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Senate
File
2186
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SENATE
FILE
2186
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
VETERANS
AFFAIRS
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SF
2053)
(As
Amended
and
Passed
by
the
Senate
February
23,
2026
)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
child
custody
and
visitation
for
parents
1
subject
to
deployments.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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Section
1.
Section
598C.102,
subsection
19,
paragraph
a,
1
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
a.
Active
and
reserve
components
of
the
army,
navy,
air
3
force,
marine
corps,
space
force,
or
coast
guard
of
the
United
4
States;
the
United
States
merchant
marine;
the
commissioned
5
corps
of
the
United
States
public
health
service;
or
the
6
commissioned
corps
of
the
national
oceanic
and
atmospheric
7
administration
of
the
United
States.
8
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
598D.1
Definitions.
9
For
purposes
of
this
chapter,
unless
the
context
otherwise
10
requires:
11
1.
“Child-custody
determination”
means
the
same
as
defined
12
in
section
598B.102.
13
2.
“Deploying
parent”
means
a
uniformed
service
member
who
14
has
been
notified
of
impending
short-term
deployment
and
is
any
15
of
the
following:
16
a.
A
parent
of
a
child
under
a
law
of
this
state
other
than
17
this
chapter.
18
b.
An
individual
who
has
custodial
responsibility
for
a
19
child
under
a
law
of
this
state
other
than
this
chapter.
20
3.
“Other
parent”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
21
598C.102.
22
4.
“Record”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
598C.102.
23
5.
“Short-term
deployment”
means
the
movement
or
24
mobilization
of
a
deploying
parent
for
less
than
thirty
days
25
pursuant
to
uniformed
service
member
orders
that
meet
any
of
26
the
following
conditions:
27
a.
Are
designated
as
unaccompanied.
28
b.
Do
not
authorize
dependent
travel.
29
c.
Otherwise
do
not
permit
the
movement
of
family
members
to
30
the
location
to
which
the
deploying
parent
is
deployed.
31
6.
“Uniformed
service
member”
means
any
of
the
following:
32
a.
Active
and
reserve
components
of
the
army,
navy,
air
33
force,
marine
corps,
space
force,
or
coast
guard
of
the
United
34
States;
the
United
States
merchant
marine;
the
commissioned
35
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corps
of
the
United
States
public
health
service;
or
the
1
commissioned
corps
of
the
national
oceanic
and
atmospheric
2
administration
of
the
United
States.
3
b.
The
national
guard
of
a
state,
whether
or
not
activation
4
or
performance
of
duties
is
pursuant
to
federal
or
to
state
5
authority.
6
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
589D.2
Custody
and
visitation
——
7
short-term
deployment.
8
1.
a.
A
deploying
parent
who
is
unable
to
exercise
any
9
court-ordered
physical
care
or
visitation
with
the
deploying
10
parent’s
child
during
a
short-term
deployment
may
make
up
the
11
missed
physical
care
or
visitation
thirty
days
immediately
12
preceding
the
short-term
deployment
or
thirty
days
immediately
13
following
the
short-term
deployment.
14
b.
The
deploying
parent
may
make
up
no
more
than
the
total
15
number
of
days
of
physical
care
or
visitation
days
that
will
be
16
missed
during
the
short-term
deployment,
not
to
exceed
thirty
17
days.
18
2.
a.
To
make
up
the
missed
physical
care
or
visitation,
19
the
deploying
parent
shall
notify
the
other
parent,
in
a
20
record,
of
a
pending
short-term
deployment,
not
later
than
21
seven
days
after
receiving
notice
of
the
short-term
deployment,
22
unless
reasonably
prevented
from
doing
so
by
the
circumstances
23
of
service.
If
the
circumstances
of
service
prevent
giving
24
notification
within
the
seven
days,
the
deploying
parent
shall
25
give
the
notification
as
soon
as
reasonably
possible.
26
b.
The
deploying
parent
shall
provide
the
other
parent,
27
in
a
record,
with
a
plan
for
fulfilling
the
physical
care
28
or
visitation
missed
during
the
short-term
deployment.
The
29
deploying
parent
shall
provide
the
plan
as
soon
as
reasonably
30
possible
after
notification
of
short-term
deployment
is
given
31
under
paragraph
“a”
.
32
c.
If
a
court
order
currently
in
effect
prohibits
disclosure
33
of
the
address
or
contact
information
of
the
other
parent,
34
notification
under
paragraph
“a”
or
provision
of
a
plan
under
35
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paragraph
“b”
may
be
made
only
to
the
issuing
court.
If
the
1
address
of
the
other
parent
is
available
to
the
issuing
court,
2
the
court
shall
forward
the
notification
to
the
other
parent.
3
The
court
shall
keep
confidential
the
address
or
contact
4
information
of
the
other
parent.
5
3.
The
deploying
parent
shall
file
the
plan
for
fulfilling
6
the
missed
physical
care
or
visitation
within
any
court
that
7
has
entered
a
child-custody
determination
in
effect
concerning
8
the
child
who
is
the
subject
of
the
plan.
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