House
File
2024
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2024
BY
STONE
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
payment
by
the
state
of
adoption
expenses
1
incurred
by
a
foster
parent
in
adopting
a
foster
child.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
TLSB
5412YH
(2)
90
pf/jh
H.F.
2024
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
234.49
State
payment
of
adoption
1
expenses
incurred
by
foster
parent
in
adopting
foster
child.
2
1.
The
department
shall,
within
the
limits
of
funds
3
appropriated
to
the
department
or
received
by
the
department
4
for
this
purpose,
pay
the
adoption
expenses
incurred
by
an
5
individual
if
all
of
the
following
criteria
are
met:
6
a.
The
child
is
adopted
by
the
individual
with
whom
the
7
child
was
placed
in
child
foster
care.
8
b.
The
child
is
the
subject
of
a
termination
of
parental
9
rights
proceeding
pursuant
to
chapter
232
and
the
child
is
10
less
than
twelve
months
of
age
at
the
time
the
termination
of
11
parental
rights
proceeding
commences.
12
2.
The
department
shall
adopt
rules
pursuant
to
chapter
17A
13
to
administer
this
section.
14
3.
For
the
purposes
of
this
section:
15
a.
“Adoption
expenses”
means
the
reasonable
and
necessary
16
adoption
fees,
court
costs,
attorney
fees,
and
other
expenses
17
which
are
directly
related
to
the
legal
adoption
of
a
child,
18
and
which
are
not
reimbursed
by
any
other
source.
19
b.
“Child
foster
care”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
20
237.1.
21
c.
“Individual”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
237.1.
22
EXPLANATION
23
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
24
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
25
This
bill
relates
to
payment
by
the
state
of
adoption
26
expenses
incurred
when
the
adoption
is
of
a
foster
child
by
a
27
foster
parent.
28
The
bill
provides
that
the
department
of
health
and
human
29
services
(HHS)
shall,
within
the
limits
of
funds
appropriated
30
to
HHS
or
received
by
HHS
for
this
purpose,
pay
the
adoption
31
expenses
incurred
by
an
individual
if:
the
child
is
adopted
by
32
the
individual
with
whom
the
child
was
placed
in
child
foster
33
care,
the
child
is
the
subject
of
a
termination
of
parental
34
rights
(TPR)
proceeding
pursuant
to
Code
chapter
232
(juvenile
35
-1-
LSB
5412YH
(2)
90
pf/jh
1/
2
H.F.
2024
justice),
and
the
child
is
less
than
12
months
of
age
at
the
1
time
the
TPR
proceeding
commences.
The
bill
directs
HHS
to
2
adopt
administrative
rules
to
administer
the
bill.
3
The
bill
includes
definitions
used
in
the
bill
including
4
“adoption
expenses”
which
means
the
reasonable
and
necessary
5
adoption
fees,
court
costs,
attorney
fees,
and
other
expenses
6
which
are
directly
related
to
the
legal
adoption
of
a
child,
7
and
which
are
not
reimbursed
by
any
other
source.
8
-2-
LSB
5412YH
(2)
90
pf/jh
2/
2