Read the full stored bill text
STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
May 06, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretaiy of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 2360, an Act relating to child endangerment.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely,
■KfnMtewrolds I
Governor
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
iîfHiiniiiininnnmimiinnnnii niHHirini iminnnnifi IIIIIHH
IR RIGHT!
will maintar j mini Linununni mini limn imnnumniiinnnminiiiinu;:
umHnnmi innnn
' T
iHÎîrï^ 4'liiiîimÎ!ËF>5jliiiiiiin^ i.
.JliLHUlnl! j jiiuiuuiur 1
House File 2360
AN ACT
RELATING TO CHILD ENDANGERMENT.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 726.6, Code 2026, is amended to read as
follows :
726.6 Child endangerment.
1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
requires, "child" means any person under eighteen years of age.
ir 2 . A person who is the parent, guardian, or person
having custody or control over a child or a minor under the ag e
of— e i-ght ee n with a m e ntal or physical disability , or a person
who is a member of the household in which a child or such a
minor resides, commits child endangerment when the person does
any of the following:
a. Knowingly acts in a manner that creates a substantial
risk to a child or minor's child ' s physical, mental^ or
emotional health or safety.
b. By an intentional act or series of intentional acts, uses
unreasonable force, torture^ or cruelty that results in bodily
injury, or that is intended to cause serious injury.
c. By an intentional act or series of intentional acts,
evidences unreasonable force, torture^ or cruelty which that
causes substantial mental or emotional harm to a child or-
minor .
d. Willfully deprives a child or minor of necessary food,
clothing, shelter, health care^ or supervision appropriate to
House File 2360, p. 2
the child or-m-i-nor's child ’ s age, when the person is reasonably
able to make the necessary provisions and which deprivation
substantially harms the child or— minor's child's physical,
mental^ or emotional health. For purposes of this paragraph,
the failure to provide specific medical treatment shall not
for that reason alone be considered willful deprivation of
health care if the person can show that such treatment would
conflict with the tenets and practice of a recognized religious
denomination of which the person is an adherent or member.
This exception does not in any manner restrict the right of an
interested party to petition the court on behalf of the best
interest of the child or minor.
e. Knowingly permits the continuing physical or sexual abuse
of a child or minor . However, it is an affirmative defense to
this subsection if the person had a reasonable apprehension
that any action to stop the continuing abuse would result in
substantial bodily harm to the person or the child or minor.
f. Abandons the child or minor to fend for the ehild or
minor ' 3 child's self, knowing that the child or minor is unable
to do so.
g. Knowingly permits a child or minor to be present at
a location where amphetamine, its salts, isomers, or salts
of isomers, or methamphetamine, its salts, isomers, or salts
of isomers, is manufactured in violation of section 124.401,
subsection 1, or where a product is possessed in violation of
section 124.401, subsection 4.
h. Knowingly allows a person custody or control of, or
unsupervised access to A a child or a minor after knowing the
person is required to register or is on the sex offender
registry as a sex offender under chapter 692A. However,
this paragraph does not apply to a person who is a parent or
guardian of a child or a minor , who is required to register as a
sex offender, or to a person who is married to and living with a
person required to register as a sex offender.
i. Knowingly provides direct supervision of a person under
section 724.22, subsection 4, while intoxicated as provided
under the conditions set out in section 321J.2, subsection 1,
paragraph a , b , or c .
2-r 3 . A person who is required to register as a sex
House File 2360, p. 3
offender under chapter 692A for a sex offense against a m-iner
child who knowingly has control of a minor child , or who
knowingly has unsupervised access to a minor child , commits
child endangerment. However, this subsection does not apply
to any of the following:
a. A person who is required to register as a sex offender
under chapter 692A for a sex offense against a m-lnor child who
knowingly has control of a mi-no r child , or who knowingly has
unsupervised access to a minor child , when the person is the
legal parent or guardian of the minor child and the control or
unsupervised access is not otherwise illegal.
b. A person who is required to register as a sex offender
under chapter 692A for a sex offense against a minor child
who knowingly has control of a minor child , or who knowingly
has unsupervised access to a minor child , when the person is
married to and living with the legal parent or guardian of
the m-i-ner child and the control or unsupervised access is not
otherwise illegal.
3r 4 . A parent or person authorized by the parent shall not
be prosecuted for a violation of subsection i 2, paragraph "f",
relating to abandonment, if the parent or person authorized by
the parent has voluntarily released custody of a newborn infant
in accordance with section 233.2.
■4t 5 . For the purposes of subsection i 2^ "person having
control over a child or a minor " means any of the following:
a. A person who has accepted, undertaken, or assumed
supervision of a child or such a minor from the parent or
guardian of the child o r— minor .
b. A person who has undertaken or assumed temporary
supervision of a child er — such a-minor without explicit consent
from the parent or guardian of the child or minor.
c. A person who operates a motor vehicle with a child er-
such a minor present in the vehicle.
Sr 6 . A person who commits child endangerment resulting in
the death of a child or minor is guilty of a class "B" felony.
Notwithstanding section 902.9, subsection 1, paragraph "b", a
person convicted of a violation of this subsection shall be
confined for no more than fifty years.
■6t 7 . A person who commits child endangerment resulting
House File 2360, p. 4
in serious injury to a child or minor is guilty of a class "c"
felony .
7-r 8 . A person who commits child endangerment resulting
in bodily injury to a child or minor or child endangerment in
violation of subsection i 2, paragraph "g" , that does not result
in a serious injury, or a person who commits child endangerment
in violation of subsection -2- .3» is guilty of a class "d"
felony .
Hr- 9 . A person who commits child endangerment that is not
subject to penalty under subsection 5-, — 6 , or 7 6, 7, or 8 is
guilty of an aggravated misdemeanor.
PAT GRAS$$ŒY
Speaker of the House
AMY SINCLAIR
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 2360, Ninety-first General Assembly.
MEGHAN NELSON
KIM REYNOLDS
Governor