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HF374 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to the delegation of custodial rights and duties with respect to a child.(See HF 644 .)

A bill for an act relating to the delegation of custodial rights and duties with respect to a child.(See HF 644 .)

Children
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
A. MEYER
Last action
2025-03-14
Official status
Withdrawn. H.J. 660 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act relating to the delegation of custodial rights and duties with respect to a child.(See HF 644 .)

A bill for an act relating to the delegation of custodial rights and duties with respect to a child.(See HF 644 .)

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to the delegation of custodial rights and duties with respect to a child.(See HF 644 .)

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-14 Iowa Legislature

    Withdrawn. H.J. 660 .

  2. 2025-02-28 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 644 .

  3. 2025-02-25 Iowa Legislature

    Committee vote: Yeas, 19. Nays, 0. Excused, 2. H.J. 431 .

  4. 2025-02-25 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 431 .

  5. 2025-02-20 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  6. 2025-02-19 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/20/2025 10:30AM RM 304.1.

  7. 2025-02-19 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Barker, Baeth and Weldon. H.J. 362 .

  8. 2025-02-17 Iowa Legislature

    Rereferred to Health and Human Services. H.J. 339 .

  9. 2025-02-13 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 316 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to the delegation of custodial rights and duties with respect to a child.(See HF 644 .)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

File

374

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

374

BY

A.

MEYER

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

delegation

of

custodial

rights

and

1

duties

with

respect

to

a

child.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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H.F.

374

Section

1.

Section

232.2,

subsection

12,

paragraph

c,

Code

1

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

c.

(1)

All

rights

and

duties

of

a

custodian

shall

be

3

subject

to

any

residual

rights

and

duties

remaining

in

a

parent

4

or

guardian.

5

(2)

Notwithstanding

subparagraph

(1),

the

department

may

6

consent

to

routine

medical

care

for

a

child

that

will

allow

the

7

child

to

engage

in

normal

childhood

experiences

and

participate

8

in

activities

in

a

manner

similar

to

the

child’s

peers.

9

“Routine

medical

care”

includes

but

is

not

limited

to

all

of

the

10

following:

11

(a)

Preventative

care,

also

known

as

wellness

care,

not

12

including

the

administration

of

a

vaccination.

13

(b)

Nonemergency

medical

care

including

but

not

limited

14

to

a

physical

examination,

a

diagnostic

laboratory

test,

or

a

15

medical

visit

for

a

minor

illness.

16

(c)

Use

of

necessary

medication,

including

but

not

limited

17

to

antibiotics.

18

Sec.

2.

Section

232.2,

subsection

12,

Code

2025,

is

amended

19

by

adding

the

following

new

paragraph:

20

NEW

PARAGRAPH

.

d.

If

a

court

order

entered

under

this

21

chapter

transfers

legal

custody

of

a

child

to

the

department,

22

the

department

shall

have

the

authority

to

delegate

the

23

department’s

rights

and

duties

as

custodian

of

the

child

to

a

24

licensee

under

chapter

237.

25

Sec.

3.

Section

237.10,

subsection

1,

Code

2025,

is

amended

26

by

adding

the

following

new

paragraph:

27

NEW

PARAGRAPH

.

d.

The

department

shall

notify

an

individual

28

licensee

if

the

department

delegates

the

department’s

right

29

to

consent

to

routine

medical

care

on

behalf

of

a

child

under

30

section

232.2,

paragraph

“c”

,

to

the

individual

licensee.

31

EXPLANATION

32

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

33

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

34

This

bill

relates

to

the

delegation

of

custodial

rights

and

35

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H.F.

374

duties

with

respect

to

a

child.

1

If

a

court

transfers

legal

custody

of

a

child

to

the

2

department

of

health

and

human

services

(HHS),

the

bill

allows

3

HHS

to

delegate

HHS’s

rights

and

duties

as

custodian

of

the

4

child

to

a

person

licensed

to

provide

child

foster

care.

5

Delegable

rights

and

duties

are

the

duty

to

protect,

train,

6

and

discipline

the

child;

the

duty

to

provide

food,

clothing,

7

housing,

and

medical

care

for

the

child;

and

the

right

to

8

consent

to

emergency

medical

care.

Delegable

rights

and

duties

9

are

subject

to

any

residual

rights

and

duties

of

the

child’s

10

parent

or

guardian.

The

bill

clarifies

that

a

parent’s

or

11

guardian’s

residual

rights

and

duties

do

not

preclude

HHS

12

from

consenting

to

routine

medical

care

for

a

child

that

will

13

allow

the

child

to

engage

in

normal

childhood

experiences

14

and

participate

in

activities

in

a

manner

similar

to

the

15

child’s

peers.

“Routine

medical

care”

includes

but

is

not

16

limited

to

preventative

care

not

including

the

administration

17

of

a

vaccination,

nonemergency

medical

care,

and

the

use

of

18

necessary

medication.

The

bill

requires

HHS

to

notify

an

19

individual

licensee

if

HHS

delegates

HHS’s

right

to

consent

to

20

routine

medical

care

on

behalf

of

a

child

to

the

individual

21

licensee.

22

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