Senate File 2280 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2280 BY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3087) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the safety of persons in certain professions 1 involved with the judicial system, including authorizing a 2 member of the general assembly, judicial officer, attorney 3 general, deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney 4 general to be issued a professional permit to carry weapons, 5 establishing the criminal offenses of threatening and the 6 malicious sharing of personal information of a judicial 7 officer or a judicial officer’s immediate family, and 8 considering true threats to public officials as harassment, 9 and providing penalties. 10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 11 TLSB 5545SV (3) 91 as/js
S.F. 2280 DIVISION I 1 PROFESSIONAL PERMIT TO CARRY WEAPONS 2 Section 1. Section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, 3 subparagraph (1), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows: 4 (1) A person may be issued a permit to carry weapons when 5 the person’s employment in a private investigation business 6 or private security business licensed under chapter 80A , or a 7 person’s employment as a peace officer, correctional officer, 8 member of the general assembly, judicial officer, county 9 attorney, assistant county attorney, attorney general, deputy 10 attorney general, assistant attorney general, security guard, 11 bank messenger or other person transporting property of a value 12 requiring security, or in police work, reasonably justifies 13 that person going armed. 14 Sec. 2. Section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, 15 subparagraph (4), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows: 16 (4) A person may be issued a permit to carry weapons if 17 the person is a member of the general assembly, judicial 18 officer, county attorney , or an assistant county attorney , 19 attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant 20 attorney general . An application for a permit by an assistant 21 county attorney must be approved by the county attorney of 22 each county in which the applicant serves prior to a permit 23 to carry weapons being issued. An application for a permit 24 by the attorney general or deputy attorney general or by an 25 assistant attorney general shall be delivered to the sheriff 26 for the county in which the applicant resides. The sheriff 27 of the issuing county may require the applicant to complete a 28 proficiency examination prior to issuing the permit to carry 29 weapons. The standards for a proficiency examination for 30 a member of the general assembly, judicial officer, county 31 attorney , or assistant county attorney , attorney general, 32 deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney general shall 33 not exceed the standards required of a peace officer. The 34 applicant shall pay the reasonable costs associated with 35 -1- LSB 5545SV (3) 91 as/js 1/ 7
S.F. 2280 completing a proficiency examination. 1 Sec. 3. Section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraphs b, c, and d, 2 Code 2026, are amended to read as follows: 3 b. The permit shall be on a form prescribed and published 4 by the commissioner of public safety, shall identify the 5 holder, and shall state the nature of the employment requiring 6 the holder to go armed. A permit so issued, other than to 7 a peace officer, member of the general assembly, judicial 8 officer, county attorney, or assistant county attorney, 9 attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant 10 attorney general, shall authorize the person to whom it is 11 issued to go armed anywhere in the state, only while engaged 12 in the employment, and while going to and from the place of the 13 employment. 14 c. A permit issued to a certified peace officer, member of 15 the general assembly, judicial officer, county attorney, or 16 assistant county attorney , attorney general, deputy attorney 17 general, or assistant attorney general shall authorize that 18 peace officer, member of the general assembly, judicial 19 officer, county attorney, or assistant county attorney , 20 attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant 21 attorney general to go armed anywhere in the state at all 22 times, including on the grounds of a school. 23 d. Permits shall expire twelve months after the date 24 when issued except that permits issued to peace officers, 25 members of the general assembly, judicial officers, county 26 attorneys, assistant county attorneys, the attorney general, 27 deputy attorneys general, assistant attorneys general, and 28 correctional officers are valid through the holder of the 29 permit’s period of employment unless otherwise canceled. 30 When the employment is terminated, the holder of the permit 31 shall surrender it the permit to the issuing officer for 32 cancellation. 33 Sec. 4. Section 724.6, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended 34 by adding the following new paragraph: 35 -2- LSB 5545SV (3) 91 as/js 2/ 7
