Read the full stored bill text
Senate
File
523
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
523
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
JUDICIARY
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SSB
1124)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
establishment
or
modification
of
legal
1
custody
of
a
child.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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1688SV
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91
dg/ko
S.F.
523
Section
1.
Section
598.41,
subsection
2,
Code
2025,
is
1
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraphs:
2
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
f.
If
the
court
finds
by
clear
and
3
convincing
evidence
that
it
is
in
the
best
interest
of
the
4
child,
the
court
may
award
separate
rights
and
responsibilities
5
of
joint
legal
custody
to
each
parent
under
paragraph
“a”
.
6
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
g.
The
district
court
shall
resolve
joint
7
legal
custody
disputes
between
parents
during
or
after
the
8
pendency
of
the
parents’
dissolution
of
marriage
action.
To
9
initiate
the
resolution
of
a
dispute,
a
parent
shall
file
an
10
application
with
the
court
and
serve
process
on
the
other
11
parent.
Upon
receipt
of
the
application,
the
court
shall
set
12
a
hearing
and
expeditiously
resolve
the
dispute
in
the
best
13
interest
of
the
child.
A
resolution
of
a
dispute
may
award
14
each
parent
separate
rights
and
responsibilities
of
joint
legal
15
custody
under
paragraph
“f”
.
16
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
h.
During
or
after
the
pendency
of
a
17
dissolution
of
marriage
action
for
the
parents
of
a
child,
the
18
parents
may
stipulate
to
a
parenting
plan
that
includes
the
19
allocation
of
parenting
functions,
parenting
time,
or
both.
20
The
court
shall
approve
the
parenting
plan
unless
it
finds
the
21
agreement
is
not
in
the
best
interest
of
the
child.
22
EXPLANATION
23
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
24
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
25
This
bill
relates
to
the
establishment
or
modification
of
26
legal
custody
of
a
child.
27
The
bill
allows
a
court
to
award
separate
rights
and
28
responsibilities
of
joint
legal
custody
to
each
parent
in
a
29
dissolution
of
marriage
proceeding.
30
The
bill
allows
a
court
to
resolve
joint
legal
custody
31
disputes
between
parents
during
or
after
the
pendency
of
32
the
parents’
dissolution
of
marriage
action.
To
initiate
a
33
dispute
resolution,
a
parent
must
file
an
application
with
the
34
court
and
serve
process
on
the
other
parent.
Upon
receipt
35
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1688SV
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91
dg/ko
1/
2
S.F.
523
of
the
application,
the
court
must
set
a
hearing
and
resolve
1
the
dispute
in
the
best
interest
of
the
child.
A
resolution
2
of
a
dispute
may
award
each
parent
separate
rights
and
3
responsibilities
of
joint
legal
custody.
4
The
bill
allows
the
parents
of
a
child
to
stipulate
to
5
a
parenting
plan
that
includes
the
allocation
of
parenting
6
functions,
parenting
time,
or
both.
A
court
must
approve
the
7
parenting
plan
unless
it
finds
the
agreement
is
not
in
the
best
8
interest
of
the
child.
9
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1688SV
(2)
91
dg/ko
2/
2