# Iowa SF 644: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the justice system, providing for properly related matters including indigent defense and representation, the corrections capital reinvestment fund, and a corrections federal receipts fund, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1232.) Effective date: 06/11/2025, 07/01/2025. Applicability date: 07/01/2023. Iowa SF 644, A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the justice system, providing for properly related matters including indigent defense and representation, the corrections capital reinvestment fund, and a corrections federal receipts fund, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1232.) Effective date: 06/11/2025, 07/01/2025. Applicability date: 07/01/2023., is a 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) Senate bill sponsored by COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS; status signed, last action 2025-06-27 (Explanations of votes.); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-18). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF644-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-18 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Iowa SF 644 - State: Iowa - Session: 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) - Title: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the justice system, providing for properly related matters including indigent defense and representation, the corrections capital reinvestment fund, and a corrections federal receipts fund, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1232.) Effective date: 06/11/2025, 07/01/2025. Applicability date: 07/01/2023. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-04-30 - Last action: 2025-06-27, Explanations of votes. - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (93 yes, 40 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 22 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Funding for defense lawyers and representation: benefit, medium. For July 2025–June 2026, the law provides about $35.53 million for the State Public Defender and 266 full-time-equivalent jobs. It separately provides about $42.73 million for defense payments for eligible adults and juveniles. The first amount includes $100,000 for rural attorney recruitment admin… - Legal help for low-income Iowans: benefit, medium. The law provides about $2.63 million for legal services grants for people in poverty. Funding covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The money supports organizations providing legal help, not individual cash grants. The law does not set a new income formula or an amount each person receives. - Prison education funding supports successful release: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, the law provides about $3.11 million for education in state prisons. Corrections must prioritize education and job training that help people prepare for successful release. The department can also transfer money from prison industry and canteen operating funds into these pro… - Funding keeps Iowa prisons operating: benefit, medium. For July 2025–June 2026, prison funding includes about $46.56 million for Fort Madison, $39.36 million for Anamosa, and $58.95 million for Oakdale. Newton receives about $32.28 million; Mount Pleasant, $30.36 million; Rockwell City, $11.72 million; and Clarinda, $29.25 million. Mitchellville receiv… - Funding supports police, firefighters, and investigations: benefit, medium. For July 2025–June 2026, public safety funding includes about $92.23 million for the State Patrol, $22.81 million for criminal investigations, and $10.27 million for narcotics enforcement. Narcotics enforcement also receives $209,042 for undercover purchases and can add one job only while sufficien… - Corrections funding supports programs and systems: benefit, low. For July 2025–June 2026, corrections receives about $8.17 million for administration, including a director for centralized prison education. It also receives $2 million for its offender data system, $28,065 for mental health and substance use treatment, and about $5.91 million for department-wide d… - Funding for justice and farm mediation: benefit, low. For July 2025–June 2026, the Attorney General's office receives about $10.91 million and authorization for 234 full-time-equivalent jobs. This supports prosecution training, victim assistance grants, and office duties; the department must track time spent representing each agency. The law also prov… - Funding supports community supervision and parole: benefit, low. For July 2025–June 2026, district corrections funding is about $17.30 million for the First, $13.95 million for the Second, $8.92 million for the Third, and $6.47 million for the Fourth. The Fifth receives about $25.01 million; Sixth, $17.41 million; Seventh, $11 million; and Eighth, $10.24 million… - Funding supports emergency management and 911: benefit, low. For July 2025–June 2026, Homeland Security and Emergency Management receives about $2.45 million and up to 25.44 full-time-equivalent jobs. The department can temporarily carry a negative cash balance when federal money owed to it covers that balance. It cannot exceed its appropriation at year-end.… - Gambling enforcement funding grows with facilities: benefit, low. For July 2025–June 2026, the gaming enforcement revolving fund provides about $12.23 million for up to 65 full-time-equivalent enforcement jobs. Each additional qualifying gambling-games license issued that year allows up to $300,000 more for enforcement staffing. Beginning July 1, 2026, public saf… - Grants and staffing support crime victims: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the law provides about $5.17 million in victim assistance grants, including $150,000 for human-trafficking care providers. The rest supports providers serving other violent-crime victims, and at least $150,000 also transfers from the victim compensation fund. Unspent grant m… - Higher pay for court-appointed defense lawyers: benefit, low. Iowa raises hourly pay for lawyers appointed to represent people eligible for state-paid defense. For appointments starting July 1, 2025, rates are $88 for class A felonies, $83 for class B felonies, and $78 for other cases. For appointments from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, the rates are $… - Inmate crews can restore local sites: benefit, low. From July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, corrections can use inmate labor to restore rural cemeteries and historic landmarks. That work must involve townships, cemetery associations, or other nonprofit or government