House File 128 HOUSE FILE BY CONNORS Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to counseling for runaway children. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2157HH 80 4 jm/cl/14 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 232.19, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 1 2 2003, is amended to read as follows: 1 3 c. By a peace officer, when the peace officer has 1 4 reasonable grounds to believe the child has run away from the 1 5 child's parents, guardian, or custodian, for the purposes of 1 6 determining whether the child shall be reunited with the 1 7 child's parents, guardian, or custodian, placed in shelter 1 8 care, or, if the child is a chronic runaway and the county has 1 9 an approved county runaway treatment plan, placed in a runaway 1 10 assessment center under section 232.196. If the county does 1 11 not have an approved runaway treatment plan or the child is 1 12 not a chronic runaway, the child, together with the child's 1 13 parent, guardian, or custodian, shall participate in a brief 1 14 counseling session, if such services are available in the 1 15 county, addressing the reasons why the child has run away. 1 16 The counseling may occur at a shelter care facility or another 1 17 location. 1 18 Sec. 2. Section 232.195, Code 2003, is amended to read as 1 19 follows: 1 20 232.195 RUNAWAY TREATMENT PLAN. 1 21 A county may develop a runaway treatment plan to address 1 22 problems with chronic runaway children in the county. The 1 23 plan shall identify the problems with chronic runaway children 1 24 in the county and specific solutions to be implemented by the 1 25 county, including the development of a runaway assessment 1 26 center. If a county has not developed a runaway treatment 1 27 plan or the child is not a chronic runaway, the child, 1 28 together with the child's parent, guardian, or custodian, may 1 29 participate in a counseling session as provided in section 1 30 232.19, subsection 1, paragraph "c". 1 31 EXPLANATION 1 32 This bill relates to counseling for runaway children. The 1 33 bill provides that if a county does not have an approved 1 34 runaway treatment plan or the child is not a chronic runaway, 1 35 a child who has run away and the child's parent or guardian 2 1 shall participate in a counseling session, if such services 2 2 are available in the county, addressing the reasons why the 2 3 child ran away. The bill provides that the counseling may 2 4 occur at a shelter care facility or any other location. 2 5 LSB 2157HH 80 2 6 jm/cl/14