Senate Study Bill 3165 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES BILL BY CHAIRPERSON SWEENEY) A BILL FOR An Act establishing a task force relating to the reunification 1 of an unaccompanied child or dependent adult with the 2 child’s or dependent adult’s parent, guardian, or custodian 3 following a natural disaster. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5962SC (3) 88 as/rh

S.F. _____ Section 1. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY 1 MANAGEMENT —— CHILD OR DEPENDENT ADULT REUNIFICATION FOLLOWING 2 A NATURAL DISASTER —— TASK FORCE. 3 1. The department of homeland security and emergency 4 management shall convene a task force to study the current 5 status of unaccompanied children and dependent adults following 6 a natural disaster, who are not under the supervision of a 7 school or the department of human services, to ascertain 8 gaps, assess capacity concerns, identify resources, and 9 examine issues including specifically the dangers that a child 10 or dependent adult separated from a parent, guardian, or 11 custodian may face including victimization, abuse, kidnapping, 12 or exploitation, and reunification efforts that need to 13 be addressed by all agencies and organizations across the 14 response community. The task force shall develop specific 15 policy recommendations relating to the reunification of an 16 unaccompanied child or dependent adult with the child’s or 17 dependent adult’s parent, guardian, or custodian following a 18 natural disaster. 19 2. The task force members shall include but are not limited 20 to representatives from the department of public safety, the 21 Iowa emergency management directors association, the Iowa 22 state sheriffs and deputies association, a police officers 23 association, a fire fighters association, and other agencies as 24 deemed appropriate. The task force members shall also include 25 four legislators as ex officio, nonvoting members. The four 26 legislators shall be appointed one each by the majority leader 27 of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, the speaker 28 of the house of representatives, and the minority leader of 29 the house of representatives for terms as provided in section 30 69.16B. 31 3. The task force shall convene by October 2, 2020, and 32 shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations 33 to the general assembly for consideration during the 2021 34 legislative session. 35 -1- LSB 5962SC (3) 88 as/rh 1/ 2

S.F. _____ EXPLANATION 1 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 This bill establishes a task force relating to the 4 reunification of an unaccompanied child or dependent adult with 5 the child’s or dependent adult’s parent, guardian, or custodian 6 following a natural disaster. 7 The bill requires the department of homeland security and 8 emergency management to convene a task force to study the 9 current status of unaccompanied children and dependent adults 10 following a natural disaster, who are not under the supervision 11 of a school or the department of human services, to ascertain 12 gaps, assess capacity concerns, identify resources, examine 13 issues including specific issues relating to the dangers a 14 child or dependent adult may face and reunification efforts by 15 all agencies and organizations across the response community. 16 The task force shall develop specific policy recommendations 17 relating to the reunification of an unaccompanied child or 18 dependent adult with the child’s or dependent adult’s parent, 19 guardian, or custodian following a natural disaster. 20 The bill provides that task force members shall include 21 but are not limited to representatives from the department 22 of public safety, the Iowa emergency management directors 23 association, the Iowa state sheriffs and deputies association, 24 a police officers association, a fire fighters association, and 25 other agencies as deemed appropriate. The task force members 26 shall also include four legislators as ex officio, nonvoting 27 members. The task force shall convene by October 2, 2020, 28 and shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations 29 to the general assembly for consideration during the 2021 30 legislative interim. 31 -2- LSB 5962SC (3) 88 as/rh 2/ 2