Iowa House Bill HF764

Iowa 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/5/25
• Refer: 4/3/25

Caption

A bill for an act relating to the collection of fines issued for excessive speed violations detected by an automated or remote system for traffic law enforcement, and including applicability provisions.(Formerly HF 3.)

Impact

As part of its provisions, HF764 also states that unpaid fines that arise from these violations will not be considered qualifying debt under Iowa law, specifically under section 421.65, which outlines setoff procedures. This exclusion means that such debts cannot be deducted from public payments owed to individuals, such as tax refunds. The bill seeks to limit local authority's control over how fines are collected, thereby changing the landscape of traffic violation enforcement.

Summary

House File 764 aims to regulate the collection of fines issued for excessive speed violations detected by automated or remote systems used in traffic law enforcement. The bill prohibits local authorities from entering into or renewing contracts with third parties for the collection of such fines. This means that local governments must handle all fine collections internally without outsourcing to external agencies. The goal of the bill is to establish clearer authority and streamline the collection process for automated traffic enforcement fines.

Contention

One notable point of contention surrounding this bill is the potential impact on local governments, which may rely on third-party services for efficient fine collection. Supporters argue that this bill will ensure better management of enforcement processes by keeping them within local jurisdictions and safeguarding residents against aggressive third-party collection practices. Meanwhile, opponents might express concerns that this could lead to a backlog in fine collections if local authorities lack the resources to manage them efficiently, potentially undermining law enforcement efforts.