Iowa 2023 2023-2024 Regular Session

Iowa Senate Bill SF2340 Introduced / Fiscal Note

Filed 05/08/2024

                    1 
 
SF 2340 – Illegal Entry or Presence, Prohibition and Enforcement (LSB6048SV.1) 
Staff Contact:  Molly Kilker (515.725.1286) molly.kilker@legis.iowa.gov 
Fiscal Note Version – Final Action     
Description 
Senate File 2340 creates a new Iowa Code chapter related to illegal reentry into the State by 
certain aliens; creates procedures for law enforcement, the Department of Public Safety (DPS), 
and judicial officers; and establishes criminal offenses. 
 
Senate File 2340 establishes that a person commits an aggravated misdemeanor if the person 
enters, attempts to enter, or is at any time found in the State under the following circumstances: 
• The person has been denied admission to or has been excluded, deported, or removed from 
the United States. 
• The person has departed from the United States while an order of exclusion, deportation, or 
removal is outstanding. 
 
Under the Bill, a person commits a Class D felony under the following circumstances: 
• The person’s removal was after a conviction for the commission of two or more 
misdemeanors involving drugs, crimes against a person, or both. 
• The person was excluded pursuant to 8 U.S.C. §1225(c) (inspection by immigration officers; 
expedited removal of inadmissible arriving aliens; referral for hearing) because the 
defendant was excludable under 8 USC §12282(a)(3)(B).  
• The person was removed pursuant to the provisions of 8 U.S.C. ch. 12, subch. V (alien 
terrorist removal procedures). 
• The person was removed pursuant to 8 U.S.C. §1231(a)(4)(B) (detention and removal of 
aliens). 
 
Under the Bill, a person commits a Class C felony if the person was removed after a conviction 
for the commission of a felony. A person also commits a Class C felony if they are charged with 
an offense under the Bill, a judge issued an order for the person to return to the foreign nation 
from which the person entered, and the person failed to comply with the order. 
 
Senate File 2340 sets rules for peace officers and the DPS that limit locations an individual may 
be arrested for illegal reentry, tasks required prior to the issuance of a return order, and criminal 
record reporting requirements. 
 
The Bill creates procedures for the Judicial Branch and judges related to written orders; restricts 
the use of deferred judgments, sentences or suspended sentences in certain circumstances; 
and restricts the abatement of prosecution in certain circumstances.  
 
The Bill also provides standards related to civil immunity for and indemnification of local and 
state government officials, employees, and contractors.  
Background 
A Class C felony is punishable by confinement for up to 10 years and a fine of at least $1,370 
but not more than $13,660.  A Class D felony is punishable by confinement for up to five years 
Fiscal Note 
Fiscal Services Division  2 
and a fine of at least $1,025 but not more than $10,245.  An aggravated misdemeanor is 
punishable by confinement for up to two years and a fine of at least $855 but not more than 
$8,540. 
Assumptions 
• The following will not change over the projection period:  charge, conviction, and sentencing 
patterns and trends; prisoner length of stay (LOS); revocation rates; plea bargaining; and 
other criminal justice system policies and practices.  
• A delay of six months is assumed from the effective date of this Bill to the date of first entry 
of affected offenders into the correctional system. 
• Marginal costs for county jails cannot be estimated due to a lack of data.  For purposes of 
this analysis, the marginal cost for county jails is assumed to be $50 per day. 
 
Correctional Impact 
Senate File 2340 creates new criminal offenses, and the correctional impact cannot be 
estimated due to a lack of existing conviction data.  Figure 1 shows estimates for sentencing to 
State prison, parole, probation, or Community-Based Corrections (CBC) residential facilities; 
LOS in months under those supervisions; and supervision marginal costs per day for Class C 
felonies, Class D felonies, and aggravated misdemeanors.  Refer to the Legislative Services 
Agency (LSA) memo addressed to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional 
Impact Statements, dated January 16, 2024, for information related to the correctional system. 
Figure 1 — Sentencing Estimate and Length of Stay 
 
Minority Impact 
Senate File 2340 creates new criminal offenses.  As a result, Criminal and Juvenile Justice 
Planning (CJJP) of the Department of Management (DOM) cannot use existing data to estimate 
the minority impact of the Bill.  Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly, 
Minority Impact Statement, dated January 16, 2024, for information related to minorities in the 
criminal justice system.  
Fiscal Impact 
Senate File 2340 creates new criminal offenses, and the fiscal impact to the correctional system 
cannot be estimated due to a lack of existing conviction data.  Figure 2 shows the average 
State cost per offense for a Class C felony, a Class D felony, and an aggravated misdemeanor.  
The estimated impact to the State General Fund includes operating costs incurred by the 
Judicial Branch, the Indigent Defense Fund, and the Department of Corrections (DOC).  The 
cost would be incurred across multiple fiscal years for prison and parole supervision.  
Figure 2 — Average State Cost Per Offense 
 
 
The cost to transport an individual to a port of entry is unknown.  Although the fiscal impact 
cannot be estimated, it may be significant. Conviction Offense Class
Percent 
Ordered to 
State 
Prison
FY 2023 
Avg LOS in 
Prison (All 
Releases)
Marginal 
Cost Per 
Day Prison
Percent 
Ordered 
to 
Probation
FY23 
Field Avg 
LOS on 
Probation
Avg Cost 
Per Day on 
Probation
Percent 
Sentenced 
to CBC 
Residential 
Facility
Marginal 
Cost Per 
Day CBC
Percent 
Ordered 
to County 
Jail
Marginal 
Cost Per 
Day Jail
FY23 
Field Avg 
LOS on 
Parole
Marginal 
Cost Per 
Day Parole
C Felony (Non-Persons) 86.0% 19.4 $24.94 64.2% 42.2 7.67$          13.0% 20.00$     34.0% 50.00$   21.3 7.67$        
D Felony (Non-Persons) 84.4% 13.0 $24.94 69.8% 39.5 7.67$          14.5% 20.00$     32.2% 50.00$   15.7 7.67$        
Aggravated Misdemeanor 
(Non-Persons)
30.4% 7.5 $24.94 45.0% 25.1 7.67$          3.6% 20.00$     71.7% 50.00$   11.9 7.67$         Offense Class Average Cost
Class C Felony $14,300 to $27,500
Class D Felony $12,600 to $18,200
Aggravated Misdemeanor$7,500 to $10,800  3 
Sources 
Department of Corrections  
Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning, Department of Management 
Department of Public Safety 
Judicial Branch 
Legislative Services Agency 
 
 
 
May 8, 2024 
 
 
 
Doc ID 1449074 
 
 
The fiscal note for this Bill was prepared pursuant to Joint Rule 17 and the Iowa Code.  Data used in developing this 
fiscal note is available from the Fiscal Services Division of the Legislative Services Agency upon request.  
 
www.legis.iowa.gov