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A bill for an act relating to paternity and the obligation of parents for support of children.

A bill for an act relating to paternity and the obligation of parents for support of children.

Children
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
EVANS
Last action
2026-01-27
Official status
Placed on calendar.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act relating to paternity and the obligation of parents for support of children.

A bill for an act relating to paternity and the obligation of parents for support of children.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to paternity and the obligation of parents for support of children.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-27 Iowa Legislature

    Placed on calendar.

  2. 2026-01-27 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, recommending passage. S.J. 151 .

  3. 2026-01-21 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  4. 2026-01-20 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 01/21/2026 3:30PM Senate Lounge.

  5. 2026-01-15 Iowa Legislature

    * * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * *

  6. 2026-01-14 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Evans, Knox, and Rowley. S.J. 106 .

  7. 2025-06-16 Iowa Legislature

    Referred to Judiciary. S.J. 1057 .

  8. 2025-02-12 Iowa Legislature

    Placed on calendar.

  9. 2025-02-12 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, recommending passage. S.J. 259 .

  10. 2025-01-29 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  11. 2025-01-27 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 01/29/2025 10:00AM Room 217 Conference Room.

  12. 2025-01-23 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Evans, Knox, and Rowley. S.J. 136 .

  13. 2025-01-22 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Judiciary. S.J. 119 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to paternity and the obligation of parents for support of children.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate

File

81

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

81

BY

EVANS

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

paternity

and

the

obligation

of

parents

for

1

support

of

children.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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81

Section

1.

Section

600B.4,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

1

follows:

2

600B.4

Recovery

by

others

than

a

child’s

mother.

3

The

obligation

of

the

father

as

hereby

provided

creates

4

in

this

chapter

also

creates

a

cause

of

action

on

behalf

5

of

the

legal

representative

of

the

child’s

mother,

or

on

6

behalf

of

third

persons

furnishing

support

or

defraying

the

7

reasonable

expenses

thereof

of

the

mother

,

where

paternity

8

has

been

judicially

established

by

proceedings

brought

by

the

9

mother

,

or

by

or

on

behalf

of

the

child

,

or

by

the

authorities

10

charged

with

its

the

child’s

support,

or

where

paternity

11

has

been

acknowledged

by

the

father

in

writing

,

established

12

by

the

father

through

blood

or

genetic

testing

conducted

in

13

accordance

with

section

600B.41

or

chapter

252F,

or

by

the

part

14

performance

of

the

obligations

imposed

upon

him

the

father

.

15

Sec.

2.

Section

600B.6,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

16

follows:

17

600B.6

Liability

of

the

father’s

estate

of

a

child’s

father

.

18

The

obligation

of

the

a

child’s

father,

when

his

the

father’s

19

paternity

has

been

judicially

established

in

his

the

father’s

20

lifetime,

established

by

the

father

through

blood

or

genetic

21

testing,

or

has

been

acknowledged

by

him

the

father

in

writing

22

or

by

the

part

performance

of

his

the

father’s

obligations,

is

23

enforceable

against

his

the

father’s

estate

in

such

an

amount

24

as

the

court

may

determine,

having

regard

to

upon

consideration

25

of

the

age

of

the

child,

the

ability

of

the

mother

to

support

26

it

the

child

,

the

amount

of

property

left

by

the

father,

the

27

number,

age,

and

financial

condition

of

the

father’s

lawful

28

issue,

if

any,

and

the

rights

of

the

father’s

widow,

if

29

any.

The

court

may

direct

the

discharge

of

the

obligation

by

30

periodical

payments

or

by

the

payment

of

a

lump

sum.

31

Sec.

3.

Section

600B.8,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

32

follows:

33

600B.8

Who

may

institute

proceedings.

34

The

proceedings

may

be

brought

by

the

child’s

mother,

or

35

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81

other

an

interested

person,

the

alleged

father

of

the

child,

1

or

,

if

the

child

is

or

is

likely

to

be

a

public

charge,

by

the

2

authorities

charged

with

its

the

child’s

support.

After

the

3

death

of

the

mother

or

in

case

of

her

disability

if

the

mother

4

becomes

disabled

,

it

the

proceedings

may

also

be

brought

by

the

5

child

acting

through

its

the

child’s

guardian

or

next

friend

6

legal

representative

.

7

Sec.

4.

Section

600B.9,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

8

follows:

9

600B.9

Time

of

instituting

proceedings.

