Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that creates the criminal offense of human smuggling, defined as acts including the transportation of an undocumented person with the intent to conceal them from law enforcement, encouraging or coercing them to stay in the country against the law by concealing or harboring them, and directing multiple people to say on agricultural lands without the landowner's consent in Iowa

Highlights:

• Specifies that if a person commits the offense of smuggling of persons when the person knowingly, for payment or anything of value, does any of the following involving a person in violation of federal immigration laws (Sec. 1):

• Uses a motor vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, or other means of conveyance to transport an individual with the intent to conceal the individual from a peace officer or flee from a person the actor knows is a peace officer attempting to lawfully arrest or detain the actor;

• Encourage or induce a person to enter or remain in the United States in violation of federal law by concealing, harboring, or shielding that person from detection; or

• Assist, guide, or direct two or more individuals to enter or remain on agricultural land without the effective consent of the owner.

• Specifies that an offense under this section is a class “C” felony, except if the offense is  Class A or B(Sec. 1).

• Specifies that a class “B” felony is if  the person or other party does any of the following (Sec. 1):

• The person commits the offense in a manner that creates  a substantial likelihood that the smuggled individual will suffer serious bodily injury or death;

• The person smuggles an individual who is a child younger than eighteen years of age at the time of the offense;

• The person commits the offense with the intent to obtain a pecuniary benefit; and 

• During the commission of the offense, the actor, another party to the offense, or an individual assisted, guided, or directed by the actor knowingly possessed a firearm.

• Specifies that a class “A” felony is if  the person or other party does any of the following (Sec. 1):

• If, as a direct result of the commission of the offense, the smuggled individual became a victim of sexual abuse in the first degree or sexual abuse in the second degree; and 

• If the smuggled individual suffered serious bodily injury or death.

Full Bill Text