House File 901 - Reprinted HOUSE FILE 901 BY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY (SUCCESSOR TO HF 539) (As Amended and Passed by the House March 24, 2025 ) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the law enforcement academy, including 1 military veterans with active duty military police 2 experience and former federal law enforcement officers. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 HF 901 (3) 91 as/js/md
H.F. 901 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 80B.20 Military veterans with 1 active duty military police experience former federal law 2 enforcement officers. 3 1. A veteran may qualify for lateral transfer to a law 4 enforcement agency in this state without completing the academy 5 training program if the veteran meets the following criteria: 6 a. Has served a minimum of four years of active duty in the 7 United States armed forces. 8 b. Has held a primary military occupational specialty or 9 equivalent designation as a military police officer in the 10 army, or its equivalent in other branches, and has primarily 11 served in a law enforcement capacity. 12 c. Has successfully completed accredited military police 13 training equivalent to or exceeding the academys standards. 14 d. Has received an honorable discharge within three years of 15 applying for a lateral transfer. 16 2. A former federal law enforcement officer may qualify 17 for lateral transfer to a law enforcement agency in this state 18 without completing the academy training program if the former 19 federal law enforcement officer meets the following criteria: 20 a. Has served a minimum of four years as a federal law 21 enforcement officer. 22 b. Has successfully completed accredited federal law 23 enforcement training equivalent to or exceeding the academys 24 standards within three years of applying for a lateral 25 transfer. 26 3. An eligible veteran shall submit an application to the 27 council for evaluation. The application shall include all of 28 the following: 29 a. Proof of military service and discharge status. 30 b. Certification of military police training and experience. 31 c. Documentation of relevant duties performed during active 32 duty. 33 4. An eligible federal law enforcement officer shall submit 34 an application to the council for evaluation. The application 35 -1- HF 901 (3) 91 as/js/md 1/ 2
H.F. 901 shall include all of the following: 1 a. Proof of employment as a federal law enforcement officer. 2 b. Certification of federal law enforcement training and 3 experience. 4 c. Documentation of relevant duties performed during 5 employment as a federal law enforcement officer. 6 5. The council shall review the applications and issue 7 a certificate of equivalency to veterans or former federal 8 law enforcement officers who meet the respective eligibility 9 criteria. 10 6. Veterans or former federal law enforcement officers 11 granted a certificate of equivalency must do all of the 12 following: 13 a. Complete an Iowa-specific law enforcement orientation 14 course administered by the academy, focusing on state laws, 15 procedures, and community policing that is equivalent to the 16 training required of an out-of-state law enforcement officer 17 transferring to a law enforcement agency in this state. 18 b. Undergo any required background checks and psychological 19 evaluations as required for all new law enforcement hires in 20 this state. 21 7. Failure of a veteran or former federal law enforcement 22 officer to become certified within one year of being granted 23 a certificate of equivalency shall void the certificate and 24 would require the veteran or former federal law enforcement 25 officer to resubmit an application for a new certificate of 26 equivalency. 27 8. The council shall develop procedures and guidelines for 28 evaluating military police training and equivalency standards. 29 9. The council shall publish an annual report including 30 data on the number of veterans and former federal law 31 enforcement officers transitioning to state law enforcement 32 and the veterans and former federal law enforcement officers 33 performance in law enforcement roles. 34 -2- HF 901 (3) 91 as/js/md 2/ 2