10

The

proceedings

may

be

instituted

during

the

pregnancy

of

11

the

child’s

mother

or

after

the

birth

of

the

child,

but,

except

12

with

the

consent

of

all

parties,

the

trial

shall

not

be

held

13

until

after

the

birth

of

the

child

and

shall

be

held

no

earlier

14

than

twenty

days

from

the

date

the

child’s

alleged

father

or

15

the

mother

is

served

with

notice

of

the

action

or,

if

blood

16

or

genetic

tests

are

conducted,

no

earlier

than

thirty

days

17

from

the

date

the

test

results

are

filed

with

the

clerk

of

the

18

district

court

as

provided

under

section

600B.41

.

19

Sec.

5.

Section

600B.11,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

20

follows:

21

600B.11

Nonresident

complainant.

22

It

is

not

a

bar

to

the

jurisdiction

of

the

court,

that

the

23

complaining

mother

or

child

complainant

resides

in

another

24

state.

25

Sec.

6.

Section

600B.13,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

26

follows:

27

600B.13

Form

of

complaint

——

verification.

28

The

complaint

may

be

made

in

writing,

or

oral

orally

and

29

in

the

presence

of

the

complainant

reduced

to

writing

by

the

30

prosecuting

attorney.

It

The

complaint

shall

be

verified

by

31

oath

or

affirmation

of

the

complainant.

32

Sec.

7.

Section

600B.14,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

33

follows:

34

600B.14

Substance

of

complaint.

35

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1.

The

If

the

complainant

is

the

child’s

mother

or

the

1

child,

the

complaint

shall

charge

allege

the

person

named

as

2

defendant

with

being

is

the

father

of

the

child.

3

2.

If

an

alleged

father

is

the

complainant,

the

complaint

4

shall

allege

that

the

complainant

is

the

father

of

the

child.

5

Sec.

8.

Section

600B.16,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

6

follows:

7

600B.16

Lis

pendens.

8

From

the

time

of

the

filing

of

such

a

complaint,

a

lien

9

shall

be

created

upon

the

real

property

of

the

accused

child’s

10

alleged

father

in

the

county

where

the

action

is

pending

for

11

the

payment

of

any

money

and

the

performance

of

any

court

order

12

adjudged

by

the

proper

court

.

13

Sec.

9.

Section

600B.17,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

14

follows:

15

600B.17

Writ

of

attachment.

16

The

district

court

may

order

an

attachment

to

issue

thereon

17

on

the

real

property

upon

which

a

lien

is

created

without

18

bond

,

which

order

.

The

order

shall

specify

the

amount

of

real

19

property

to

be

seized

thereunder

,

and

may

be

revoked

at

any

20

time

by

such

the

court

on

a

showing

made

for

a

revocation

of

the

21

same,

order

and

on

such

terms

as

such

the

court

may

deem

deems

22

proper

in

the

premises

.

23

Sec.

10.

Section

600B.21,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

24

follows:

25

600B.21

Death,

absence

,

or

mental

illness

of

a

child’s

mother

26

or

alleged

father

——

testimony

receivable.

27

If

after

the

complaint

is

filed

the

mother

complainant

28

dies

,

or

becomes

mentally

ill

,

or

cannot

be

found

within

the

29

jurisdiction,

the

proceeding

does

not

abate,

but

the

child

30

shall

be

substituted

as

the

complainant.

The

testimony

of

the

31

child’s

mother

or

alleged

father

taken

by

deposition

as

in

32

other

civil

cases,

may

in

any

such

case

be

read

as

evidence

33

and

in

all

cases

shall

be

read

as

evidence

if

demanded

by

the

34

defendant.

35

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Sec.

11.

Section

600B.22,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

1

follows:

2

600B.22

Death

of

defendant.

3

In

case

of

the

death

of

the

defendant

,

the

action

may

be

4

prosecuted

against

the

personal

representative

of

the

deceased

5

with

like

effects

as

if

the

defendant

were

living

,

subject

as

6

regards

the

measure

of

for

purposes

of

determining

support

to

7

the

provision

of

under

section

600B.6

.

8

Sec.

12.

Section

600B.24,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

9

follows:

10

600B.24

Judgment

in

general.

11

1.

If

the

defendant

child’s

alleged

father

,

after

being

12

served

with

notice

as

required

under

section

600B.15

,

fails

13

to

timely

respond

to

the

notice,

or

to

appear

for

blood

or

14

genetic

tests

pursuant

to

a

court

or

administrative

order,

or

15

to

appear

at

a

scheduled

hearing

after

being

provided

notice

of

16

the

hearing,

the

court

shall

find

the

defendant

alleged

father

17

in

default

and

enter

a

default

judgment

an

appropriate

order

.

