SF 2280 (LSB 5545SV (4) 91)

SENATE FILE 2280

BY  COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3087)

(As Amended and Passed by the Senate 2026-02-24)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the safety of persons in certain professions involved with the judicial system, including authorizing a member of the general assembly, judicial officer, attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney general to be issued a professional permit to carry weapons, establishing the criminal offenses of threatening and the malicious sharing of personal information of a general assembly member or a judicial officer or a general assembly member’s or a judicial officer’s immediate family, and considering true threats to public officials as harassment, and providing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

DIVISION I
PROFESSIONAL PERMIT TO CARRY WEAPONS

    Section 1.  Section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, subparagraph (1), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   (1)  A person may be issued a permit to carry weapons when the person’s employment in a private investigation business or private security business licensed under chapter 80A, or a person’s employment as a peace officer, correctional officer, member of the general assembly, judicial officer, county attorney, assistant county attorney, attorney general, deputy attorney general, assistant attorney general, security guard, bank messenger or other person transporting property of a value requiring security, or in police work, reasonably justifies that person going armed.
    Sec. 2.  Section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, subparagraph (4), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   (4)  A person may be issued a permit to carry weapons if the person is a member of the general assembly, judicial officer, county attorney, or an assistant county attorney, attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney general. An application for a permit by an assistant county attorney must be approved by the county attorney of each county in which the applicant serves prior to a permit to carry weapons being issued. An application for a permit by the attorney general or deputy attorney general or by an assistant attorney general shall be delivered to the sheriff for the county in which the applicant resides. The sheriff of the issuing county may require the applicant to complete a proficiency examination prior to issuing the permit to carry weapons. The standards for a proficiency examination for a member of the general assembly, judicial officer, county attorney, or assistant county attorney, attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney general shall not exceed the standards required of a peace officer. The applicant shall pay the reasonable costs associated with completing a proficiency examination.
    Sec. 3.  Section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraphs b, c, and d, Code 2026, are amended to read as follows:
   b.  The permit shall be on a form prescribed and published by the commissioner of public safety, shall identify the holder, and shall state the nature of the employment requiring the holder to go armed. A permit so issued, other than to a peace officer, member of the general assembly, judicial officer, county attorney, or assistant county attorney, attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney general, shall authorize the person to whom it is issued to go armed anywhere in the state, only while engaged in the employment, and while going to and from the place of the employment.
   c.  A permit issued to a certified peace officer, member of the general assembly, judicial officer, county attorney, or assistant county attorney, attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney general shall authorize that peace officer, member of the general assembly, judicial officer, county attorney, or assistant county attorney, attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney general to go armed anywhere in the state at all times, including on the grounds of a school. 
   d.  Permits shall expire twelve months after the date when issued except that permits issued to peace officers, members of the general assembly, judicial officers, county attorneys, assistant county attorneys, the attorney general, deputy attorneys general, assistant attorneys general, and correctional officers are valid through the holder of the permit’s period of employment unless otherwise canceled. When the employment is terminated, the holder of the permit shall surrender it the permit to the issuing officer for cancellation.
    Sec. 4.  Section 724.6, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  e.  Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, a person issued a permit to carry weapons under this section may carry weapons only in a concealed manner when inside a courtroom. This paragraph does not apply to peace officers or correctional officers when fulfilling their duties of employment.
    Sec. 5.  Section 724.6, subsection 3, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   3.  For purposes of this section, “emergency medical care provider”: 
   a.  “Emergency medical care provider” means the same as defined in section 147A.1.
   b.  “Judicial officer” means the same as defined in section 602.1101.
    Sec. 6.  Section 724.6, Code 2026, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  4.  The supreme court may by rule impose additional training or other requirements on judicial officers who hold a permit issued under this section.
DIVISION II
THREATS AGAINST MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OR JUDICIAL OFFICERS —— IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS

    Sec. 7.  NEW SECTION.  708.17  Threatening a member of the general assembly, judicial officer, or an immediate family member of a member of the general assembly or a judicial officer.
   1.  No person shall threaten a member of the general assembly, a judicial officer, or an immediate family member of a member of the general assembly or judicial officer with the intent to do any of the following:
   a.  Place the general assembly member or a judicial officer or the immediate family member of a general assembly member or judicial officer in fear of serious injury to the general assembly member or judicial officer or the immediate family member of the general assembly member or judicial officer.
   b.  Prevent or interrupt the ability of the general assembly member or judicial officer to carry out the general assembly member’s or judicial officer’s job duties.
   c.  Retaliate against a general assembly member or a judicial officer in relation to the performance of the general assembly member’s or judicial officer’s official duties during the general assembly member’s or judicial officer’s term of service.
   2.  A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a class “C” felony.
   3.  As used in this section:
   a.  “Immediate family member” means a spouse, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, or grandchild, and includes a stepparent, a stepchild, a stepsibling, or an adoptive relationship.
   b.  “Judicial officer” means the same as defined in section 602.1101.
   c.  “Retaliate” means intentionally threatening bodily injury to or damage to the property of a general assembly member or a judicial officer with intent to retaliate against the general assembly member for the general assembly member’s exercise of legislative duties or judicial officer for the judicial officer’s exercise of judicial duties and causing the general assembly member, judicial officer, or the family member to reasonably believe that the general assembly member’s, the judicial officer’s, or the family member’s person or property is in danger.
DIVISION III
MALICIOUS SHARING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

    Sec. 8.  NEW SECTION.  708.18  Malicious sharing of personal information of a general assembly member or a judicial officer or an immediate family member of a general assembly member or a judicial officer.
   1.  No person shall share the personal information of a general assembly member or judicial officer or the immediate family member of a general assembly member or a judicial officer with the intent to do any of the following:
   a.  Cause harm to the general assembly member or judicial officer or the immediate family member of a general assembly member or a judicial officer.
   b.  Place the general assembly member or judicial officer or the immediate family member of a general assembly member or a judicial officer in fear of serious harm to the general assembly member or judicial officer or to an immediate family member of the general assembly member or judicial officer.
   c.  Prevent or interrupt the ability to carry out the general assembly member’s or judicial officer’s job duties.
   2.  A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a serious misdemeanor.
   3.  As used in this section:
   a.  “Immediate family member” means a spouse, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, or grandchild, and includes a stepparent, a stepchild, a stepsibling, or an adoptive relationship.
   b.  “Judicial officer” means the same as defined in section 602.1101.
   c.  “Personal information” means a person’s personal physical address, personal phone number, or physical location.
DIVISION IV
THREATS INCLUDING TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS

    Sec. 9.  Section 708.7, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  c.  A person commits harassment when the person communicates a true threat, including an intent to cause bodily injury to a public official, as defined in section 68B.2, and the public official becomes aware of such communication within one year of the threat.