groups. Inmate crews can also clean roads and water sources in cooperation with co… - Police academy offers free abuse training: benefit, low. For July 2025–June 2026, the Law Enforcement Academy receives about $2.96 million and up to 31 full-time-equivalent jobs for operations, jailer training, and technical help. Temporary negative cash balances require matching receivables, and spending cannot exceed the appropriation at year-end. Begi… - Public Defense funding supports department operations: benefit, low. For July 2025–June 2026, the Department of Public Defense receives about $7.27 million for operations. The law authorizes up to 248 full-time-equivalent jobs. The department can temporarily draw beyond available funds when federal money owed to it covers the negative balance. It cannot exceed its a… - Higher funding limits for fighting fraud: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the annual consumer-fraud education and enforcement funding ceiling rises from $1.125 million to $1.875 million. The annual ceiling for fraud investigations, prosecutions, and education involving older Iowans rises from $75,000 to $125,000. These are maximum funding amounts,… - Inmate work contracts must protect privacy: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, covered private-company inmate work agreements must limit access to citizens' identifying information as much as feasible. This applies to agreements for company use of building space to provide inmate employment. Agreements must also ban inmate labor for partisan political… - Corrections gains dedicated federal receipts fund: benefit, low. Effective June 11, 2025, the law creates a corrections federal receipts fund and applies retroactively to the year beginning July 1, 2023. The fund receives federal corrections money and other deposits, except money legally assigned to a separate special fund. Its money supports department operatio… - Corrections property proceeds can upgrade technology: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, corrections can use property-sale proceeds in its capital reinvestment fund to upgrade its offender network system. The fund can still pay for real estate purchases and improvements to property under the director's supervision. This expands allowed uses of existing proceeds;… - Courts face limits on pretrial assessments: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Iowa courts cannot use the Public Safety Assessment to decide pretrial detention or release. The restriction continues unless the Iowa General Assembly specifically authorizes its use. This rule limits a court decision tool; it does not itself require a defendant's detention… - State furniture purchases require industry bids: mixed, low. For July 2025–June 2026, agencies must seek Iowa State Industries bids for office furniture purchases over $5,000, or as agency purchasing rules provide. This gives Iowa State Industries a bidding opportunity while adding a required purchasing step for agencies. Agencies are also encouraged to buy… - Consumer advocacy funding requires cost recovery: mixed, low. For July 2025–June 2026, the Office of Consumer Advocate receives about $3.76 million from the commerce revolving fund. The law authorizes up to 18 full-time-equivalent jobs. The office must collect charges or other revenue covering that funding and state-assessed indirect costs. The law does not s… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-14 | House | Passed House | pass | 60 | 27 | | | 2025-05-13 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 33 | 13 | | ## Actions (22) - 2025-06-27: Explanations of votes. (House) - 2025-06-11: Signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2025-05-28: NOBA: Final (legislature) - 2025-05-23: Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. (Senate) - 2025-05-20: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2025-05-14: Message from House. (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Immediate message. (House) - 2025-05-14: NOBA: Senate Floor (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Passed House, yeas 60, nays 27. (House) - 2025-05-14: Amendment H-1348 filed, withdrawn. (House) - 2025-05-14: Amendment H-1341 withdrawn. (House) - 2025-05-14: Substituted for HF 1046. (House) - 2025-05-13: Amendment H-1341 filed. (House) - 2025-05-13: Read first time, passed on file. (House) - 2025-05-13: Message from Senate. (House) - 2025-05-13: Immediate message. (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Passed Senate, yeas 33, nays 13. (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Amendment S-3155 adopted. (Senate) - 2025-05-12: Amendment S-3155 filed. (Senate) - 2025-04-30: NOBA: Senate Full Approps (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Committee report, approving bill. (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Introduced, placed on Appropriations calendar. (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/SF644.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF644.pdf) ## Related bills - HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly HSB 785.) Effective date: 10/02/20… (signed) - SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial authority, and budgets, by modifying property assessment provisions, divisions… (signed) - HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ballot issue campaigns by foreign nationals and investigations of election misconduc… (signed) - SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly SSB 3162.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Formerly SF 2317, SSB 3121.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program. (Formerly SF 2176.) Vetoed 6-2-26. (vetoed) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/SF644.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF644.pdf) ## Related - [HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2801-2025-2026) - [SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2472-2025-2026) - [HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ball…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2601-2025-2026) - [SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2399-2025-2026) - [SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Former…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2471-2025-2026) - [SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or conc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2299-2025-2026) - [Iowa bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa/bills) - [Iowa state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF644-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-18).