Iowa Code Title XVI. Criminal Law and Procedure [Chs. 687-916] § 708.3A. Assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations

1. A person who commits an assault, as defined in section 708.1, against a peace officer, jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of health and human services, employee of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, whether paid or volunteer, with the knowledge that the person against whom the assault is committed is a peace officer, jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of health and human services, employee of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter and with the intent to inflict a serious injury upon the peace officer, jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of health and human services, employee of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, is guilty of a class “C” felony.

2. A person who commits an assault, as defined in section 708.1, against a peace officer, jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of health and human services, employee of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, whether paid or volunteer, who knows that the person against whom the assault is committed is a peace officer, jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of health and human services, employee of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter and who uses or displays a dangerous weapon in connection with the assault, is guilty of a class “C” felony.

3. A person who commits an assault, as defined in section 708.1, against a peace officer, jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of health and human services, employee of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, whether paid or volunteer, who knows that the person against whom the assault is committed is a peace officer, jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of health and human services, employee of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, and who causes bodily injury or mental illness, is guilty of a class “D” felony.

4. Any other assault, as defined in section 708.1, including an assault causing another to come into contact with saliva by throwing, tossing, spitting, or expelling the fluid, committed against a peace officer, jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of health and human services, employee of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, whether paid or volunteer, by a person who knows that the person against whom the assault is committed is a peace officer, jailer, correctional or juvenile detention staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of health and human services, employee of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing who conducts investigations or inspections, employee of the department of revenue, national guard member engaged in national guard duty or state active duty, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, is an aggravated misdemeanor.  A person convicted of violating this subsection shall serve a minimum term of seven days of the sentence imposed by law, and shall not be eligible for suspension of the minimum sentence.

5. As used in this section, the following definitions apply: