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Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa Senate passes bill allowing courts to divide joint legal custody rights and approve parent-agreed parenting plans
Last action · March 12, 2026: Tabled until future meeting.
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What This Bill Proposed
Iowa courts may award separate rights and responsibilities of to each parent during a divorce if supported by clear and convincing evidence. The measure allows parents to request court resolution of legal custody disputes and permits them to submit agreed parenting plans for court approval.
Parents undergoing a gain explicit legal mechanisms to divide joint custody responsibilities and formalize agreed parenting arrangements through district court.
- Senate File 523 originated as Senate Study Bill 1124 before being introduced by the Senate Committee on Judiciary during the 91st General Assembly of Iowa. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
parents undergoing dissolution of marriage
Parents can request separate joint custody rights, initiate dispute resolution, and submit stipulated parenting plans for court approval.
district court
Courts are required to hold hearings on custody disputes, resolve them, and review parent-stipulated parenting plans.
Key Facts
- Courts may award separate rights and responsibilities of joint legal custody to each parent if found by clear and convincing evidence to be in the child's best interest.
- Parents may initiate joint legal custody dispute resolutions during or after a dissolution of marriage action by filing an application and serving process.
- Upon receiving a custody dispute application, the district court must set a hearing and expeditiously resolve the dispute in the child's best interest.
- Parents may stipulate to a parenting plan covering parenting functions, parenting time, or both during or after a dissolution of marriage action.
Show all 5 facts
- Courts must approve parent-stipulated parenting plans unless the agreement is found not to be in the best interest of the child.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are courts required to accept parenting plans agreed upon by both parents?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Tabled in the House.
Procedural history
20 actions- Mar 12, 2026Iowa LegislatureTabled until future meeting.
- Mar 10, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 03/11/2026 8:00AM RM 304.
- Mar 10, 2026HouseSubcommittee: Gustoff, Holt and Wessel-Kroeschell. H.J. 631 .
- Dec 31, 2025Iowa Legislature* * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * *
- Mar 18, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 717 .
- Mar 18, 2025HouseMessage from Senate. H.J. 680 .
Show 14 earlier actions
- Mar 18, 2025SenateImmediate message. S.J. 562 .
- Mar 18, 2025SenateFloorPassed Senate , yeas 48, nays 0. S.J. 561 .
- Mar 5, 2025SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 426 .
- Mar 5, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 418 .
- Mar 4, 2025Iowa LegislatureCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 523 .
- Mar 3, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
- Feb 20, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 02/26/2025 3:00PM Room 217 Conference Room.
- Feb 20, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Feb 17, 2025HouseSubcommittee Meeting: 02/20/2025 2:00PM House Lounge.
- Feb 17, 2025HouseSubcommittee reassigned: Lawler, Meyer, B. and Nordman. H.J. 342 .
- Feb 13, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee: Taylor, Bisignano, and Green.
- Feb 13, 2025Iowa LegislatureIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Judiciary.
- Feb 12, 2025HouseSubcommittee: Lawler, James and Nordman. H.J. 309 .
- Feb 12, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 307 .
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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