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Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa Senate File 251 Creates Dedicated Foster Care Ombudsman Assistant and Direct Complaint Process
Last action · June 16, 2025: Referred to Health and Human Services. S.J. 1058 .Sponsor: Sandy Salmon
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What This Bill Would Do
Senate File 251 requires the state to appoint an assistant primarily responsible for investigating child foster care complaints, requiring that this appointee have at least ten years of experience as a foster parent. The bill establishes a direct communication process for individual license holders under Code chapter 237 to file complaints and requires public-facing foster care materials to include contact details and duties for this assistant.
Foster parents and child welfare licensees gain a dedicated investigative point of contact within the 's office, backed by mandatory inclusion of complaint information in public agency materials.
- State ombudsman offices investigate citizen complaints regarding administrative actions and services provided by state government agencies. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
foster parents
Foster parents gain a specialized ombudsman assistant with direct oversight responsibilities over foster care complaints.
individual licensees under chapter 237
Licensees obtain a direct communication and complaint-filing process with the newly designated ombudsman assistant.
Key Facts
- The ombudsman must appoint an assistant primarily responsible for investigating complaints relating to child foster care under chapter 237.
- The appointed foster care ombudsman assistant must have a minimum of ten years of experience as a foster parent.
- At least five of the required ten years of foster parent experience must be while residing in Iowa.
- The ombudsman must maintain a process allowing individual licensees under chapter 237 to directly communicate and file complaints with this assistant.
Show all 5 facts
- All public-facing materials relating to child foster care made available by the department must contain information about the ombudsman assistant's duties and contact process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifications are required for the new ombudsman assistant?
How can foster care licensees file a complaint under this bill?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
9 actions- Jun 16, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to Health and Human Services. S.J. 1058 .
- Mar 6, 2025SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 436 .
- Mar 6, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 433 .
- Mar 6, 2025SenateCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 564 . S.J. 436 .
- Feb 20, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
- Feb 18, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 02/20/2025 12:00PM Room 315.
Show 3 earlier actions
- Feb 18, 2025SenateSubcommittee reassigned: Salmon, Pike, and Trone Garriott. S.J. 302 .
- Feb 13, 2025SenateSubcommittee: Salmon, Guth, and Trone Garriott. S.J. 269 .
- Feb 10, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Health and Human Services. S.J. 217 .
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 564
The official record indicates a cross-reference relationship with Senate File 564 regarding child foster care ombudsman provisions.
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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