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SF 350IOWASession 2025-2026State Billin committee
High Impact

Iowa Senate Bill 350 establishes rules, oversight, compensation, and criminal penalties for delegates to a potential U.S. constitutional convention

Original title: A bill for an act concerning persons appointed to a convention called by the United States Congress to propose amendments to the Constitution of the United States, making appropriations, and providing penalties.

Last action · February 20, 2025: Subcommittee: Schultz, Blake, and Green. S.J. 328 .Sponsor: Jesse Green

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Would Do

Senate File 350 establishes a comprehensive legal framework for selecting, compensating, overseeing, and penalizing Iowa commissioners and alternates sent to any future of states. The bill sets strict eligibility criteria, creates an advisory oversight committee, establishes a special session call mechanism, and imposes penalties for commissioners who vote outside authorized topics or individuals who bribe or intimidate delegates.

Why it matters

The measure determines how Iowa would govern its representatives at a national constitutional convention, allocating state funds for delegate salaries and establishing criminal penalties for unauthorized voting or interference with delegates.

Background
  • Article V of the United States Constitution provides two methods for proposing amendments: through Congress or via a convention called upon the application of two-thirds of state legislatures. context
  • Numerous state legislatures have passed resolutions over decades calling for conventions on specific topics, though a formal convention has never been called under this provision. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Commissioners and Alternate Commissioners

Commissioners and alternates are subject to strict eligibility rules, mandatory oaths, oversight by an advisory committee, district-court-judge salary equivalents, and class "D" felony penalties for unauthorized actions.

Directly affected

General Assembly of the State of Iowa

Both chambers of the general assembly are required to select commissioners, adopt commissioning resolutions, participate in special session calls, and fund delegation compensation and expenses.

Directly affected

Secretary of State

The secretary of state receives executed oaths and issues official credentials to commissioners.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to serve as a commissioner representing Iowa at an Article V convention?
A commissioner must be a U.S. citizen and Iowa resident for at least the last five years, at least 25 years old, registered to vote in Iowa, and not a registered lobbyist, government employee, recent federal appointee/elected official, felon, or recent member of the general assembly.
How are commissioners compensated during a convention?
Commissioners are paid on a monthly basis at a rate equivalent to the salary of a district court judge, receive standard legislative expense allowances, and are considered employees of the general assembly for administrative purposes.
What criminal penalties apply if a commissioner violates their voting instructions?
A commissioner who knowingly introduces, sponsors, or votes for a proposed amendment outside their authorized topic scope is guilty of a .

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

2 actions
  1. Feb 20, 2025Senate
    Subcommittee: Schultz, Blake, and Green. S.J. 328 .
  2. Feb 18, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, referred to State Government. S.J. 295 .

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Jesse GreenSenate · District 24RepublicanPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Comprehensive State-Level Oversight of Federal Convention Delegates

The bill creates an intricate enforcement and penalty structure, including felony charges and advisory committee oversight, to bind state-appointed delegates to specific instructions during a federal constitutional convention.

General Assembly of the State of IowaUnited States Congress

Connected Entities

Jesse Green, United States Congress, Hawaii and 6 more
PersonJesse Green“Primary sponsor of Senate File 350 in the upper house”Map →
OrganizationUnited States Congress“Body authorized under Article V of the U.S. Constitution to call a convention”Map →
locationHawaii“State noted as the only one not having enacted resolutions calling for an Articl”Map →
PersonAttorney General“Official who must be notified by advisory committee members upon a determination”Map →
OrganizationSecretary of State“State officer with whom commissioners must file their executed oaths”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly of the State of Iowa“State legislative body responsible for selecting commissioners and funding the d”Map →
locationIowa“State whose legislature appoints commissioners to an Article V convention”Map →
PersonJones“Sponsor of companion bill House File 438”Map →
locationPolk County“Geographic reference point for determining general assembly member expense allow”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legis.iowa.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance75
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy65
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz35
    Current news / social attention level

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