Bill
Bill > HF849
IA HF849
IA HF849A bill for an act relating to harassment by the dissemination, publication, distribution, or posting of personal information, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly HF 201.)
summary
Introduced
03/07/2025
03/07/2025
In Committee
05/15/2025
05/15/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
91st General Assembly
Bill Summary
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.
AI Summary
This bill adds a new provision to Iowa's harassment laws that criminalizes the purposeful dissemination of personal information about another person without their consent, with the intent to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm that person or to encourage others to do so. The bill defines "personal information" broadly, including contact details like home address, phone number, email, social media profiles, place of employment, and photographic or film depictions of a person or their family. A violation of this new provision would be classified as first-degree harassment, which is considered an aggravated misdemeanor. Such a classification carries potential penalties of up to two years in confinement and a fine ranging from $855 to $8,540. The legislation aims to protect individuals from having their personal information shared maliciously, recognizing the potential for such actions to cause emotional distress or create risk of further harassment.
Committee Categories
Justice
Sponsors (0)
No sponsors listed
Other Sponsors (1)
Public Safety (House)
Last Action
Rereferred to Public Safety. H.J. 1221. (on 05/15/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
Loading...
bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=HF849 |
| Fiscal Note - Criminal Harassment, Doxxing | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/FN/1525347.pdf |
| BillText | https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/attachments/HF849.html |
Loading...