Senate
File
2129
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
2129
BY
DAWSON
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
restoration
of
voting
rights
to
certain
1
convicted
persons
and
including
effective
date
provisions.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
TLSB
6224XS
(3)
88
ss/jh
S.F.
2129
Section
1.
Section
48A.6,
subsection
1,
Code
2020,
is
1
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
1.
A
person
who
has
been
convicted
of
a
felony
as
defined
3
in
section
701.7
,
or
convicted
of
an
offense
classified
as
4
a
felony
under
federal
law
,
and
who
has
not
discharged
the
5
person’s
sentence
as
provided
in
section
48A.6A
.
If
the
6
person’s
rights
are
later
restored
by
the
governor,
or
by
the
7
president
of
the
United
States,
the
person
may
register
to
8
vote.
9
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
48A.6A
Discharge
of
sentence
——
10
definition.
11
A
person
shall
not
be
considered
to
have
discharged
a
12
sentence
for
purposes
of
Article
II,
section
5,
of
the
13
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
and
section
48A.6
unless
the
14
person
has
done
all
of
the
following:
15
1.
Completed
any
term
of
confinement,
parole,
and
16
probation,
and
completed
any
special
sentence
imposed
pursuant
17
to
chapter
903B.
18
2.
For
an
offense
under
chapter
707,
received
a
pardon
or
19
restoration
of
rights
from
the
governor.
20
3.
Paid
all
pecuniary
damages
imposed
pursuant
to
chapter
21
910,
as
confirmed
by
the
clerk
of
the
court.
22
Sec.
3.
CONTINGENT
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
Act
takes
effect
23
upon
the
ratification
of
a
constitutional
amendment
originating
24
in
a
resolution
passed
during
the
eighty-eighth
general
25
assembly
relating
to
the
restoration
of
the
voting
rights
of
26
felons
upon
the
discharge
of
a
criminal
sentence
pursuant
to
27
Article
X,
section
1,
of
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa.
28
Sec.
4.
CONTINGENT
REPEAL
DATE.
This
Act
is
repealed
if
29
a
constitutional
amendment
relating
to
the
restoration
of
30
the
voting
rights
of
felons
upon
the
discharge
of
a
criminal
31
sentence
is
not
ratified
pursuant
to
Article
X,
section
1,
of
32
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa
prior
to
January
1,
2023.
33
EXPLANATION
34
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
35
-1-
LSB
6224XS
(3)
88
ss/jh
1/
2
S.F.
2129
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
1
This
bill
relates
to
the
definition
of
a
discharge
2
of
a
criminal
sentence
for
the
purposes
of
the
automatic
3
restoration
of
a
convicted
person’s
voting
rights
pursuant
to
4
a
constitutional
amendment
originating
in
a
resolution
passed
5
during
the
88th
general
assembly
relating
to
the
restoration
of
6
the
voting
rights
of
felons
upon
the
discharge
of
a
criminal
7
sentence.
If
the
constitutional
amendment
contained
in
such
8
a
resolution
is
ratified
by
the
electors
pursuant
to
Article
9
X,
section
1,
of
the
Constitution
of
the
State
of
Iowa,
the
10
bill
becomes
effective
and
defines
the
discharge
of
a
criminal
11
sentence
as
including
all
of
the
following:
the
completion
of
12
confinement,
parole,
and
probation,
and
any
special
sentence
13
imposed
pursuant
to
Code
chapter
903B
(sex
offender
special
14
sentencing
and
hormone
treatment);
the
receipt
of
a
pardon
or
a
15
restoration
of
rights
from
the
governor
for
an
offense
under
16
Code
chapter
707
(homicide
and
related
crimes);
and
the
payment
17
of
all
pecuniary
damages
imposed
pursuant
to
Code
chapter
18
910
(restitution).
The
bill
is
repealed
if
a
constitutional
19
amendment
relating
to
the
restoration
of
the
voting
rights
20
of
felons
upon
the
discharge
of
a
criminal
sentence
is
not
21
ratified
prior
to
January
1,
2023.
22
-2-
LSB
6224XS
(3)
88
ss/jh
2/
2