House File 2238 - Introduced
                                  HOUSE FILE 2238
                                  BY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
                                  (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2058)
                            A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to a probation officer’s access to confidential
2    information filed with the court for securing an arrest or
3    search warrant.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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                                        H.F. 2238
 1      Section 1. Section 804.29, subsection 2, Code 2024, is
 2   amended by adding the following new paragraph:
 3      NEW PARAGRAPH. f. A probation officer employed by the
 4   United States, acting pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §3602.
 5      Sec. 2. Section 808.13, Code 2024, is amended to read as
 6   follows:
 7      808.13 Confidentiality.
 8      All information filed with the court for the purpose of
 9   securing a warrant for a search, including but not limited to
10   an application and affidavits, shall be a confidential record
11   until such time as a peace officer has executed the warrant
12   and has made return thereon. During the period of time that
13   information is confidential it shall be sealed by the court,
14   and the information contained therein shall not be disseminated
15   to any person other than a peace officer, magistrate, court
16   employee, an employee of the department of corrections, if
17   authorized by the director of the department of corrections, or
18   an employee of a judicial district department of correctional
19   services, if authorized by the director of the judicial
20   district department of correctional services, or a probation
21   officer employed by the United States, acting pursuant to 18
22   U.S.C. §3602, in the course of official duties.
23                              EXPLANATION
24           The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25            the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
26      This bill relates to a probation officer’s access to
27   confidential information filed with the court for securing an
28   arrest or search warrant.
29      Current Code section 804.29 (commencement of actions ——
30   confidentiality) provides that all information filed with the
31   court for the purpose of securing a warrant for an arrest shall
32   be a confidential record until such time as a peace officer
33   has made the arrest and has made the officer’s return on the
34   warrant, or the defendant has made an initial appearance in
35   court. During the period of confidentiality the information in
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                                H.F. 2238
 1   the record may be disseminated, without court order, during the
 2   course of official duties to certain listed persons.
 3      The bill provides that a probation officer employed by the
 4   United States, acting pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §3602, may have
 5   access to information in the record, without court order,
 6   during the course of the probation officer’s official duties
 7   unless access to such information is expressly denied by court
 8   order.
 9      Current Code section 808.13 (search and seizure ——
10   confidentiality) provides that all information filed with
11   the court for the purpose of securing a warrant for a search
12   shall be a confidential record until such time as a peace
13   officer has executed the warrant and has made return thereon.
14   During the period of time that information is confidential it
15   shall be sealed by the court, and the information contained
16   therein shall not be disseminated to any person other than a
17   peace officer, magistrate, court employee, an employee of the
18   department of corrections, if authorized by the director of
19   the department of corrections, or an employee of a judicial
20   district department of correctional services, if authorized
21   by the director of the judicial district department of
22   correctional services, in the course of official duties.
23      The bill adds a probation officer employed by the United
24   States, acting pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §3602, to the list
25   of persons authorized to access otherwise confidential
26   information.
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Statutes affected: Introduced: 804.29, 808.13