Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to child custody and visitation for parents subject to deployments
Sponsored by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Sen. Adrian Dickey (R)
Topics:Courts & civil lawVeterans & military
Same legislation: SF 2053
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 14, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 21, 2026
- Done: Senate committeeFebruary 4, 2026
- Done: Passes the SenateFebruary 23, 202647–0
- Done: House committeeMarch 18, 2026
- Stopped: Passes the HouseDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill relates to child custody and visitation for parents subject to short-term deployment. The bill defines “short-term deployment” as the movement or mobilization of a deploying parent for less than days pursuant to uniformed service member orders that are designated as unaccompanied, do not authorize dependent travel, or otherwise do not permit family members to accompany the deploying parent. The bill allows a deploying parent who is unable to exercise court-ordered physical care or visitation during a short-term deployment to make up the missed time days immediately preceding or days immediately following the deployment.
Read the full explanation
The amount of make-up time may not exceed the number of days missed, and may not exceed days. The bill requires the deploying parent to notify the other parent, in a record, of the short-term deployment unless reasonably prevented by the circumstances of service. The deploying parent must also provide a plan for fulfilling the missed physical care or visitation to the other parent and file the plan with any court that has entered a child-custody determination in effect concerning the child.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Changed since by amendment S-5020; see Amendments. Full bill text
House subcommittee
Named March 3, 2026. On March 9, 2026 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
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
1 for · 0 against · 2 undecided · Who →
Family tree
Where this legislation came from and where it went: earlier tries, the versions it moved through this Assembly, and later bills built on it.
91st General Assembly
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