House File 2329 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  BERRY


    Passed House, Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to child abuse reporting requirements involving a
  2    child sharing a residence with a person required to register
  3    as a sex offender.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 6165HH 81
  6 jp/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 232.68, subsection 2, paragraph i, Code
  1  2 Supplement 2005, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    i.  Cohabitation with a person on the sex offender registry
  1  4 under chapter 692A in violation of section 726.6.  The person
  1  5 responsible for the care of the child allows an individual who
  1  6 the person knows is required to register as a sex offender
  1  7 under chapter 692A to share a residence with the child.  For
  1  8 the purposes of this paragraph, "residence" means the same as
  1  9 defined in section 692A.1.  This paragraph is applicable
  1 10 without regard to the length of time or continuity of the
  1 11 sharing of the residence.  However, this paragraph is not
  1 12 applicable if the individual required to register as a sex
  1 13 offender is a child or minor over whom the person responsible
  1 14 for the care of a child has custody or control, or if the
  1 15 individual is married to and residing with the person.
  1 16                           EXPLANATION
  1 17    This bill relates to child abuse reporting requirements
  1 18 involving a child sharing a residence with a person required
  1 19 to register as a sex offender by amending an element of the
  1 20 definition of child abuse in Code section 232.68.  This
  1 21 definition is used for reporting of child abuse and
  1 22 assessments of reports by the department of human services.
  1 23 The element amended by the bill provides that cohabitation
  1 24 with a person on the sex offender registry under Code chapter
  1 25 692A in violation of Code section 726.6, relating to child
  1 26 endangerment, is child abuse.
  1 27    The bill is directed to the person responsible for the care
  1 28 of the child, a defined term meaning the parent, guardian,
  1 29 foster parent, relative or other person with whom the child
  1 30 resides, or other persons providing care for the child.  The
  1 31 bill provides that it is child abuse if a person responsible
  1 32 for the care of a child allows an individual who the person
  1 33 knows is required to register as a sex offender to share a
  1 34 residence with the child.  An exception to the definition,
  1 35 similar to the exception in the child endangerment law in Code
  2  1 section 726.6, provides that child abuse does not include an
  2  2 individual required to register as a sex offender if the
  2  3 individual is a child or minor over whom the person
  2  4 responsible for the care of a child has custody or control, or
  2  5 if the individual is married to and residing with the person.
  2  6 LSB 6165HH 81
  2  7 jp:rj/gg/14