Hunter
01/02/23
The Iowa Legislature will consider a variety of pre-filed bills ahead of next week’s 2023 session debut.
The Gazette reports that each year, the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency collects proposed legislation filed ahead of the upcoming session, posting them online.
The State Public Safety Department is asking that children be required to ride in a rear-facing car seat until age 3 and weighing up to 30 pounds, and require them to ride in a safety seat until they turn 8 years old. The current law requires rear-facing car seats for kids up to 1 year old weighing less than 20 pounds, and staying in a safety seat until they turn 6. The proposal would bring Iowa in line with regulations in neighboring states.
The PSD is also championing making cellphone use a crime while driving, with the exception of hands-free use. Texting while driving is currently a punishable offense.
The Iowa Public Defense Department wants it to be a crime for someone to point a laser at an aircraft. The Iowa National Guard says that while there have been no injury to crew or aircraft, Guard planes and Army helicopters have become targets. The proposal would categorize the action as an assault, with sentences ranging from 30 days to ten years, depending on severity.
The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board wants legislation to prohibit campaign organizations from collecting automatic donations without a donor’s active consent. During recent election cycles, donors have made what they thought were one-time contributions to certain campaigns that were in fact recurring donations that weren’t stopped until the donor specifically requests it.
The full list of current proposals is available at legis.iowa.gov under “pre-filed bills.”