Read the full stored bill text
House
File
638
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
638
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
HEALTH
AND
HUMAN
SERVICES
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
146)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
child
placements,
and
making
an
1
appropriation.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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638
Section
1.
Section
232.102,
subsection
1,
paragraph
c,
Code
1
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
c.
(1)
A
court
shall
not
order
placement
of
a
child
in
a
3
category
identified
in
paragraph
“a”
,
subparagraph
(2),
(3),
4
(4),
or
(5)
without
a
specific
finding
that
placement
with
5
an
adult
relative
is
not
in
the
child’s
best
interests
and
6
providing
reasons
for
the
court’s
finding.
7
(2)
Notwithstanding
any
provision
under
this
subsection
8
to
the
contrary,
if
the
court
finds,
during
the
dispositional
9
hearing,
that
the
child
has
been
placed
with
an
individual
10
licensed
under
chapter
237
to
provide
foster
care
for
at
least
11
nine
months
immediately
preceding
the
dispositional
hearing,
12
the
court
shall
not
order
placement
of
a
child
in
a
category
13
identified
in
paragraph
“a”
,
subparagraph
(1),
(2),
or
(3),
14
without
a
specific
finding
that
such
placement
is
in
the
15
child’s
best
interests
and
providing
reasons
for
the
court’s
16
findings.
17
Sec.
2.
DEPARTMENT
OF
HEALTH
AND
HUMAN
SERVICES
——
CHILD
18
PROTECTIVE
SERVICES.
19
1.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
the
state
20
to
the
department
of
health
and
human
services
for
the
fiscal
21
year
beginning
July
1,
2025,
and
ending
June
30,
2026,
the
22
following
amount,
or
so
much
thereof
as
is
necessary,
to
be
23
used
for
the
purposes
designated:
24
To
employ
five
individuals
with
the
department
to
perform
25
child
protective
services
duties:
26
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
$
275,000
27
2.
a.
The
department
of
health
and
human
services
shall
28
assign
each
individual
employed
through
the
appropriation
under
29
subsection
1
to
a
separate
child
protective
services
area.
30
b.
Each
employee
shall
be
responsible
for
performing
the
31
identification
and
notice
duties
required
under
section
232.84
32
for
the
service
area
to
which
the
employee
was
assigned.
33
c.
Each
employee
shall
utilize,
to
the
extent
practicable,
34
national
models
and
practice
standards
to
improve
outcomes
35
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under
the
requirements
of
section
232.84.
1
EXPLANATION
2
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
3
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
4
This
bill
relates
to
child
placements.
5
Under
current
law,
after
a
dispositional
hearing
for
a
child
6
in
need
of
assistance
proceeding,
if
a
court
determines
that
7
placing
a
child’s
custody
with
either
of
the
child’s
parents
is
8
not
in
the
child’s
best
interests,
the
court
must
transfer
the
9
child’s
custody
to
the
department
of
health
and
human
services
10
(HHS)
for
placement
with
certain
persons
as
prioritized
in
11
Code
section
232.102(1)(a)
(transfer
of
legal
custody
of
12
child
and
placement).
If
a
child
was
placed
with
a
licensed
13
foster
parent
for
at
least
nine
months
immediately
preceding
14
the
dispositional
hearing,
the
bill
prohibits
the
court
from
15
placing
the
child
with
a
different
individual
unless
the
court
16
makes
a
specific
finding
that
placement
with
the
different
17
individual
is
in
the
child’s
best
interests,
and
the
court
18
provides
reasons
for
the
finding.
19
Currently,
HHS
divides
the
state
into
five
separate
child
20
protective
services
(CPS)
service
areas,
and
Code
section
21
232.84
(transfer
of
custody
——
notice
to
adult
relatives)
22
requires
HHS,
juvenile
court
services,
or
a
private
agency
23
to
exercise
due
diligence
to
identify
and
provide
notice
to
24
certain
adult
relatives
of
a
child
if
the
child’s
custody
is
25
transferred
from
the
child’s
parents.
The
bill
appropriates
26
$275,000
to
HHS
for
FY
2025-2026
for
the
purpose
of
adding
27
five
HHS
employees
to
perform
CPS
duties.
HHS
must
assign
28
each
employee
employed
through
the
appropriation
to
a
separate
29
CPS
service
area.
Each
employee
shall
be
responsible
for
30
performing
the
identification
and
notice
duties
required
under
31
Code
section
232.84
for
the
service
area
to
which
the
employee
32
was
assigned,
and
each
employee
shall
utilize,
to
the
extent
33
practicable,
national
models
and
practice
standards
to
improve
34
outcomes
under
the
requirements
of
Code
section
232.84.
35
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