Bill Text: IA HF537 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the Iowa law enforcement academy and required annual training.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-20 - Introduced, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 381. [HF537 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-HF537-Introduced.html
House
File
537
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
537
BY
WHEELER
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
Iowa
law
enforcement
academy
and
1
required
annual
training.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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537
Section
1.
Section
80B.11G,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
1
as
follows:
2
80B.11G
Annual
training
——
de-escalation
techniques
and
3
prevention
of
bias
.
4
1.
A
law
enforcement
agency
shall
provide
annual
training
5
to
every
law
enforcement
officer
on
issues
relating
to
6
de-escalation
techniques
and
the
prevention
of
bias
.
Every
law
7
enforcement
officer
in
the
state
must
participate
in
annual
8
training
in
accordance
with
this
section
.
9
2.
The
academy
shall
develop
and
disseminate
training
10
guidelines
for
all
law
enforcement
officers
consistent
with
11
best
practice
guidelines.
12
3.
Every
law
enforcement
officer
shall
adhere
to
the
13
training
guidelines
developed
by
the
academy
pursuant
to
this
14
section
.
The
training
guidelines
shall
include
all
of
the
15
following:
instruction
on
de-escalation
techniques,
including
16
verbal
and
physical
tactics
to
minimize
the
need
for
the
use
of
17
force
and
nonlethal
methods
of
applying
force.
18
a.
An
emphasis
on
law
enforcement
officer
understanding
19
and
respect
for
diverse
communities
and
the
importance
of
20
effective,
noncombative
methods
of
carrying
out
law
enforcement
21
activities
in
a
diverse
community.
22
b.
Instruction
on
diverse
communities
in
order
to
foster
23
mutual
respect
and
cooperation
between
law
enforcement
and
24
members
of
all
diverse
communities.
25
c.
An
examination
of
the
patterns,
practices,
and
protocols
26
that
cause
biased
law
enforcement
actions,
and
the
tools
to
27
prevent
such
actions.
28
d.
An
examination
and
identification
of
key
indices
and
29
perspectives
that
make
up
differences
among
residents
in
a
30
local
community.
31
e.
Instruction
on
implicit
bias
and
consideration
of
the
32
negative
impact
of
bias,
whether
intentional
or
implicit,
33
on
effective
law
enforcement,
including
examination
of
how
34
historical
perceptions
of
profiling
have
harmed
community
35
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H.F.
537
relations.
1
f.
Instruction
on
the
perspectives
of
diverse
local
2
constituency
groups
from
experts
on
particular
cultural
and
law
3
enforcement-community
relations
issues
in
a
local
area.
4
g.
A
presentation
of
the
history
and
the
role
of
the
civil
5
rights
movement
and
the
impact
on
law
enforcement.
6
h.
Instruction
on
de-escalation
techniques,
including
verbal
7
and
physical
tactics
to
minimize
the
need
for
the
use
of
force
8
and
nonlethal
methods
of
applying
force.
9
4.
In
developing
the
training
guidelines,
the
academy
shall
10
consult
with
the
Iowa
civil
rights
commission,
groups
and
11
individuals
having
an
interest
and
expertise
in
the
field
of
12
cultural
awareness
and
diversity,
and
advocacy
organizations
13
with
an
interest
and
expertise
in
the
field
of
biased
law
14
enforcement
actions.
The
academy
shall
also
consult
with
local
15
law
enforcement
agencies
to
consider
challenges
and
barriers
to
16
providing
training
under
the
guidelines
and
methods
to
ease
the
17
burden
on
such
agencies.
18
EXPLANATION
19
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
20
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
21
This
bill
relates
to
the
Iowa
law
enforcement
academy
and
22
required
annual
training.
23
Current
law
requires
every
law
enforcement
officer
in
the
24
state
to
participate
in
annual
training
on
issues
relating
to
25
de-escalation
techniques
and
the
prevention
of
bias.
26
The
bill
removes
the
requirement
of
annual
prevention
of
27
bias
training.
28
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