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90th General Assembly · Funnel one-pager · Monday, November 9, 2026

HF 398: Relating to adoption proceedings by providing for representation of adoptive parents and guardians ad litem by local public defenders for children in certain adoption proceedings and modifying filing requirements for adoption petitions and notice requirements for adoption hearings of adults

Signed into law

What it does

This bill relates to adoption proceedings including provisions relating to representation of the parties and provision of a guardian ad litem for a child in certain adoption proceedings, attachments to an adoption petition, and requirements for notice of an adoption hearing. Regarding the powers and duties of local public defenders, the bill provides for the representation of certain parties and for provision of a guardian ad litem for a child in certain adoption proceedings. Under current law, a local public defender office shall represent an indigent party, upon order of the court, in child in need of assistance, family in need of assistance, delinquency, and termination of parental rights proceedings pursuant to Code chapter 232 (juvenile justice) when designated by the state public defender to represent the indigent party in the type of case for that county.

Sponsors

Judiciary committee

Cost

Cost: up to $408,000

The annual estimated expense of HF 398 to the Office of the State Public Defender is between $204,000 and $408,000, as shown in Table 1. This includes the cost of attorneys both to represent the petitioner and to serve as the guardian ad litem for the child fo…

Senate subcommittee · named March 14, 2023

  • Sen. Jeff Reichman (R) · jeff.reichman@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. J. Taylor
  • Sen. Janice Weiner (D) · janice.weiner@legis.iowa.gov

In plain words

  1. February 22, 2023Filed in the House
  2. March 8, 2023Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
  3. March 9, 2023Passed the House, 96–0
  4. March 13, 2023Arrived in the Senate
  5. March 14, 2023Senate subcommittee named: Reichman, J. Taylor and Weiner
  6. March 22, 2023Subcommittee recommended passing it
  7. March 23, 2023Approved by the Senate committee
  8. May 2, 2023Passed the Senate, 48–0
  9. May 9, 2023Sent to the Governor
  10. May 9, 2023Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
  11. June 1, 2023Signed into law

From public records at legis.iowa.gov, compiled by Funnel (iowafunnel.com), an independent, nonpartisan site. Current as of Monday, November 9, 2026. https://iowafunnel.com/bills/90/HF398