235A.19  Examination, requests for correction or expungement and appeal.
  1.  A subject of a child abuse report, as identified in section 235A.15, subsection 2, paragraph “a”, shall have the right to examine report data and disposition data which refers to the subject. The department may prescribe reasonable hours and places of examination.
  2.  a.  A subject of a child abuse report may file with the department within ninety days of the date of the notice of the results of an assessment performed in accordance with section 232.71B, a written statement to the effect that report data and disposition data referring to the subject is in whole or in part erroneous, and may request a correction of that data or of the findings of the assessment report. The department shall provide the subject with an opportunity for a contested case hearing pursuant to chapter 17A to correct the data or the findings, unless the department corrects the data or findings as requested. The department may defer the hearing until the conclusion of the adjudicatory phase of a pending juvenile or district court case relating to the data or findings.
  b.  The department shall not disclose any report data or disposition data until the conclusion of the proceeding to correct the data or findings, except as follows:
  (1)  As necessary for the proceeding itself.
  (2)  To the parties and attorneys involved in a judicial proceeding.
  (3)  For the regulation of child care or child placement.
  (4)  Pursuant to court order.
  (5)  To the subject of an assessment or a report.
  (6)  For the care or treatment of a child named in a report as a victim of abuse.
  (7)  To persons involved in an assessment of child abuse.
  (8)  For statutorily authorized record checks for employment of an individual by a provider of adult home care, adult health facility care, or other adult placement facility care.
  (9)  For others identified in section 235A.15, subsection 2, paragraph “d”, subparagraph (7), and paragraph “e”, subparagraphs (9) and (16).
  3.  The subject of a child abuse report may appeal the decision resulting from a hearing held pursuant to subsection 2 to the district court of Polk county or to the district court of the district in which the subject of the child abuse report resides. Immediately upon appeal the court shall order the department to file with the court a certified copy of the report data or disposition data. Appeal shall be taken in accordance with chapter 17A.
  4.  Upon the request of the appellant, the record and evidence in such cases shall be closed to all but the court and its officers, and access to the record and evidence shall be prohibited unless otherwise ordered by the court. The clerk shall maintain a separate docket for such actions. A person other than the appellant shall not permit a copy of any of the testimony or pleadings or the substance of the testimony or pleadings to be made available to any person other than a party to the action or the party’s attorney. Violation of the provisions of this subsection shall be a public offense punishable under section 235A.21.
  5.  Whenever the department corrects or eliminates data as requested or as ordered by the court, the department shall advise all persons who have received the incorrect data of such fact. Upon application to the court and service of notice on the department, any subject of a child abuse report may request and obtain a list of all persons who have received report data or disposition data referring to the subject.
  6.  In the course of any proceeding provided for by this section, the identity of the person who reported the disputed data and the identity of any person who has been reported as having abused a child may be withheld upon a determination by the department that disclosure of their identities would be detrimental to their interests.
[C75, 77, 79, 81, §235A.19]
85 Acts, ch 173, §18; 89 Acts, ch 230, §21; 92 Acts, ch 1143, §5; 94 Acts, ch 1130, §10; 95 Acts, ch 49, §3; 97 Acts, ch 35, §21, 25; 97 Acts, ch 176, §12, 39, 40, 43; 98 Acts, ch 1100, §98; 2000 Acts, ch 1067, §2; 2005 Acts, ch 121, §9; 2011 Acts, ch 28, §6
Subsection 2, paragraph a amended