Bill Text: IA SF2136 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to inmate reading rooms in correctional institutions. (Formerly SSB 3035.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-15 - Referred to Judiciary. S.J. 692. [SF2136 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF2136-Introduced.html
Senate File 2136 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3035) A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to inmate reading rooms in correctional 2 institutions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5240SV (1) 87 jm/rh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 904.310A, Code 2018, is amended by 1 2 striking the section and inserting in lieu thereof the 1 3 following: 1 4 904.310A Information or materials == distribution. 1 5 1. Funds appropriated to the department or other funds made 1 6 available to the department shall not be used to distribute 1 7 or make available any commercially published information or 1 8 material to an inmate when such information or material is 1 9 sexually explicit or features nudity. 1 10 2. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 1 11 to administer this section. 1 12 EXPLANATION 1 13 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 14 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 15 This bill relates to inmate reading rooms in correctional 1 16 institutions. 1 17 The bill strikes a provision requiring the director of the 1 18 department of corrections to provide, as necessary, suitable 1 19 space for reading material for inmates. Additionally, the 1 20 bill prohibits the department of corrections from using 1 21 any appropriated funds or other funds made available to the 1 22 department to distribute or make available any commercially 1 23 published information or material to an inmate that is sexually 1 24 explicit or features nudity. 1 25 Currently, the reading material provided by the department 1 26 of corrections shall not include sexually explicit material 1 27 which the average person, taking the material as a whole and 1 28 applying contemporary community standards with respect to 1 29 what is suitable material for inmates, would find appeals 1 30 to the prurient interest and is patently offensive; and the 1 31 material, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, scientific, 1 32 political, or artistic value. Current law also provides that 1 33 the space for reading material shall be located in a place 1 34 where visitors to the institution are not able to view the 1 35 reading space or materials. LSB 5240SV (1) 87 jm/rh
