Fiscal Note
Fiscal Services Division
SF 119 – Carbon Monoxide Alarms Standards (LSB1540XS)
Staff Contact: Justus Thompson (515.725.2249) justus.thompson@legis.iowa.gov
Fiscal Note Version – New
Description
Senate File 119 requires the State Fire Marshal to adopt administrative rules for standards
relating to carbon monoxide protection that are consistent with the International Building Code
and International Fire Code. The Bill also allows the State Fire Marshal to include carbon
monoxide awareness in fire safety campaigns. A person who violates an administrative rule
adopted by the State Fire Marshal is guilty of a simple misdemeanor. However, a person who
fails to remedy a violation that constitutes a clear and present danger to life 30 days after
receiving written notice is guilty of a serious misdemeanor.
Background
661 IAC 211 details the use of carbon monoxide alarms in single and multifamily dwellings. The
State Fire Marshal has adopted the 2015 International Building Code and International Fire
Code.
A simple misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than 30 days and a fine of at
least $105 but not more than $855. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for
no more than one year and a fine of at least $430 but not more than $2,560.
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.
• Due to increased workload, 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) position for an Information
Specialist 3 will be required.
Correctional Impact
Senate File 119 modifies the penalties for existing offenses, and the correctional impact cannot
be determined. Table 1 shows estimates for sentencing to State prison, parole, probation, or
Community-Based Corrections (CBC) residential facilities; LOS in months under those
supervisions; and supervision marginal costs per day for all convictions of aggravated
misdemeanors and serious misdemeanors. Refer to the Legislative Services Agency (LSA)
memo addressed to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional Impact
Statements, dated January 20, 2023, for information related to the correctional system.
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 Table 1 — Sentencing Estimates and LOS
FY 22
FY 22 Avg LOS Marginal FY 22 Avg FY 22 Avg Percent FY 22 FY 22 Avg FY 22
Percent In Prison In Cost Per Percent LOS on Cost Per Sentenced to Marginal Percent Marginal LOS on Marginal
Ordered to Months (All Day Ordered to Probation Day CBC Residential Cost Per Ordered to Cost Per Parole In Cost Per
Conviction Offense Class State Prison Releases) Prison Probation In Months Probation Facility Day CBC County Jail Day Jail Months Day Parole
Agg Misd Non-Persons 31.4% 7.5 $23.42 45.6% 20.7 $7.27 3.3% $20.67 72.2% $50.00 8.2 $7.27
Serious Misd 1.9% 5.5 $23.42 51.2% 13.7 $7.27 0.9% $20.67 73.3% $50.00 0.5 $7.27
Minority Impact
Senate File 119 modifies the penalties for existing offenses. The Division of Criminal and
Juvenile Justice Planning of the Department of Human Rights cannot use prior existing data to
estimate the minority impact. Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly,
Minority Impact Statement, dated January 20, 2023, for information related to minorities in the
criminal justice system.
Fiscal Impact
Senate File 119 modifies the penalties for existing offenses, and the fiscal impact due to any
increased penalties cannot be determined. Table 2 shows the average State cost per offense
for an aggravated misdemeanor and serious 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 costs would be incurred across multiple
fiscal years for prison and parole supervision.
Table 2 — Average State Cost Per Offense
Offense Class Average Cost
Aggravated Misdemeanor $5,000 to $9,600
Serious Misdemeanor $400 to $5,600
The State Fire Marshal’s Office estimates the costs for an Information Specialist 3 FTE position
to be approximately $77,000. The fiscal impact for implementing carbon monoxide awareness
within a fire awareness campaign is unknown
Sources
Department of Corrections
Department of Human Rights, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning Division
Department of Public Safety
/s/ Jennifer Acton
March 15, 2023
Doc ID 1370638
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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