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House
File
932
-
Reprinted
HOUSE
FILE
932
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
JUDICIARY
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
300)
(As
Amended
and
Passed
by
the
House
March
27,
2025
)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
requirements
for
a
parent
to
obtain
joint
1
physical
custody
of
a
child.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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932
Section
1.
Section
598.41,
subsection
5,
Code
2025,
is
1
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
5.
a.
(1)
If
joint
legal
custody
is
awarded
to
both
3
parents,
the
court
may
award
joint
physical
care
to
both
joint
4
custodial
parents
upon
the
request
of
either
parent.
Prior
5
to
ruling
on
the
request
for
the
award
of
joint
physical
6
care,
the
court
may
shall
require
the
parents
to
submit,
7
either
individually
or
jointly,
a
proposed
joint
physical
care
8
parenting
plan.
A
proposed
joint
physical
care
parenting
plan
9
shall
address
how
the
parents
will
make
decisions
affecting
the
10
child,
how
the
parents
will
provide
a
home
for
the
child,
how
11
the
child’s
time
will
be
divided
between
the
parents
and
how
12
each
parent
will
facilitate
the
child’s
time
with
the
other
13
parent,
arrangements
in
addition
to
court-ordered
child
support
14
for
the
child’s
expenses,
how
the
parents
will
resolve
major
15
changes
or
disagreements
affecting
the
child
including
changes
16
that
arise
due
to
the
child’s
age
and
developmental
needs,
and
17
any
other
issues
the
court
may
require.
18
(2)
If
the
court
denies
the
request
for
joint
physical
care,
19
the
determination
shall
be
accompanied
by
specific
findings
of
20
fact
and
conclusions
of
law
that
the
awarding
of
joint
physical
21
care
is
not
in
the
best
interest
of
the
child
,
and
list
the
22
requirements
the
parent
who
was
not
awarded
physical
care
of
a
23
child
must
meet
to
be
awarded
joint
physical
care
of
the
child
24
in
the
future.
A
parent’s
fulfillment
of
the
requirements
25
listed
by
a
court
under
this
subparagraph
shall
be
considered
26
a
material
and
substantial
change
in
circumstances
for
the
27
purposes
of
modifying
an
order
awarding
child
custody
.
28
(3)
The
court,
at
the
court’s
discretion
and
based
on
29
the
totality
of
circumstances,
may
deny
a
parent’s
request
30
to
modify
an
order
awarding
child
custody
after
the
parent
31
fulfills
the
requirements
listed
by
a
court
under
subparagraph
32
(2),
provided
that
the
court
makes
a
determination
that
33
an
award
of
joint
custody
is
not
in
the
best
interest
of
34
the
child.
If
the
court
makes
such
a
determination,
the
35
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determination
shall
be
accompanied
by
specific
findings
of
fact
1
and
conclusions
of
law
supporting
the
determination.
2
b.
If
joint
physical
care
is
not
awarded
under
paragraph
3
“a”
,
and
only
one
joint
custodial
parent
is
awarded
physical
4
care,
the
parent
responsible
for
providing
physical
care
5
shall
support
the
other
parent’s
relationship
with
the
child.
6
Physical
care
awarded
to
one
parent
does
not
affect
the
7
other
parent’s
rights
and
responsibilities
as
a
joint
legal
8
custodian
of
the
child.
Rights
and
responsibilities
as
joint
9
legal
custodian
of
the
child
include
but
are
not
limited
to
10
equal
participation
in
decisions
affecting
the
child’s
legal
11
status,
medical
care,
education,
extracurricular
activities,
12
and
religious
instruction.
A
parent
awarded
physical
care
of
13
a
child
shall
not
intentionally
impede
the
other
parent
from
14
fulfilling
requirements
listed
by
a
court
under
paragraph
“a”
,
15
subparagraph
(2).
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