (3) 86 kh/nh 1/ 2
H.F. 2011 years older than the student and is not in a position of direct 1 authority over the student. 2 Currently, a school employee is defined to include any 3 practitioner or coach who is licensed or authorized by the 4 board of educational examiners. The current definition does 5 not limit employment to a public or nonpublic school. 6 A person who commits sexual exploitation by a school 7 employee in violation of Code section 709.15(3) commits either 8 an aggravated misdemeanor, which is punishable by confinement 9 for no more than two years and a fine of at least $625 but not 10 more than $6,250; or a class “D” felony, which is punishable 11 by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at 12 least $750 but not more than $7,500. The person’s actions also 13 constitute unprofessional and unethical conduct that may result 14 in disciplinary action by the board of educational examiners 15 and the person must register as a sex offender. 16 -2- LSB 5270YH (3) 86 kh/nh 2/ 2