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HF 879 – Critical Infrastructure Sabotage, Broadband (LSB2540HV.1)
Staff Contact: Justus Thompson (515.725.2249) justus.thompson@legis.iowa.gov
Fiscal Note Version – Revised (Fiscal Impact)
Description
House File 879 relates to critical infrastructure sabotage. The Bill expands the definition of
“critical infrastructure” under Iowa Code section 716.11(1)(c) to include a telecommunications
service, information service, or cable service as defined in 47 U.S.C. §153 or a wireless service
as defined in Iowa Code section 8C.2.
Background
A person who overtly, intentionally, and without authorization causes or has the means to
cause, and in substantial furtherance of causing, a substantial and widespread interruption or
impairment of a fundamental service rendered by critical infrastructure commits critical
infrastructure sabotage, a Class B felony.
In FY 2024, there were no convictions and no individuals were admitted to prison or probation
under Iowa Code section 716.11.
A Class B felony is punishable by up to 25 years of confinement and a fine of at least $85,000
but not more than $100,000.
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
House File 879 expands the definition of critical infrastructure. The correctional impact cannot
be determined due to a lack of existing conviction data, and it is unknown how many additional
convictions would result from the changes to the definition. 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 B felonies. Refer to the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) memo addressed
to the General Assembly, Cost Estimates Used for Correctional Impact Statements, dated
January 13, 2025, for information related to the correctional system.
Fiscal Note
Fiscal Services Division 2
Figure 1 — Sentencing Estimate and Length of Stay (LOS) in Months
Minority Impact
House File 879 expands the definition of critical infrastructure. The minority impact cannot be
determined since it is not known how many additional convictions would result from the changes
to the definition. Refer to the LSA memo addressed to the General Assembly, Minority Impact
Statement, dated January 13, 2025, for information related to minorities in the criminal justice
system.
Fiscal Impact
The fiscal impact of HF 879 cannot be determined since it is not known how many additional
convictions would result from the changes to the definition. Figure 2 shows the average State
cost per offense for a Class B felony. The estimated impact to the 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
Sources
Department of Corrections
Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning (CJJP), Department of Management (DOM)
/s/ Jennifer Acton
March 21, 2025
Doc ID 1524921
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 Conviction Offense Class
Percent
Ordered to
State Prison
FY 2024 Avg
LOS in
Prison (All
Releases)
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Prison
Percent
Ordered to
Probation
FY 2024
Field Avg
LOS on
Probation
Avg Cost
Per Day on
Probation
Marginal
Cost Per
Day CBC
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Jail
FY 2024
Field Avg
LOS on
Parole
Marginal
Cost Per
Day Parole
B Felony Non-Persons 94.1% 25.5 $24.51 24.8% 63.4 $7.68 $18.37 $50.00 33.4 $7.68 Offense ClassAverage Cost
Class B Felony$17,600 to $47,300