Bill Text: IA HF2057 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the carrying and possession of weapons and providing penalties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 15-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-19 - Subcommittee, Baxter, Dawson, and Gustafson. H.J. 88. [HF2057 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HF2057-Introduced.html
House File 2057 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY SALMON, GUSTAFSON, WILLS, HOLT, HEARTSILL, KOOIKER, WATTS, SHEETS, FISHER, BRANHAGEN, KLEIN, GASSMAN, HUSEMAN, DOLECHECK, and BAXTER A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to the carrying and possession of weapons and 2 providing penalties. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5134YH (4) 86 jm/rj PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 232.52, subsection 2, paragraph a, 1 2 subparagraph (4), subparagraph division (a), subparagraph 1 3 subdivision (viii), Code 2016, is amended to read as follows: 1 4 (viii) Section 724.4, if the childcarried the dangerous 1 5 weaponused the knife in the commission of a crime on school 1 6 grounds. 1 7 Sec. 2. Section 708.8, Code 2016, is amended to read as 1 8 follows: 1 9 708.8 Going armed with intent. 1 10 A person who goes armed with any dangerous weapon with the 1 11 intent to use without justification such weapon against the 1 12 person of another commits a class "D" felony. The intent 1 13 required for a violation of this section shall not be inferred 1 14 from the mere carrying or concealment of any dangerous weapon 1 15 itself, including the carrying of a loaded firearm, whether in 1 16 a vehicle or on or about a person's body. 1 17 Sec. 3. Section 724.4, Code 2016, is amended by striking the 1 18 section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 1 19 724.4 Use of a knife in the commission of a crime. 1 20 A person who goes armed with a knife on or about the person, 1 21 if the person uses the knife in the commission of a crime, 1 22 commits an aggravated misdemeanor. 1 23 Sec. 4. Section 724.4B, Code 2016, is amended by striking 1 24 the section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 1 25 724.4B Carrying dangerous weapons on school grounds ==== 1 26 penalty ==== exceptions. 1 27 1. A person who goes armed with, carries, or transports 1 28 a dangerous weapon of any kind, whether concealed or not, on 1 29 the grounds of a school commits a class "D" felony. For the 1 30 purposes of this section, "school" means a public or nonpublic 1 31 school as defined in section 280.2. 1 32 2. Subsection 1 does not apply to the following: 1 33 a. A person who has been specifically authorized by the 1 34 school to go armed with, carry, or transport a dangerous weapon 1 35 on the school grounds for any lawful purpose. 2 1 b. A peace officer, when the officer's duties require the 2 2 person to carry such weapons. 2 3 c. A member of the armed forces of the United States or 2 4 of the national guard or person in the service of the United 2 5 States, when the weapons are carried in connection with the 2 6 person's duties as such. 2 7 d. A correctional officer, when the officer's duties 2 8 require, serving under the authority of the Iowa department of 2 9 corrections. 2 10 e. A person who for any lawful purpose carries an unloaded 2 11 pistol, revolver, or other dangerous weapon inside a closed and 2 12 fastened container or securely wrapped package which is too 2 13 large to be concealed on the person. 2 14 f. A person who for any lawful purpose carries or transports 2 15 an unloaded pistol or revolver in a vehicle or common carrier 2 16 inside a closed and fastened container or securely wrapped 2 17 package which is too large to be concealed on the person or 2 18 inside a cargo or luggage compartment where the pistol or 2 19 revolver will not be readily accessible to any person riding in 2 20 the vehicle or common carrier. 2 21 g. A law enforcement officer from another state when the 2 22 officer's duties require the officer to carry the dangerous 2 23 weapon and the officer is in this state for any of the 2 24 following reasons: 2 25 (1) The extradition or other lawful removal of a prisoner 2 26 from this state. 2 27 (2) Pursuit of a suspect in compliance with chapter 806. 2 28 (3) Activities in the capacity of a law enforcement officer 2 29 with the knowledge and consent of the chief of police of the 2 30 city or the sheriff of the county in which the activities occur 2 31 or of the commissioner of public safety. 2 32 Sec. 5. Section 724.4C, Code 2016, is amended to read as 2 33 follows: 2 34 724.4C Possession or carrying offirearmsweapons while under 2 35 the influence. 