DES MOINES – Gov. Terry Branstad today signed Senate File 2288 into law which makes juvenile records confidential unless a judge issues an order making them public.
This law was outlined in the governor’s Condition of the State address earlier this year and follows a recommendation that was made by the Governor’s Working Group on Justice Policy Reform. Gov. Branstad signed the bill in the Capitol Rotunda and was joined by a many stakeholder groups from state government, local government, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and others.
Senate File 2288: an Act relating to the confidentiality of juvenile court records in delinquency proceedings. Official juvenile court records in all cases except those alleging the commission of a delinquent act that would be a forcible felony if committed by an adult shall be confidential and are not public records.
This law applies to juvenile delinquency proceedings which are pending or arise on or after July 1, 2016.
The bill passed the Iowa Senate 48-0 on February 25, 2016 and the Iowa House 97-1 on March 1, 2016.
