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Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa establishes sexual assault forensic examination grant program under the Department of Justice
Last action · March 3, 2025: Subcommittee: Lohse, Fett and Srinivas. H.J. 487 .Sponsor: Cherielynn Westrich
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What This Bill Would Do
The Iowa Department of Justice is required to establish a grant program and contract with an eligible nonprofit organization to operate and maintain sexual assault forensic examination centers across the state. To qualify, the nonprofit must be incorporated in Iowa, employ , and maintain treatment facilities dedicated to survivor services. The contracted organization must provide , facilitate training for professionals and the public, submit annual reports, and operate independently from state agency status under specified chapters.
Establishes a state-funded contractual relationship with a nonprofit entity to deliver specialized care and training for sexual assault survivors, affecting operating funding and service delivery standards across Iowa.
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.
sexual assault survivors
Survivors receive medical forensic services, specialized care, and holistic support through the centers operated by the contracting nonprofit organization.
medical practitioners
Practitioners receive training provided or facilitated by the contracting organization regarding the provision of medical forensic services to sexual assault survivors.
law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys
Officers and prosecutors receive trainings regarding sexual assault services from the contracting nonprofit organization.
Key Facts
- A sexual assault forensic examination center grant program is established within the department of justice.
- The attorney general must contract with an eligible nonprofit organization to operate and maintain sexual assault forensic examination centers in Iowa.
- To be eligible, a nonprofit organization must be incorporated in Iowa pursuant to chapter 504 and employ or retain sexual assault nurse examiners.
- Eligible nonprofits must maintain or be establishing treatment facilities primarily dedicated to providing a diverse range of services, including medical forensic services, to sexual assault survivors.
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- The contracting organization must provide services to adults, children, persons with disabilities, rural Iowans, and other underserved populations.
- The organization must provide or facilitate training to medical practitioners, law enforcement officers, prosecuting attorneys, and members of the public.
- The organization must submit an annual report to the attorney general describing the provided services and trainings.
- The contract shall provide general funding as reimbursement toward the contracting nonprofit organization's overall operating expenditures.
- The contracting organization is explicitly not considered a state agency for the purposes of Code chapter 8A, subchapter IV, or Code chapter 20 or 669.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who administers the grant program established by the bill?
What qualifications must a nonprofit organization meet to get the contract?
Is the contracting nonprofit organization considered a state agency?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
6 actions- Mar 3, 2025HouseSubcommittee: Lohse, Fett and Srinivas. H.J. 487 .
- Mar 3, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Feb 20, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 02/25/2025 3:30PM Room 217 Conference Room.
- Feb 20, 2025SenateSubcommittee: Westrich, Petersen, and Shipley. S.J. 327 .
- Feb 18, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Judiciary. S.J. 293 .
- Feb 13, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 316 .
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
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Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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