House File 2542 - Reprinted HOUSE FILE 2542 BY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 666) (As Amended and Passed by the House March 4, 2026 ) A BILL FOR An Act relating to habitual offenders, and providing penalties. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 HF 2542 (3) 91 as/js/md

H.F. 2542 Section 1. Section 902.8, Code 2026, is amended by striking 1 the section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 2 902.8 Habitual offender. 3 1. As used in this section: 4 a. “Level one offense” means all class “A”, “B”, “C”, and 5 “D” felonies, and all aggravated misdemeanors that involve 6 sexual abuse under chapter 709, domestic abuse assault under 7 section 708.2A, assault with the intent to inflict a serious 8 injury or while using or displaying a dangerous weapon under 9 section 708.2, subsections 1 and 3, and organized retail theft 10 under section 714.2B, subsection 3, paragraph “c” . For purposes 11 of determining habitual offender status, each conviction of a 12 level one offense is worth one point. 13 b. “Level two offense” means all aggravated misdemeanors 14 that are not classified as a level one offense under paragraph 15 “a” , and serious misdemeanors that involve assault causing 16 bodily injury or mental illness under section 708.2, subsection 17 2, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury or mental 18 illness under section 708.2A, subsection 2, paragraph “b” , 19 and criminal mischief in the third degree under section716.4. 20 For purposes of determining habitual offender status, each 21 conviction of a level two offense is worth one-half point. 22 2. a. A habitual offender is a person who has been 23 convicted in a court of this state of an offense, or has been 24 convicted of an offense committed in another jurisdiction that 25 would constitute an equivalent offense, or any combination of 26 level one or level two offenses resulting in the accumulation 27 of three or more points. 28 b. In determining whether a prior conviction counts toward 29 the accumulation of three or more points, the court shall 30 only consider criminal convictions within twenty years of the 31 current conviction. 32 c. For purposes of paragraph “a” , all pending charges 33 against a person shall be aggregated and only the most serious 34 charge against the person shall count toward the accumulation 35 -1- HF 2542 (3) 91 as/js/md 1/ 2

H.F. 2542 of points. 1 d. This section shall only apply to convictions occurring on 2 or after July 1, 2026. 3 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the 4 contrary, a person sentenced as a habitual offender shall not 5 be eligible for parole or work release until the person has 6 served a minimum term of commitment of twenty years unless the 7 current level one offense the person is convicted of carries a 8 higher minimum sentence, which shall be considered the minimum 9 sentence under this section, and no such judgment, sentence, or 10 part thereof shall be deferred or suspended. 11 Sec. 2. Section 902.9, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 2026, 12 is amended to read as follows: 13 c. An A habitual offender shall be confined for no more than 14 fifteen years sentenced to confinement as provided in section 15 902.8 . 16 -2- HF 2542 (3) 91 as/js/md 2/ 2