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Kim Reynolds
governor
Office of the Governor Chris Cournoyer
lt governor
June 02, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
Senate File 473, an Act relating to certain sincerely held religious or moral beliefs of
certain entities for purposes of child foster care and adoption.
The above Senate File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely, _
Kim Reynolds
Governor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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Senate File 473
AN ACT
RELATING TO CERTAIN SINCERELY HELD RELIGIOUS OR MORAL BELIEFS
OF CERTAIN ENTITIES FOR PURPOSES OF CHILD FOSTER CARE AND
ADOPTION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 237.10, Code 2026, is amended by adding
the following new subsection:
NEW SUBSECTION . 9A. a. The department shall not do any of
the following:
(1) Require an individual licensee or approved kinship
caregiver to affirm, accept, or support a policy related to
sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the
person's sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.
(2) Preclude a person from being licensed as an individual
licensee or approved as an approved kinship caregiver based on
the person's sincerely held religious or moral beliefs related
to sexual orientation or gender identity, including but not
limited to the person's intent to guide, instruct, or raise a
child in a manner consistent with the person's sincerely held
religious or moral beliefs.
b. (1) The department, and the department's designees,
shall not adopt a standard, policy, or rule that precludes an
individual licensee or an approved kinship caregiver from being
considered as a possible placement for a child based on the
person's sincerely held religious or moral beliefs related to
sexual orientation or gender identity.
Senate File 473, p. 2
(2) This paragraph shall not preclude the department,
or the department's designee, from taking into account the
sincerely held moral and religious beliefs, including but not
limited to the sincerely held moral and religious beliefs
related to sexual orientation and gender identity, of a child
and the child's family of origin as compared to the sincerely
held moral and religious beliefs of a potential individual
licensee or approved kinship caregiver when determining the
most appropriate placement for the child consistent with the
best interests of the child.
c. (1) A current or prospective individual licensee or
approved kinship caregiver may bring an action asserting
a violation of this subsection. A court may provide the
current or prospective individual licensee or approved kinship
caregiver injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or other
relief as the court deems appropriate, and may award reasonable
attorney fees and costs.
(2) The attorney general may bring an action to enforce this
subsection .
d. For purposes of this subsection, "gender identity" means
the same as defined in section 279.78, and "sexual orientation"
means the same as defined in section 216.2.
Sec. 2. Section 600. 7A, Code 2025, is amended to read as
follows :
600. 7A Adoption services provided by or through the
department — selection of adoptive parent criteria.
1 . The department shall adopt rules which provide that if
adoption services are provided by or through the department,
notwithstanding any other selection of adoptive parent
criteria, the overriding criterion shall be a preference for
placing a child in a stable home environment as expeditiously
as possible.
2. a. The department shall not do any of the following;
(1) Require a prospective adoptive parent to affirm,
accept, or support a policy related to sexual orientation or
gender identity that conflicts with the person's sincerely held
religious or moral beliefs.
(2) Preclude a person from being qualified as a prospective
adoptive parent based on the person's sincerely held religious
Senate File 473, p. 3
or moral beliefs related to sexual orientation or gender
identity, including but not limited to the person's intent to
guide, instruct, or raise a child in a manner consistent with
the person's sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.
b. (1) The department, and the department's designees,
shall not adopt a standard, policy, or rule that precludes a
person from being considered as a child's prospective adoptive
parent based on the person's sincerely held religious or moral
beliefs related to sexual orientation or gender identity.
(2) This paragraph shall not preclude the department from
taking into account the sincerely held moral and religious
beliefs, including sincerely held moral and religious beliefs
related to sexual orientation and gender identity, of a child
and the child's family of origin as compared to the sincerely
held moral and religious beliefs of a prospective adoptive
parent when determining the most appropriate placement for the
child consistent with the best interests of the child.
c. (1) A prospective adoptive parent may bring an action
asserting a violation of this subsection. A court may provide
a prospective adoptive parent injunctive relief, declaratory
relief, or other relief as the court deems appropriate, and may
award reasonable attorney fees and costs.
(2) The attorney general may bring an action to enforce this
subsection .
d. For purposes of this subsection, "gender identity" means
the same as defined in section 279.78, and "sexual orientation"
means the same as defined in section 216.2.
Sec. 3. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - CHILD
FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION SERVICES - DEPARTMENT REVIEW OF
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
1. The department of health and human services shall
adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to amend the department's
rules relating to child foster care and adoption recruitment,
retention, training, and support services to provide, unless
otherwise provided by federal law or regulation, that an
entity that holds itself out to the public as a religious
organization as defined in section 13C.1, and that has a
contract, subcontract, or other agreement with the department
or an agent of the department to provide child foster care
Senate File 473, p. 4
or adoption services, shall not be required to provide the
contracted, subcontracted, or other agreed upon services in a
manner inconsistent with the religious organization's sincerely
held religious beliefs.
2. a. This section shall not prohibit the department from
determining the best interests of a child in the provision of
child foster care, as that term is defined in section 237.1, or
adoption services to the child.
b. This section shall not relieve the department of the
department's duty to determine the
the provision of child foster care
child .
_ c fa' d _
AMY SINCLAR
President of the Senate
best interests of a child in
or adoption services to the
Jr&A — PAT GRASSLEY /
Speaker of tpe House
I hereby
is known as
certify that this bill originated in the Senate and
Senate File 473, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved 2026
W. CHARLES SMITHSON
Secretary of Mie Senate
KIM REINOLDS J
Governor