News : Atty General Brenna Bird’s Victims Protections Bill and Katie’s Law move forward

Katie’s Law 

• Enacted in some form in over 30 states already, this bill requires DNA collection from individuals arrested for felony or aggravated misdemeanor offenses. This bill creates a safe and powerful tool that allows our law enforcement and our cold case unit to identify subjects, solve crimes more quickly, and prevent repeat offenses.   

Victims’ Protections 

• This bill protects victims of violent crimes. It allows sex abuse victims, including children, to get lifetime no-contact orders so they don’t have to go before a judge and relive their trauma every five years. Sex offenders will have to notify the sheriff of changes in residence, work, and vehicle in three days instead of five, and crime victim counselors will be allowed to share crucial information with law enforcement when there is immediate risk of harm.    

“No criminal should ever get away with murder, rape, or any other violent crime,” said Attorney General Bird. “We need to give law enforcement the tools they need to investigate and bring violent criminals to justice. That’s why we want Katie’s Law in Iowa — to collect DNA at arrests for felonies and aggravated misdemeanors, so law enforcement can catch violent criminals like Katie Sepich’s killer. We also want Iowa to be a state where crime victims are prioritized, which is exactly what the Victims’ Protection bill will do. Thank you to the subcommittee members who voted to advance these critical bills.”  

Read the full bills here and here.