Fiscal Note
Fiscal Services Division
HF 572 – Trespassing by Drone, Agricultural Buildings, Feedlots, and Homes (LSB2146HV.2)
Staff Contact: Justus Thompson (515.725.2249) justus.thompson@legis.iowa.gov
Fiscal Note Version – Final Action
Description
House File 572 establishes the following offenses, provides penalties, and provides for
exceptions to the offenses:
• Intrusion by the use of a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).
• Surveillance by the use of an RPA.
A person commits intrusion by the use of an RPA if the person knowingly controls the flight of
an RPA over a homestead or a secure farmstead area, if the homestead or secure farmstead
area is not owned or leased by the person, and the RPA remains over the homestead or secure
farmstead area. The penalty is a simple misdemeanor, or a serious misdemeanor if the person
has previously been convicted of this offense or surveillance by the use of an RPA.
A person commits surveillance by the use of an RPA if the person knowingly controls the flight
of an RPA equipped with a surveillance device over a homestead or secure farmstead area, if
the homestead or secure farmstead area is not owned or leased by the person, and the RPA
remains over the homestead or secure farmstead area. The penalty is a serious misdemeanor,
or an aggravated misdemeanor if the person has previously been convicted of this offense or
intrusion by the use of an RPA.
The Bill also provides for injunctive relief for a person being harassed by another person who is
controlling the flight of an RPA equipped with a surveillance device over the person’s
homestead or secure farmstead area.
Background
An aggravated misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for up to two years and a fine of at
least $855 but not more than $8,540. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for
up to one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560. A simple misdemeanor is
punishable by confinement for up to 30 days and a fine of at least $105 but not more than $855.
Assumptions
• The following will not change over the projection period: charge, conviction, and sentencing
patterns and trends; prisoner length of stay (LOS); revocation rates; plea bargaining; and
other criminal justice system policies and practices.
• A lag effect of six months is assumed from the effective date of this Bill to the date of first
entry of affected offenders into the correctional system.
• Marginal costs for county jails cannot be estimated due to a lack of data. For purposes of
this analysis, the marginal cost for county jails is assumed to be $50 per day.
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Correctional Impact
House File 572 creates new criminal offenses, and the correctional impact cannot be estimated
for the Bill due to a lack of existing conviction data. Figure 1 shows estimates for sentencing to
State prison, parole, probation, or Community-Based Corrections (CBC) residential facilities;
LOS under those supervisions; and supervision marginal costs per day for all convictions of
aggravated misdemeanors and serious misdemeanors. A conviction for a simple misdemeanor
does not result in a prison sentence but carries the possibility of confinement for up to 30 days.
Marginal county jail costs are estimated to be $50 per day. Refer to the Legislative Services
Agency (LSA) memo addressed to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional
Impact Statements, dated January 16, 2024, for information related to the correctional system.
Figure 1 — Sentencing Estimates and LOS
Percent
Percent FY 2023 Marginal FY23 sentenced Marginal Percent
Ordered Avg LOS in Prison Percent Field Avg Avg Cost to CBC Cost Ordered Marginal FY23 Field Marginal
Conviction Offense to State Prison (All Cost Per Ordered to LOS on Per Day on Residential CBC Per to County Cost Per Avg LOS Cost Per
Class Prison Releases) Day Probation Probation Probation Facility Day Jail Day Jail on Parole Day Parole
Aggravated Misdemeanor
30.4% 7.5 $24.94 45.0% 25.1 $ 7.67 3.6% $ 20.00 71.7% $ 50.00 11.9 $ 7.67
(Non-Persons)
Serious Misdemeanor 1.7% 6.6 $24.94 53.0% 19.2 $ 7.67 1.2% $ 20.00 74.2% $ 50.00 N/A $ 7.67
Minority Impact
House File 572 establishes new offenses. As a result, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning
(CJJP) of the Department of Management cannot use existing data to estimate the minority
impact of the Bill. Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly, Minority Impact
Statement, dated January 16, 2024, for information related to minorities in the criminal justice
system.
Fiscal Impact
House File 572 establishes new offenses, and the fiscal impact cannot be estimated due to a
lack of existing conviction data. Figure 2 below shows the average State cost per offense for
an aggravated misdemeanor, serious misdemeanor, and simple misdemeanor. The estimated
impact to the State General Fund includes operating costs incurred by the Judicial Branch, the
Indigent Defense Fund, and the Department of Corrections (DOC). The cost would be incurred
across multiple fiscal years for prison and parole supervision.
Figure 2 — Average State Cost Per Offense
Offense Class Average Cost
Aggravated Misdemeanor $7,500 to $10,800
Serious Misdemeanor $400 to $6,900
Simple Misdeameanor $40 to $400
Sources
Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning, Department of Management
Department of Corrections
Legislative Services Agency
/s/ Jennifer Acton
May 3, 2024
Doc ID 1447043
The fiscal note for this Bill was prepared pursuant to Joint Rule 17 and the Iowa Code. Data used in developing this
fiscal note is available from the Fiscal Services Division of the Legislative Services Agency upon request.
www.legis.iowa.gov
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