232.141  Expenses.

1.  Except as otherwise provided by law, the court shall inquire into the ability of the child or the child's parent to pay expenses incurred pursuant to subsection 2 and subsection 4 and, after giving the parent a reasonable opportunity to be heard, the court may order the parent to pay all or part of the costs of the child's care, examination, treatment, legal expenses, or other expenses. An order entered under this section does not obligate a parent paying child support under a custody decree, except that part of the monthly support payment may be used to satisfy the obligations imposed by the order entered pursuant to this section. If a parent fails to pay as ordered, without good reason, the court may proceed against the parent for contempt and may inform the county attorney who shall proceed against the parent to collect the unpaid amount. Any payment ordered by the court shall be a judgment against each of the child's parents and a lien as provided in section 624.23. If all or part of the amount that the parents are ordered to pay is subsequently paid by the county or state, the judgment and lien shall thereafter be against each of the parents in favor of the county to the extent of the county's payments and in favor of the state to the extent of the state's payments.

2.  All of the following expenses are a charge upon the county in which the proceedings are held, to the extent provided in subsection 3:

a.  The fees and mileage of witnesses and the expenses of officers serving notices and subpoenas which are incurred by an attorney appointed by the court to serve as counsel to any party or to serve as a guardian ad litem for any child.

b.  Reasonable compensation for an attorney appointed by the court to serve as counsel to any party or as guardian ad litem for any child.

3.  Costs incurred under subsection 2 shall be paid as follows:

a.  A county shall be required to pay for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1989, an amount equal to the county's base cost for witness and mileage fees and attorney fees established pursuant to section 232.141, subsection 8, paragraph "d", Code 1989, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1988, plus an amount equal to the percentage rate of change in the consumer price index as tabulated by the federal bureau of labor statistics for the current year times the county's base cost.

b.  A county's base cost for a fiscal year plus the percentage rate of change amount as computed in paragraph "a" is the county's base cost for the succeeding fiscal year. The amount to be paid in the succeeding year by the county shall be computed as provided in paragraph "a".

c.  Costs incurred for compensation of an attorney appointed by the court to serve as counsel to any party or guardian ad litem for any child shall be made in accordance with sections 13B.4 and 815.7.

d.  Costs incurred under subsection 2 shall be paid by the state. The county shall be required to reimburse the indigent defense fund for costs incurred by the state up to the county's base in subsection 2.

4.  Upon certification of the court, all of the following expenses are a charge upon the state to the extent provided in subsection 5:

a.  The expenses of transporting a child to or from a place designated by the court for the purpose of care or treatment.

b.  Expenses for mental or physical examinations of a child if ordered by the court.

c.  The expenses of care or treatment ordered by the court.

5.  If no other provision of law requires the county to reimburse costs incurred pursuant to subsection 4, the department shall reimburse the costs as follows:

a.  The department shall prescribe by administrative rule all services eligible for reimbursement pursuant to subsection 4 and shall establish an allowable rate of reimbursement for each service.

b.  The department shall receive billings for services provided and, after determining allowable costs, shall reimburse providers at a rate which is not greater than allowed by administrative rule. Reimbursement paid to a provider by the department shall be considered reimbursement in full unless a county voluntarily agrees to pay any difference between the reimbursement amount and the actual cost. When there are specific program regulations prohibiting supplementation those regulations shall be applied to providers requesting supplemental payments from a county. Billings for services not listed in administrative rule shall not be paid. However, if the court orders a service not currently listed in administrative rule, the department shall review the order and, if reimbursement for the service of the department is not in conflict with other law or administrative rule, and meets the criteria of subsection 4, the department shall reimburse the provider.

6.  If a child is given physical or mental examinations or treatment relating to a child abuse assessment with the consent of the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian and no other provision of law otherwise requires payment for the costs of the examination and treatment, the costs shall be paid by the state. Reimbursement for costs of services described in this subsection is subject to subsection 5.

7.  A county charged with the costs and expenses under subsections 2 and 3 may recover the costs and expenses from the county where the child has legal settlement by filing verified claims which are payable as are other claims against the county. A detailed statement of the facts upon which a claim is based shall accompany the claim. Any dispute involving the legal settlement of a child for which the court has ordered payment under this section shall be settled pursuant to sections 252.22 and 252.23.

8.  This subsection applies only to placements in a juvenile shelter care home which is publicly owned, operated as a county or multicounty shelter care home, organized under a chapter 28E agreement, or operated by a private juvenile shelter care home. If the actual and allowable costs of a child's shelter care placement exceed the amount the department is authorized to pay in accordance with law and administrative rule, the unpaid costs may be recovered from the child's county of legal settlement. However, the maximum amount of the unpaid costs which may be recovered under this subsection is limited to the difference between the amount the department is authorized to pay and the statewide average of the actual and allowable rates in effect in May of the preceding fiscal year for reimbursement of juvenile shelter care homes. In no case shall the home be reimbursed for more than the home's actual and allowable costs. The unpaid costs are payable pursuant to filing of verified claims against the county of legal settlement. A detailed statement of the facts upon which a claim is based shall accompany the claim. Any dispute between counties arising from filings of claims pursuant to this subsection shall be settled in the manner provided to determine legal settlement in section 230.12.

Section History: Early form

  [S13, § 254-a25, -a45; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 3644, 3645; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, § 232.25, 232.26; C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, § 232.51-232.53; C79, 81, § 232.141; 82 Acts, ch 1260, § 119]

Section History: Recent form

  85 Acts, ch 173, §14; 87 Acts, ch 152, §1; 88 Acts, ch 1134, §54; 89 Acts, ch 283, §23; 90 Acts, ch 1233, §8; 92 Acts, ch 1229, § 8; 92 Acts, 1st Ex, ch 1004, § 3; 93 Acts, ch 76, §15; 93 Acts, ch 172, §34; 97 Acts, ch 35, §12, 25; 97 Acts, ch 126, § 31; 99 Acts, ch 135, §20, 21; 2000 Acts, ch 1115, §2-4

Internal References

  Referred to in § 232.11, 232.52, 232.89, 232.143, 234.8, 237.20, 331.401, 602.1302, 602.1303, 815.11


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