House File 63 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 63
BY WHEELER and BRECKENRIDGE
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the establishment of a cold case
2 investigation unit within the department of public safety.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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 H.F. 63
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 80.31 Cold case investigation unit.
2 1. A state cold case investigation unit is created under
3 the control, direction, and supervision of the commissioner.
4 The commissioner may assign the cold case investigation unit
5 to a division or bureau within the department. The unit
6 shall, within the capabilities of the unit, conduct criminal
7 investigations after an initial criminal investigation has been
8 completed by the law enforcement agency conducting the initial
9 criminal investigation. The unit shall focus on investigations
10 related to unsolved murders, missing children, and missing
11 adults presumed to be deceased.
12 2. The commissioner shall appoint at least two full-time
13 agents to the cold case investigation unit.
14 3. The department shall adopt rules in accordance with
15 chapter 17A to administer this section.
16 EXPLANATION
17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
18 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
19 This bill establishes a cold case investigation unit within
20 the department of public safety.
21 The bill provides that the commissioner of public safety
22 may assign the cold case investigation unit to a division or
23 bureau within the department. Under the bill, the cold case
24 investigation unit shall, within the capabilities of the unit,
25 conduct criminal investigations after an initial criminal
26 investigation has been completed by the law enforcement agency
27 conducting the initial criminal investigation. The bill
28 specifies that the unit shall focus on investigations related
29 to unsolved murders, missing children, and missing adults
30 presumed to be deceased.
31 The bill provides that the commissioner shall appoint at
32 least two full-time agents to the cold case investigation
33 unit, and the department of public safety shall adopt rules to
34 administer the provisions of the bill.
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