A key bill I am sponsoring this session is SF 2067. This bill aims to address and reform various aspects of how sexual assault cases are handled, particularly in terms of evidence preservation, victim rights, and health protection.

First, the bill seeks to resolve inconsistencies in the law regarding the storage duration of sexual assault kits. Currently, there's a discrepancy between the statute of limitations for sexual assault cases and the mandated period for retaining the corresponding evidence. For adult victims, the statute of limitations extends to 20 years, while for child victims, it is applicable for a lifetime. However, the existing law requires that sexual assault kits be stored for only 15 years. This bill proposes to align the storage period of these kits with the statute of limitations, ensuring that crucial evidence is available for the duration of the legal window in which a case can be brought forward.

Second, the bill focuses on better informing sexual assault victims about their rights concerning sexual assault kits. This is an important step in empowering victims, ensuring they are fully aware of the procedures and their rights regarding the handling of evidence in their cases.

Third, the bill introduces a significant change to protect the health of sexual assault victims. It mandates HIV testing of defendants within 48 hours of being charged. Under the present system, a sexual assault victim could wait for several months before knowing if they were exposed to HIV. This proposed change is modeled after a similar law in Texas and is expected to help the Iowa Attorney General’s Office access more funding for crime victims.

I was happy to work with the former Washington County Attorney along with Representative Hora to make this piece of legislation happen.

In the Agriculture Committee

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced proposed legislation, House Study Bill 559, to increase processing opportunities for small-scale poultry processors and producers. The bill, having passed a House subcommittee, is now up for full consideration by the House Agriculture Committee. If passed, it would permit state poultry processing establishments to conduct both officially inspected and custom-exempt processing in the same facility, a practice already allowed for red meat processors.

This change aims to address the limited poultry processing availability in Iowa, which currently forces producers to travel to neighboring states. The bill is supported by local poultry farmers and meat processors. It is designed to enhance processing options, benefiting both farmers and consumers without compromising food safety.