HF 201 (LSB 1084YH (1) 91)

HOUSE FILE 201

BY  FETT

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to harassment by the dissemination, publication, distribution, or posting of personal information, and making penalties applicable.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 708.7, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  c.  A person commits harassment when the person purposefully and without legitimate purpose disseminates, publishes, distributes, or posts personal information about another person, without the other person’s consent, with the intent to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm the other person, or with the intent to encourage or entice third parties to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm the other person.
    Sec. 2.  Section 708.7, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph:
   NEW SUBPARAGRAPH.  (5)  A violation of subsection 1, paragraph “c”.
    Sec. 3.  Section 708.7, subsection 8, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  0c.  “Personal information” means a person’s contact information or the contact information of the person’s family, including but not limited to the person’s or family’s home address, phone number, email address, social media profile, place of employment, photographic or film depictions of the person or the person’s family, or any other information designed to allow other persons to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm the other person or person’s family.
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 harassment by the dissemination, publication, distribution, or posting of personal information.
   The bill provides that a person commits harassment when the person purposefully and without legitimate purpose disseminates, publishes, distributes, or posts personal information about another person, without the other person’s consent, with the intent to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm the other person, or with the intent to encourage or entice third parties to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm the other person. A violation of this provision of the bill is harassment in the first degree, which is an aggravated misdemeanor. An aggravated misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than two years and a fine of at least $855 but not more than $8,540.
   The bill defines “personal information” as a person’s contact information or the contact information of the person’s family, including but not limited to the person’s or family’s home address, phone number, email address, social media profile, place of employment, photographic or film depictions of the person or the person’s family, or any other information designed to allow other persons to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm the person.