3 1 1.A permit issued under this chapter is invalid if the 3 2Except as provided in subsection 2, a personto whom the permit 3 3 is issued iscommits a serious misdemeanor if the person 3 4 is intoxicated as provided under the conditions set out in 3 5 section 321J.2, subsection 1., and the person does any of the 3 6 following: 3 7 a. Carries a dangerous weapon on or about the person. 3 8 b. Carries a weapon within the person's immediate access or 3 9 reach while in a vehicle. 3 10 2. This section shall not apply to any of the following: 3 11 a. A person who carries or possesses a dangerous weapon 3 12 while in the person's own dwelling, place of business, or on 3 13 land owned or lawfully possessed by the person. 3 14 b. The transitory possession or use of a firearm during 3 15 an act of justified self=defense or justified defense of 3 16 another, provided that the possession lasts no longer than is 3 17 immediately necessary to resolve the emergency. 3 18 Sec. 6. Section 724.5, Code 2016, is amended by striking the 3 19 section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 3 20 724.5 Availability of permit not to be construed as 3 21 prohibition on unlicensed carrying of weapons. 3 22 The availability of a professional or nonprofessional permit 3 23 to carry weapons under this chapter shall not be construed 3 24 to impose a general prohibition on the unlicensed carrying, 3 25 whether openly or concealed, of a deadly weapon, including a 3 26 loaded firearm. 3 27 EXPLANATION 3 28 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 29 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 30 This bill relates to the carrying and possession of weapons 3 31 and provides penalties. 3 32 The bill amends Code section 708.8, the crime of going armed 3 33 with a dangerous weapon with intent, a class "D" felony, to 3 34 provide that the intent element required for a violation of 3 35 this crime shall not be inferred from the mere carrying or 4 1 concealment of a dangerous weapon. 4 2 The bill amends Code section 724.4 by striking the original 4 3 penalty for carrying dangerous weapons. Instead, the bill 4 4 creates a new crime of going armed with a knife in the 4 5 commission of a crime, an aggravated misdemeanor. The bill 4 6 makes a conforming change to Code section 232.52, subsection 4 7 2, relating to the suspension or revocation of a juvenile's 4 8 driver's license or operating privilege. The bill also makes a 4 9 conforming Code change to Code section 724.4B, relating to the 4 10 carrying of weapons on school grounds, to specifically include 4 11 certain categories of persons who are authorized to carry 4 12 weapons on school grounds. 4 13 The bill amends Code section 724.4C relating to the crime of 4 14 possession or carrying of firearms while under the influence 4 15 of alcohol or a drug. Current law invalidates a permit to 4 16 carry weapons if the person to whom the permit is issued is 4 17 intoxicated, as defined in Code section 321J.2, subsection 1 4 18 (while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or other 4 19 drug or a combination of such substances, while having an 4 20 alcohol concentration of .08 or more, or while any amount of a 4 21 controlled substance is present in the person, as measured in 4 22 the person's blood or urine). The bill amends this provision 4 23 to provide that a person commits a serious misdemeanor if 4 24 the person is intoxicated and the person either carries a 4 25 dangerous weapon on or about the person or carries a dangerous 4 26 weapon within the person's immediate access or reach while in 4 27 a vehicle. This crime does not apply to situations where a 4 28 person carries or possesses a dangerous weapon while in the 4 29 person's own dwelling, place of business, or on the person's 4 30 land, and the transitory possession or use of a firearm during 4 31 an act of justified self=defense or justified defense of 4 32 another, if the possession of the firearm lasts no longer than 4 33 immediately necessary to resolve the emergency. 4 34 The bill strikes Code section 724.5 relating to a person's 4 35 duty to carry a valid permit to carry certain weapons for 5 1 which a permit has been issued to the person and replaces that 5 2 Code section with language providing that the availability 5 3 of a professional or nonprofessional permit to carry weapons 5 4 shall not be construed to impose a general prohibition on the 5 5 unlicensed carrying of a deadly weapon including a loaded 5 6 firearm. LSB 5134YH (4) 86 jm/rj