Bill Text: IA SF2321 | 2013-2014 | 85th General Assembly | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to jurisdiction over certain offenses committed by members of the state military forces, and establishing certain notification and reporting requirements. (Formerly SF 2111.) Effective 7-1-14.

Sponsorship: Committee Bill

Status: (Passed) 2014-04-03 - Signed by Governor. S.J. 720. [SF2321 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2013-SF2321-Amended.html
Senate File 2321 - Reprinted SENATE FILE 2321 BY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS (SUCCESSOR TO SF 2111) (As Amended and Passed by the Senate March 10, 2014 ) A BILL FOR An Act relating to jurisdiction over certain offenses committed 1 by members of the state military forces, and establishing 2 certain notification and reporting requirements. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 SF 2321 (4) 85 aw/rj/jh
S.F. 2321 Section 1. Section 29B.16, Code 2014, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 29B.16 Jurisdiction of courts-martial in general. 3 1. Each force of the state military forces has court-martial 4 jurisdiction over all persons subject to this code. 5 2. Courts-martial have primary jurisdiction of military 6 offenses as defined in sections 29B.77 through 29B.116 of this 7 code. 8 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 29B.90A Interference with report of a 9 crime to civilian law enforcement. 10 Any person subject to this code shall be punished as 11 a court-martial may direct if the person does any of the 12 following: 13 1. Interferes with or reprises against any member of the 14 state military forces who has indicated the intent to make or 15 who has made a report to civilian law enforcement of a crime 16 listed in section 29B.116A, subsection 1, where the accused and 17 the victim are subject to this code at the time of the offense. 18 2. Fails to cooperate with or obstructs a civilian law 19 enforcement investigation based upon a report in subsection 1. 20 Sec. 3. Section 29B.116, Code 2014, is amended to read as 21 follows: 22 29B.116 General article. 23 Though Subject to section 29B.116A, though not specifically 24 mentioned in this code, all disorders and neglects to the 25 prejudice of good order and discipline in the state military 26 forces and all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon 27 the state military forces , of which persons subject to this 28 code may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general, 29 special, or summary court-martial, according to the nature and 30 degree of the offense, and shall be punished at the discretion 31 of that court. However, cognizance shall not be taken of, and 32 jurisdiction shall not be extended to, the crimes of murder, 33 manslaughter, sexual abuse, robbery, maiming, arson, extortion, 34 assault, burglary, or housebreaking, jurisdiction of which is 35 -1- SF 2321 (4) 85 aw/rj/jh 1/ 4
S.F. 2321 reserved to civil courts. 1 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 29B.116A Jurisdiction of offenses by 2 civilian courts and notification of civilian authorities. 3 1. a. Jurisdiction under this code shall not be extended 4 to the crimes of murder, manslaughter, sexual abuse, robbery, 5 arson, extortion, assault, or burglary, jurisdiction of which 6 is reserved exclusively to civilian courts. 7 b. The term “civilian criminal offenses” includes all 8 offenses not defined in this code. Primary jurisdiction over 9 civilian criminal offenses shall be with civilian courts, even 10 when committed by a member of the state military forces while 11 subject to this code. 12 c. Where a civilian criminal offense and a military offense 13 defined in this code may be charged based on the same event, 14 concurrent civilian and military jurisdiction shall exist. 15 2. a. A commander, who is made aware of an allegation 16 that an offense under subsection 1, paragraph “a” or “b” , 17 has been committed by a member of the state military forces 18 against another member of the state military forces while both 19 are subject to this code, shall notify local civilian law 20 enforcement authorities without delay. 21 b. (1) Regarding an allegation of sexual abuse, the 22 commander shall provide the person making the allegation with 23 written notice of the person’s right to notify local civilian 24 law enforcement authorities independently, as described 25 in subsection 3. The written notice shall include contact 26 information for an appropriate civilian law enforcement 27 authority. 28 (2) Regarding an allegation of sexual abuse, the 29 commander’s obligation to notify under paragraph “a” shall 30 not apply to an allegation that is a restricted report, 31 as that term is defined in federal military regulations. 32 The commander’s obligation to notify under paragraph “a” 33 shall apply to an allegation of sexual abuse that is an 34 unrestricted report, as that term is defined in federal 35 -2- SF 2321 (4) 85 aw/rj/jh 2/ 4
S.F. 2321 military regulations. The commander’s written notification 1 under subparagraph (1) shall inform the person making an 2 allegation of sexual abuse that if the person consents to 3 making an unrestricted report that the person is thereby 4 consenting to the commander notifying an appropriate civilian 5 law enforcement authority so that such an authority may 6 initiate an investigation or collect evidence. The commander’s 7 written notification under subparagraph (1) shall also inform 8 the person making the allegation that if the person consents 9 to making an unrestricted report that the person is not 10 required to speak with civilian law enforcement investigators 11 or otherwise participate in an investigation by a civilian law 12 enforcement authority. 13 3. Members of the state military forces who are victims of 14 offenses described in subsection 1 retain the right to notify 15 local civilian law enforcement authorities independently. 16 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 29B.116B Adjutant general report. 17 The adjutant general shall report annually, by January 15, 18 to the governor and to the chairpersons and ranking members of 19 the general assembly’s standing committees on veterans affairs 20 on the number of offenses described in section 29B.116A, 21 subsection 1, which have reported to civilian law enforcement 22 authorities in the prior year, if such offenses were committed 23 by a member of the state military forces against another 24 member of the state military forces while both are subject to 25 this code. The report shall provide such numbers by type of 26 offense. 27 Sec. 6. Section 803.1, subsection 1, Code 2014, is amended 28 by adding the following new paragraph: 29 NEW PARAGRAPH . f. The offense is committed by a member of 30 the state military forces against another member of the state 31 military forces, both are in a duty status at the time of the 32 offense, whether inside or outside the state, and the offense 33 is one for which civil courts have jurisdiction under section 34 29B.116A. However, for those offenses subject to both civilian 35 -3- SF 2321 (4) 85 aw/rj/jh 3/ 4
S.F. 2321 and military jurisdiction, civilian jurisdiction shall not be 1 declined solely on that basis. 2 -4- SF 2321 (4) 85 aw/rj/jh 4/ 4
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