Bills › 91st General Assembly

Relating to requirements for a parent to obtain joint physical custody of a child

Topics:Courts & civil law

Same legislation: HF 932

Where it is now

  1. Done: IntroducedMarch 5, 2025
  2. Done: SubcommitteeMarch 5, 2025
  3. Done: House committeeMarch 6, 2025
  4. Skipped: Passes the HouseContinued as HF 932
  5. Next: Senate committee
  6. Next: Passes the Senate
  7. Next: To the Governor
  8. Next: Signed into law

Became HF 932 → Its progress continues under the new number. Go to HF 932 What’s a funnel?

What’s in it

AI summary When parents are getting divorced, they must now submit a plan for how they will share time with their child. If a judge decides not to give a parent joint physical custody, the judge must list exactly what that parent needs to do to earn it later. The parent who keeps the child cannot intentionally get in the way of the other parent meeting those requirements.1

Read the official explanation

This bill relates to requirements for a parent to obtain joint physical custody of a child. Under current law, a court may require parents awarded joint legal custody of a child in a dissolution of marriage proceeding to submit a proposed joint physical care parenting plan. The bill requires the parents to submit a proposed joint physical care parenting plan. If a court denies a request for joint physical care of a child, the bill requires the court to list the requirements the parent who was not awarded physical care of a child must meet to be awarded joint physical care of the child in the future. A parent’s fulfillment of the listed requirements shall be considered a material and substantial change in circumstances for the purposes of modifying an order awarding child custody. The bill prohibits the parent awarded physical care of the child from intentionally impeding the other parent from fulfilling the listed requirements.

Changed since by amendment H-1209; see Amendments.

Full bill text2

House subcommittee

Named March 5, 2025. On March 6, 2025 it recommended passage.

Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part

Iowa Code it changes

Amends§598.41

How the Code works3

Lobbying

8 for · 2 against · 3 undecided · Who →

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