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 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary When a service member is sent away for a short-term deployment that doesn't allow family to go with them, they can make up missed time with their children. This extra time must happen right before or right after the deployment and cannot be longer than the time they were away. The deploying parent must tell the other parent about the deployment and share a written plan for how they will make up the missed visits.1
Read the official explanation
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. 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.
Changed since by amendment S-5020; see Amendments.
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
Lobbying
1 for · 0 against · 2 undecided · Who →
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91st General Assembly