---
type: "Bill"
title: "A bill for an act relating to habitual offenders, and providing penalties."
description: "A bill for an act relating to habitual offenders, and providing penalties."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ia"
legislature: "Iowa General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "HF 2542"
citation: "Iowa HF 2542 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["criminal law", "habitual offenders"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 12
action_count: 40
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2026-02-16"
last_action: "2026-06-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/25e0b79f-99da-42f6-95a9-0591bc92d213"
source_url: "https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF 2542&ga=91"
source_hash: "fcaa00182a5465837ab44513b5ec8640ae8bd0859d3491b3f880596ec996112e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ia"]
---

# Iowa HF 2542 (2025-2026) — A bill for an act relating to habitual offenders, and providing penalties.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/attachments/HF2542.html)
2. **Amendment H-8116** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/H8116.pdf)
3. **Amendment H-8120** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/H8120.pdf)
4. **Amendment H-8121** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/H8121.pdf)
5. **Amendment H-8124** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/H8124.pdf)
6. **Amendment H-8470** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/H8470.pdf)
7. **Amendment S-5126** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/S5126.pdf)
8. **Amendment S-5252** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/S5252.pdf)
9. **Enrolled with Governor's Action** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGEG/91/attachments/HF2542.html)
10. **Reprinted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGR/91/attachments/HF2542.html)
11. **Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/Attachments/HF2542_GovLetter.pdf)
12. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/attachments/HF2542.html)

## Votes

- Shall the bill pass? — **39–6** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY — primary (organization)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-02-16** Introduced, placed on calendar. `introduction`
- **2026-03-03** Amendment H-8116 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-03-03** Amendments H-8120, H-8121 and H-8124 filed.
- **2026-03-03** Fiscal note.
- **2026-03-04** Point of order raised on amendment H-8121, ruled not germane.
- **2026-03-04** Motion to suspend rules for immediate consideration of amendment H-8121, yeas 31, nays 64.
- **2026-03-04** Motion to suspend rules failed.
- **2026-03-04** Point of order raised on amendment H-8124, ruled not germane.
- **2026-03-04** Motion to suspend rules for immediate consideration of amendment H-8124, yeas 33, nays 62.
- **2026-03-04** Motion to suspend rules failed.
- **2026-03-04** Amendment H-8116 adopted. `amendment-passage`
- **2026-03-04** Amendment H-8120, yeas 31, nays 63, lost.
- **2026-03-04** Motion to defer, yeas 30, nays 63, lost.
- **2026-03-04** Passed House, yeas 68, nays 23. `passage`
- **2026-03-04** Immediate message.
- **2026-03-05** Message from House.
- **2026-03-05** Read first time, referred to Judiciary. `reading-1`
- **2026-03-10** Subcommittee: Bousselot, Dawson, and Knox.
- **2026-03-10** Subcommittee Meeting: 03/12/2026 12:30PM Room 315.
- **2026-03-12** Subcommittee recommends passage. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-16** Fiscal note.
- **2026-03-24** Committee report, recommending amendment and passage. `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-24** Amendment S-5126 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-03-24** Placed on calendar.
- **2026-03-26** Placed on calendar under unfinished business.
- **2026-05-02** Amendment S-5252 filed, adopted. `amendment-introduction, amendment-passage`
- **2026-05-02** Amendment S-5126 out of order.
- **2026-05-02** Passed Senate, yeas 39, nays 6. `passage`
- **2026-05-02** Immediate message.
- **2026-05-02** Message from Senate.
- **2026-05-02** Senate amendment H-8470 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-02** Amendment H-8470, yeas 68, nays 18, adopted.
- **2026-05-02** Explanation of vote.
- **2026-05-02** Passed House, yeas 66, nays 20. `passage`
- **2026-05-02** Explanation of vote.
- **2026-05-02** Immediate message.
- **2026-05-02** Message from House.
- **2026-05-13** Reported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor.
- **2026-05-20** Fiscal note.
- **2026-06-02** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/25e0b79f-99da-42f6-95a9-0591bc92d213`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Iowa legislature records).