Bill > HF2629

This bill amends Iowa law regarding trespass by defining key terms and establishing penalties for a new type of trespass called "squatting." "Immediate family member" is defined to include a person's spouse, children, parents or guardians, siblings, and grandparents, regardless of how they are related. "Lawful authority" is established as the ability to prove one has permission to be on a property, such as by showing a deed, mortgage statement, lease agreement, written authorization, or proof of rent payment within the last sixty days. "Squatting" is defined as knowingly residing on a property not open to the public without lawful authority. The bill makes squatting a trespass offense if the person is not a current tenant, has no valid agreement to occupy, is not an immediate family member of the owner, and enters and resides on the property without lawful authority. Penalties for squatting range from a serious misdemeanor for a first offense, to an aggravated misdemeanor for a second offense, and a class "D" felony for third or subsequent offenses. Additionally, providing a false document to prove lawful authority is considered a fraudulent practice.