Homeless service workers could be criminally charged if they let clients unlawfully possess or use drugs on facility property under a bill advanced by the Iowa House.
The proposal (HF 2584) would only penalize workers who knowingly allow illegal activity. Service providers who don’t fire an employee guilty of violating the ban wouldn’t be allowed to apply for state aid for three years.
The bill would also create drug-free zones 300 feet around homeless service facilities. People caught distributing drugs in the zone would have an extra year added on to their sentence.
Supporters of the bill said it will create safer spaces for vulnerable populations. Rep. Bill Gustoff, R-Des Moines, said the proposal doesn’t penalize providers for illegal activity they don’t know about.
“What it does do is protect the homeless from those who would prey on them by pushing drugs in a facility that's supposed to be a safe place,” he said.
Those against the bill said it would make the jobs of service providers more difficult. Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, said it doesn’t give service providers flexibility to best serve their clients.
“In my view, this bill is going to hurt services,” she said. “It is going to increase homelessness in Iowa, and it is going to decrease homeless services in Iowa.”