Iowa Senate Bill SSB3087

Iowa 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/28/26
• Refer: 1/28/26

Caption

A bill for an act relating to the safety of persons in certain professions involved with the judicial system, including authorizing a judicial officer, attorney general, deputy attorney general, or assistant attorney general to be issued a professional permit to carry weapons, and establishing the criminal offenses of threatening and the malicious sharing of personal information of a judicial officer or a judicial officer's immediate family, and providing penalties.(See SF 2280.)

Summary

SSB3087 is a public-safety bill focused on protecting judicial officers and certain state legal কর্মকর্তারা by expanding access to professional permits to carry weapons and by creating new criminal offenses tied to threats and doxxing-like conduct. Under the bill, judicial officers, the attorney general, deputy attorneys general, and assistant attorneys general would be eligible for professional carry permits, with permits for those positions valid for the duration of employment unless canceled. The bill also allows the Iowa Supreme Court to impose additional training or other requirements on judicial officers who hold such permits. The bill further creates a new felony offense for threatening a judicial officer or the judicial officer’s immediate family member when done with intent to cause fear of serious injury, interrupt judicial duties, or retaliate for official acts. It also creates a new serious misdemeanor for maliciously sharing a judicial officer’s or immediate family member’s personal information with intent to cause harm, instill fear, or interfere with the judge’s work. The bill defines immediate family member, retaliation, and personal information for these offenses, and it limits courtroom carry to concealed carry except for peace officers and correctional officers performing their duties.

Impact

The bill would amend Iowa Code section 724.6 to add judicial officers and specified attorneys general staff to the list of persons eligible for professional permits to carry weapons, and it would change the scope and duration of those permits. It would also add a new requirement that weapons carried inside a courtroom be concealed, except for peace officers and correctional officers on duty. In addition, the bill would create two new criminal code sections, section 708.17 and section 708.18, establishing new offenses and penalties for threats against judicial officers and for malicious sharing of their personal information or that of their immediate family members.

Sentiment

The available bill text and explanation suggest a strongly protective, security-oriented purpose, with the bill framed as a response to risks faced by judges and related legal officials. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support from debate or floor action. Based on the content alone, the measure appears intended to address concerns about intimidation, retaliation, and personal safety in the judicial system.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are the new criminal penalties and the breadth of the conduct covered, especially the offense for sharing personal information with harmful intent, which could raise free-speech or overbreadth concerns. Another possible issue is the expansion of armed carry authority for judicial officers and top prosecutors, including carry in schools and courtrooms, which may prompt debate about security policy, training standards, and courtroom safety. The bill also gives the Iowa Supreme Court authority to impose additional training or requirements, which could be viewed as either a safeguard or an added administrative burden.