The bill outlines appropriations for the Iowa justice system for the fiscal year 2025-2026, allocating significant funding to various departments, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Corrections. Key provisions include over $10 million for the attorney general's office, funding for victim assistance grants, and legal services for low-income individuals. The Department of Justice is required to maintain records of time spent on agency representation and report on non-general fund sources. Additionally, the bill allows for the hiring of more staff in the Department of Justice, contingent on federal funding availability. In the Department of Corrections, over $300 million is allocated for facility operations, with a focus on educational programs and mental health treatment for inmates, while also encouraging the use of inmate labor for community service.

Significant changes include increased compensation rates for public defenders and adjustments to appropriations from the consumer education and litigation fund for consumer fraud education. The bill also codifies increases to appropriations that have been in effect since FY 2014-2015. It establishes specific grounds for the revocation or suspension of law enforcement officer certifications and mandates the dismissal of pending actions not based on these grounds. Furthermore, it ensures confidentiality for peer support communications during crisis interventions and creates a federal receipts fund under the Department of Corrections to manage federal funds, which will not revert at the end of the fiscal year. This provision is effective immediately upon enactment and applies retroactively to the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 915.94, 815.7, 714.16C, 714.16, 80B.13A, 622.10, 904.317