18

2.

Upon

a

finding

of

paternity

against

or

for

the

defendant

19

child’s

alleged

father

,

the

court

shall

enter

a

judgment

20

against

the

defendant

declaring

paternity

of

the

alleged

father

21

and

ordering

support

of

the

child.

22

Sec.

13.

Section

600B.29,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

23

follows:

24

600B.29

Desertion

statute

applicable.

25

The

provisions

of

sections

726.3

through

726.5

relating

to

26

desertion

and

abandonment

of

children,

have

the

same

effect

27

in

cases

of

illegitimacy

where

paternity

has

been

judicially

28

established,

has

been

established

through

blood

or

genetic

29

testing,

or

has

been

acknowledged

by

the

child’s

father

30

in

writing

or

by

the

furnishing

of

support,

as

in

cases

of

31

children

born

in

wedlock.

32

Sec.

14.

Section

600B.36,

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

33

follows:

34

600B.36

Report

to

registrar

of

vital

statistics.

35

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Upon

the

entry

of

a

judgment

determining

the

paternity

of

a

1

child

,

the

clerk

of

the

district

court

shall

notify

in

writing

2

send

written

notice

to

the

state

registrar

of

vital

statistics

3

of

the

name

of

the

person

against

whom

such

judgment

has

been

4

entered,

together

with

such

father

and

other

facts

disclosed

5

by

the

records

as

that

may

assist

in

identifying

the

child’s

6

birth

record

of

the

birth

of

the

child

as

the

same

may

appear

7

in

the

office

of

said

registrar

.

If

such

the

judgment

shall

8

thereafter

be

is

vacated

that

fact

,

the

vacating

order

shall

be

9

reported

by

the

clerk

in

the

same

manner.

10

Sec.

15.

Section

600B.41,

subsection

1,

Code

2025,

is

11

amended

to

read

as

follows:

12

1.

In

a

proceeding

to

establish

paternity

,

in

law

or

in

13

equity

the

court

may

on

its

own

motion,

and

upon

request

of

a

14

party

shall

including

the

child’s

mother

or

alleged

father

,

15

require

the

child,

mother,

and

alleged

father

to

submit

to

16

blood

or

genetic

tests,

except

that

if

the

mother

and

child

17

previously

submitted

blood

or

genetic

specimens

in

a

prior

18

action

to

establish

paternity

against

a

different

alleged

19

father,

the

previously

submitted

specimens

and

prior

results,

20

if

available,

may

be

utilized

for

testing

in

this

action

.

The

21

mother

or

the

child’s

alleged

father

requesting

the

tests

22

shall

file

an

affidavit

with

the

court

that

alleges

or

denies

23

paternity

and

contains

facts

that

establish

the

reasonable

24

possibility

that

there

was,

or

was

not,

the

requisite

sexual

25

contact

between

the

mother

and

the

alleged

father.

26

EXPLANATION

27

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

28

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

29

This

bill

amends

Code

chapter

600B

(paternity

and

obligation

30

for

support)

to

allow

an

alleged

father

of

a

child,

the

child’s

31

mother,

or

the

child

to

file

a

complaint

to

establish

paternity

32

of

the

child

and

an

obligation

for

support

of

the

child.

Under

33

current

law,

the

proceedings

under

Code

chapter

600B

may

be

34

brought

only

by

the

mother,

or

other

interested

person,

or

35

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if

the

child

is

or

is

likely

to

be

a

public

charge,

by

the

1

authorities

charged

with

the

child’s

support.

The

bill

makes

2

conforming

changes

throughout

the

Code

chapter

to

provide

that

3

the

alleged

father

may

also

be

the

complainant

or

plaintiff.

4

The

bill

includes

an

alleged

father

as

a

party

that

may

5

request

blood

or

genetic

testing

in

a

proceeding

to

establish

6

paternity,

and

provides

that

a

mother

or

alleged

father

7

requesting

the

testing

shall

file

an

affidavit

with

the

court

8

that

alleges

or

denies

paternity

and

contains

facts

that

9

establish

the

reasonable

possibility

that

there

was,

or

was

10

not,

the

requisite

sexual

contact

between

the

mother

and

the

11

alleged

father.

12

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