HF 637 (LSB 2378HV (1) 90)

HOUSE FILE 637

BY  COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

(SUCCESSOR TO HF 483)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to an application for a reprieve, pardon, commutation of sentence, remission of fines or forfeitures, or restoration of the rights of citizenship made to the board of parole.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 914.3, subsection 1, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  a.  Except as otherwise provided in section 902.2, the board of parole shall periodically review all applications by persons convicted of criminal offenses and shall recommend to the governor the reprieve, pardon, commutation of sentence, remission of fines or forfeitures, or restoration of the rights of citizenship for persons who have by their conduct given satisfactory evidence that they will become or continue to be law-abiding citizens.
   b.  The board of parole shall acknowledge an application for a reprieve, pardon, commutation of sentence, remission of fines or forfeitures, or restoration of the rights of citizenship received from a person convicted of a criminal offense within thirty days of receipt of the application.
   c.  The board of parole shall make a recommendation to the governor concerning whether an application for a reprieve, pardon, commutation of sentence, remission of fines or forfeitures, or restoration of the rights of citizenship should be granted within three hundred sixty-five days of receipt of the application.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to an application for a reprieve, pardon, commutation of sentence, remission of fines or forfeitures, or restoration of the rights of citizenship made to the board of parole.
   The bill provides that the board of parole shall acknowledge an application for a reprieve, pardon, commutation of sentence, remission of fines or forfeitures, or restoration of the rights of citizenship received from a person convicted of a criminal offense within 30 days of receipt of the application, and shall make a recommendation to the governor concerning whether an application should be granted within 365 days of receipt of the application.