S.F. 2280 NEW PARAGRAPH . e. Notwithstanding any other provision in 1 this section, a person issued a permit to carry weapons under 2 this section may carry weapons only in a concealed manner when 3 inside a courtroom. This paragraph does not apply to peace 4 officers or correctional officers when fulfilling their duties 5 of employment. 6 Sec. 5. Section 724.6, subsection 3, Code 2026, is amended 7 to read as follows: 8 3. For purposes of this section , “emergency medical care 9 provider” : 10 a. “Emergency medical care provider” means the same as 11 defined in section 147A.1 . 12 b. “Judicial officer” means the same as defined in section 13 602.1101. 14 Sec. 6. Section 724.6, Code 2026, is amended by adding the 15 following new subsection: 16 NEW SUBSECTION . 4. The supreme court may by rule impose 17 additional training or other requirements on judicial officers 18 who hold a permit issued under this section. 19 DIVISION II 20 THREATS AGAINST A JUDICIAL OFFICER OR AN IMMEDIATE FAMILY 21 MEMBER OF A JUDICIAL OFFICER 22 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION . 708.17 Threatening a judicial officer 23 or an immediate family member of a judicial officer. 24 1. No person shall threaten a judicial officer or the 25 immediate family member of a judicial officer with the intent 26 to do any of the following: 27 a. Place the judicial officer or the immediate family member 28 of a judicial officer in fear of serious injury to the judicial 29 officer or the immediate family member of the judicial officer. 30 b. Prevent or interrupt the ability of the judicial officer 31 to carry out the judicial officer’s job duties. 32 c. Retaliate against a judicial officer in relation to the 33 performance of the judicial officer’s official duties during 34 the judicial officer’s term of service. 35 -3- LSB 5545SV (3) 91 as/js 3/ 7
S.F. 2280 2. A person who violates the provisions of this section is 1 guilty of a class “C” felony. 2 3. As used in this section: 3 a. “Immediate family member” means a spouse, child, sibling, 4 parent, grandparent, or grandchild, and includes a stepparent, 5 a stepchild, a stepsibling, or an adoptive relationship. 6 b. “Judicial officer” means the same as defined in section 7 602.1101. 8 c. “Retaliate” means intentionally threatening bodily injury 9 to or damage to the property of a judicial officer with intent 10 to retaliate against the judicial officer for the judicial 11 officer’s exercise of judicial duties and causing the judicial 12 officer or the family member to reasonably believe that the 13 judicial officer’s or the family member’s person or property 14 is in danger. 15 DIVISION III 16 MALICIOUS SHARING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION 17 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION . 708.18 Malicious sharing of personal 18 information of a judicial officer or an immediate family member 19 of a judicial officer. 20 1. No person shall share the personal information of a 21 judicial officer or the immediate family member of a judicial 22 officer with the intent to do any of the following: 23 a. Cause harm to the judicial officer or the immediate 24 family member of a judicial officer. 25 b. Place the judicial officer or the immediate family member 26 of a judicial officer in fear of serious harm to the judicial 27 officer or to an immediate family member of the judicial 28 officer. 29 c. Prevent or interrupt the ability to carry out the 30 judicial officer’s job duties. 31 2. A person who violates the provisions of this section is 32 guilty of a serious misdemeanor. 33 3. As used in this section: 34 a. “Immediate family member” means a spouse, child, sibling, 35 -4- LSB 5545SV (3) 91 as/js 4/ 7
