House File 172 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY BERRY, SMITH, KRESSIG, WINCKLER, PETTENGILL, WENTHE, WENDT, T. OLSON, JACOBY, SCHUELLER, FOEGE, LENSING, ANDERSON, SWAIM, ABDUL=SAMAD, and FORD Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act prescribing the frequency of a guardian ad litem's visits 2 to the residence of a child. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1828HH 82 5 jp/es/88 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 232.2, subsection 22, paragraph b, 1 2 subparagraph (3), Code 2007, is amended to read as follows: 1 3 (3) Visiting the home, residence, or both home and 1 4 residence of the child and any prospective home or residence 1 5 of the child, including each time placement is changed. At 1 6 least once every ninety days, the guardian ad litem shall 1 7 personally visit the residence of the child at a time when the 1 8 child is present in the residence. If the guardian ad litem 1 9 is not a court appointed special advocate or a court appointed 1 10 special advocate has not been appointed for the child, the 1 11 court may designate a court appointed special advocate or 1 12 other person with qualifications acceptable to the court to 1 13 perform the personal visit duty in lieu of the guardian ad 1 14 litem. The court designee shall provide recommendations to 1 15 the guardian ad litem in a timely manner that allows the 1 16 guardian ad litem to incorporate the recommendations in 1 17 representing the best interests of the child before the court. 1 18 EXPLANATION 1 19 This bill amends one of the duties contained in the 1 20 definition of the term "guardian ad litem" in Code section 1 21 232.2. A guardian ad litem is an individual appointed by the 1 22 juvenile court to represent the child's interests in any 1 23 judicial proceeding. 1 24 Current law requires the guardian ad litem to visit a 1 25 child's home or residence, or both, and the prospective home 1 26 or residence of the child, including each time the child's 1 27 placement is changed. The bill specifies that at least once 1 28 every 90 days, the guardian ad litem must visit the child's 1 29 residence at a time when the child is present in the 1 30 residence. The bill provides that the court may designate a 1 31 court appointed special advocate or other qualified person to 1 32 perform the personal visit duty in lieu of the guardian ad 1 33 litem. That designee is required to provide timely 1 34 recommendations to the guardian ad litem so that the 1 35 recommendations can be incorporated by the guardian ad litem 2 1 in representing the best interests of the child before the 2 2 court. 2 3 LSB 1828HH 82 2 4 jp:nh/es/88