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Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa Prohibits Restricting Foster and Adoptive Parents Based on Religious or Moral Beliefs
Last action · June 2, 2026: Signed by Governor . S.J. 1029 .Sponsor: Sandy Salmon
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What This Bill Does
Senate File 236 prohibits the department from requiring foster care providers and prospective adoptive parents to adopt policies regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflict with their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. The measure allows affected individuals to sue the state in court without exhausting and permits the attorney general to enforce these protections.
Child foster care providers and prospective adoptive parents gain the explicit right to challenge state licensing policies in court and seek attorney fees if their religious or moral beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity are used to disqualify them.
- Senate File 236 was introduced in the Iowa General Assembly by Senator Salmon during the 91st General Assembly session. context
- The bill amends state code provisions governing child foster care licensing and adoption services provided through the state department. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
child foster care providers
Current and prospective foster care providers cannot be required to affirm policies conflicting with their religious beliefs and gain the right to sue the state for violations.
prospective adoptive parents
Prospective adoptive parents gain protection from being disqualified due to religious or moral beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.
the department
The department is restricted from adopting rules or standards that screen out foster or adoptive parents based on religious beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.
Key Facts
- The department is prohibited from requiring individual foster care licensees or prospective adoptive parents to affirm, accept, or support any policy on sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs.
- The department and its designees cannot preclude someone from providing foster care or becoming an adoptive parent based on their religious or moral beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.
- The legislation does not prevent the department from considering the religious and moral beliefs of a child and their family of origin when determining the most appropriate placement for the child's best interests.
- Current or prospective foster care providers and prospective adoptive parents may bring a civil action against the state for violations, and courts may award injunctive relief, declaratory relief, and reasonable attorney fees and costs.
Show all 7 facts
- Civil actions under this law may be commenced without first exhausting available administrative remedies.
- The attorney general is explicitly authorized to bring an action to enforce these statutory subsections.
- For adoption services provided by or through the department, the overriding criterion remains a preference for placing a child in a stable home environment as expeditiously as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the state deny a foster care license based on a person's religious beliefs about gender identity?
What legal options do prospective parents have if their rights under this law are violated?
Does this law stop placement officials from looking at a child's own religious background?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
46 actions- Jun 2, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by Governor . S.J. 1029 .
- May 5, 2026SenateReported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. S.J. 1028 .
- Apr 21, 2026HouseMessage from Senate. H.J. 955 .
- Apr 21, 2026SenateImmediate message. S.J. 855 .
- Apr 21, 2026SenateFloorPassed Senate , yeas 28, nays 16. S.J. 854 .
- Apr 21, 2026SenateFloorSenate concurred with S-5200 . S.J. 854 .
Show 40 earlier actions
- Apr 21, 2026HouseMessage from House, with amendment S-5200 . S.J. 842 .
- Apr 20, 2026HouseImmediate message. H.J. 947 .
- Apr 20, 2026HouseFloorPassed House , yeas 58, nays 34. H.J. 938 .
- Apr 20, 2026HouseFloorAmendment H-8353 adopted. H.J. 937 .
- Apr 20, 2026HouseMotion to suspend rules failed. H.J. 937 .
- Apr 20, 2026HouseMotion to suspend rules for immediate consideration of amendment H-8320 , yeas 39, nays 53. H.J. 936 .
- Apr 20, 2026HousePoint of order raised on amendment H-8320 , ruled not germane. H.J. 936 .
- Apr 20, 2026HouseAmendment H-8370 withdrawn. H.J. 936 .
- Apr 15, 2026HouseAmendment H-8370 filed. H.J. 921 .
- Apr 13, 2026HouseAmendment H-8353 filed. H.J. 888 .
- Apr 7, 2026HouseAmendment H-8320 filed. H.J. 838 .
- Mar 26, 2026HousePlaced on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 760 .
- Mar 18, 2026HousePlaced on calendar. H.J. 686 .
- Mar 18, 2026HouseCommittee vote: Yeas, 14. Nays, 6. Excused, 1. H.J. 686 .
- Mar 18, 2026HouseCommittee report, recommending passage. H.J. 686 .
- Mar 5, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Mar 3, 2026HouseSubcommittee Meeting: 03/05/2026 8:15AM House Lounge.
- Mar 3, 2026HouseSubcommittee: Williams, Dunwell and Wessel-Kroeschell. H.J. 524 .
- Dec 31, 2025Iowa Legislature* * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * *
- May 15, 2025HouseRereferred to Judiciary. H.J. 1222 .
- Apr 10, 2025HousePlaced on calendar under unfinished business. H.J. 928 .
- Apr 2, 2025HousePlaced on calendar. H.J. 886 .
- Apr 2, 2025HouseCommittee vote: Yeas, 14. Nays, 6. Excused, 1. H.J. 886 .
- Apr 2, 2025HouseCommittee report, recommending passage. H.J. 885 .
- Apr 2, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Apr 1, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 04/02/2025 7:30AM RM 102.
- Mar 31, 2025HouseSubcommittee reassigned: Williams, Holt and Wessel-Kroeschell. H.J. 873 .
- Mar 28, 2025HouseSubcommittee: Wheeler, Holt and Wessel-Kroeschell. H.J. 873 .
- Mar 25, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 811 .
- Mar 25, 2025HouseMessage from Senate. H.J. 793 .
- Mar 25, 2025SenateImmediate message. S.J. 630 .
- Mar 25, 2025SenateFloorPassed Senate , yeas 35, nays 14. S.J. 629 .
- Mar 25, 2025SenateFloorAmendment S-3047 filed, adopted. S.J. 629 .
- Feb 27, 2025SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 384 .
- Feb 27, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 381 .
- Feb 27, 2025SenateCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 473 . S.J. 384 .
- Feb 24, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Feb 12, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 02/24/2025 11:00AM Room 315.
- Feb 11, 2025SenateSubcommittee: Salmon, Pike, and Trone Garriott. S.J. 244 .
- Feb 10, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Health and Human Services. S.J. 215 .
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.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Reference to SF 473
The official record indicates a direct connection to Senate File 473 regarding child foster care provider beliefs.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz55Current news / social attention level
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