S.F. 2280 parent, grandparent, or grandchild, and includes a stepparent, 1 a stepchild, a stepsibling, or an adoptive relationship. 2 b. “Judicial officer” means the same as defined in section 3 602.1101. 4 c. “Personal information” means a person’s personal physical 5 address, personal phone number, or physical location. 6 DIVISION IV 7 THREATS INCLUDING TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS 8 Sec. 9. Section 708.7, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended 9 by adding the following new paragraph: 10 NEW PARAGRAPH . c. A person commits harassment when the 11 person communicates a true threat, including an intent to 12 cause bodily injury to a public official, as defined in 13 section 68B.2, and the public official becomes aware of such 14 communication within one year of the threat. 15 EXPLANATION 16 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 17 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 18 This bill relates to the safety of persons in certain 19 professions involved with the judicial system, including by 20 authorizing a member of the general assembly, judicial officer, 21 attorney general, deputy attorney general, and assistant 22 attorney general to be issued a professional permit to carry 23 weapons; establishing the criminal offenses of threatening and 24 the malicious sharing of personal information of a judicial 25 officer or a member of the judicial officer’s immediate family; 26 and considering true threats to public officials as harassment. 27 DIVISION I. The bill provides that a permit issued to a 28 member of the general assembly, judicial officer, attorney 29 general, deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney general 30 grants authorization to go armed anywhere in the state at all 31 times, including on the grounds of a school. 32 The bill provides that a permit issued to a member of the 33 general assembly, judicial officer, attorney general, deputy 34 attorney general, or assistant attorney general is valid 35 -5- LSB 5545SV (3) 91 as/js 5/ 7
S.F. 2280 through the holder of the permit’s period of employment unless 1 otherwise canceled. When the employment is terminated, the 2 holder of the permit is required to surrender the permit to the 3 issuing officer for cancellation. 4 The bill defines “judicial officer” as a supreme court 5 justice, a judge of the court of appeals, a district judge, 6 a district associate judge, an associate juvenile judge, an 7 associate probate judge, or a magistrate. The term also 8 includes a person who is temporarily serving as a justice, 9 judge, or magistrate as permitted by law. 10 The bill allows the supreme court to impose additional 11 training or other requirements on judicial officers who hold a 12 permit issued under the bill. 13 DIVISION II. The bill establishes the offense of 14 threatening a judicial officer or an immediate family member 15 of a judicial officer. 16 The bill prohibits a person from threatening a judicial 17 officer or the immediate family member of a judicial officer 18 with the intent to do any of the following: placing the 19 judicial officer or the immediate family member of a judicial 20 officer in fear of serious injury to the judicial officer or 21 the immediate family member of the judicial officer; preventing 22 or interrupting the ability of the judicial officer to carry 23 out the judicial officer’s job duties; or retaliating against a 24 judicial officer in relation to the performance of the judicial 25 officer’s official duties during the judicial officer’s term 26 of service. The bill defines “immediate family member” and 27 “retaliation”. 28 A person violating this division of the bill is guilty 29 of a class “C” felony. A class “C” felony is punishable by 30 confinement for no more than 10 years and a fine of at least 31 $1,370 but not more than $13,660. 32 DIVISION III. The bill establishes the criminal offense of 33 the malicious sharing of personal information of a judicial 34 officer or an immediate family member of a judicial officer. 35 -6- LSB 5545SV (3) 91 as/js 6/ 7
S.F. 2280 The bill prohibits a person from sharing the personal 1 information of a judicial officer or the immediate family 2 member of a judicial officer with the intent to do any of 3 the following: causing harm to the judicial officer or the 4 immediate family member of a judicial officer; placing the 5 judicial officer or the immediate family member of a judicial 6 officer in fear of serious harm to the judicial officer 7 or to an immediate family member of the judicial officer; 8 or preventing or interrupting the ability to carry out the 9 judicial officer’s job duties. The bill defines “personal 10 information”. 11 A person violating this division of the bill is guilty of a 12 serious misdemeanor. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by 13 confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least 14 $430 but not more than $2,560. 15 DIVISION IV. The bill provides that a person commits 16 harassment when the person communicates a true threat, 17 including an intent to cause bodily injury to a public 18 official, and the public official becomes aware of the threat 19 within one year. 20 -7- LSB 5545SV (3) 91 as/js 7/ 7