Text of IA SF 473 (2026)

Senate File 473 - Introduced SENATE FILE 473 BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (SUCCESSOR TO SF 236) A BILL FOR An Act relating to certain sincerely held religious or moral 1 beliefs of child foster care providers and prospective 2 adoptive parents. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2019SV (3) 91 dg/ko S.F. 473 Section 1. Section 237.10, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 9A. a. The department shall not do any of 3 the following: 4 (1) Require an individual licensee to affirm, accept, 5 or support a policy related to sexual orientation or gender 6 identity that conflicts with the person’s sincerely held 7 religious or moral beliefs. 8 (2) Preclude a person from providing child foster care as an 9 individual licensee based, in whole or in part, on the person’s 10 sincerely held religious or moral beliefs related to sexual 11 orientation or gender identity, including but not limited to 12 the person’s intent to guide, instruct, or raise a child in a 13 manner consistent with the person’s sincerely held religious 14 or moral beliefs. 15 b. The department, and the department’s designees, shall not 16 adopt a standard, policy, or rule that precludes an individual 17 licensee from being considered as a child’s child foster care 18 provider based, in whole or in part, on the person’s sincerely 19 held religious or moral beliefs related to sexual orientation 20 or gender identity. 21 c. This subsection shall not be interpreted to preclude 22 the department, or the department’s designee, from taking 23 into account the sincerely held moral and religious beliefs, 24 including but not limited to the sincerely held moral and 25 religious beliefs related to sexual orientation and gender 26 identity, of a child and the child’s family of origin as 27 compared to the sincerely held moral and religious beliefs of a 28 potential child foster care provider when determining the most 29 appropriate placement for the child consistent with the best 30 interests of the child. 31 d. (1) A current or prospective child foster care provider 32 may bring an action asserting a violation of this subsection. 33 A court may provide the current or prospective child foster 34 care provider injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or other 35 -1- LSB 2019SV (3) 91 dg/ko 1/ 4 S.F. 473 relief as the court deems appropriate, and may award reasonable 1 attorney fees and costs. 2 (2) The attorney general may bring an action to enforce this 3 subsection. 4 Sec. 2. Section 600.7A, Code 2025, is amended to read as 5 follows: 6 600.7A Adoption services provided by or through the 7 department —— selection of adoptive parent criteria. 8 1. The department shall adopt rules which provide that if 9 adoption services are provided by or through the department, 10 notwithstanding any other selection of adoptive parent 11 criteria, the overriding criterion shall be a preference for 12 placing a child in a stable home environment as expeditiously 13 as possible. 14 2. a. The department shall not do any of the following: 15 (1) Require a prospective adoptive parent to affirm, 16 accept, or support a policy related to sexual orientation or 17 gender identity that conflicts with the person’s sincerely held 18 religious or moral beliefs. 19 (2) Preclude a person from being qualified as a prospective 20 adoptive parent based, in whole or in part, on the person’s 21 sincerely held religious or moral beliefs related to sexual 22 orientation or gender identity, including but not limited to 23 the person’s intent to guide, instruct, or raise a child in a 24 manner consistent with the person’s sincerely held religious 25 or moral beliefs. 26 b. The department, and the department’s designees, shall 27 not adopt a standard, policy, or rule that precludes a person 28 from being considered as a child’s prospective adoptive parent 29 based, in whole or in part, on the person’s sincerely held 30 religious or moral beliefs related to sexual orientation or 31 gender identity. 32 c. This subsection shall not be interpreted to preclude 33 the department from taking into account the sincerely held 34 moral and religious beliefs, including sincerely held moral 35 -2- LSB 2019SV (3) 91 dg/ko 2/ 4 S.F. 473 and religious beliefs related to sexual orientation and gender 1 identity, of a child and the child’s family of origin as 2 compared to the sincerely held moral and religious beliefs 3 of a prospective adoptive parent when determining the most 4 appropriate placement for the child consistent with the best 5 interests of the child. 6 d. (1) A prospective adoptive parent may bring an action 7 asserting a violation of this subsection. A court may provide 8 a prospective adoptive parent injunctive relief, declaratory 9 relief, or other relief as the court deems appropriate, and may 10 award reasonable attorney fees and costs. 11 (2) The attorney general may bring an action to enforce this 12 subsection. 13 EXPLANATION 14 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 15 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 16 This bill relates to certain sincerely held religious or 17 moral beliefs (beliefs) of child foster care providers and 18 prospective adoptive parents. 19 The bill prohibits the department of health and human 20 services (HHS) from requiring an individual licensee (foster 21 parent) to affirm, accept, or support a policy related to 22 sexual orientation (orientation) or gender identity (identity) 23 that conflicts with the foster parent’s beliefs, or precluding 24 a person from providing child foster care as a foster parent 25 based, in whole or in part, on the person’s beliefs related 26 to orientation or identity, including but not limited to the 27 foster parent’s intent to guide, instruct, or raise a child in 28 a manner consistent with the foster parent’s beliefs. 29 The bill prohibits HHS, and HHS’s designees, from adopting 30 a standard, policy, or rule that precludes a foster parent 31 from being considered as a child’s child foster care provider 32 based on the foster parent’s beliefs related to orientation or 33 identity. 34 The bill is not to be interpreted to preclude HHS or HHS’s 35 -3- LSB 2019SV (3) 91 dg/ko 3/ 4 S.F. 473 designee from taking into account the beliefs, including 1 beliefs related to orientation and identity, of a child and 2 the child’s family of origin as compared to the beliefs of a 3 potential child foster care provider when determining the most 4 appropriate placement for the child consistent with the best 5 interests of the child. 6 The bill allows a current or prospective child foster care 7 provider to bring an action asserting a violation of the bill. 8 A court may provide a plaintiff injunctive relief, declaratory 9 relief, or other relief as the court deems appropriate, and may 10 award reasonable attorney fees and costs. The attorney general 11 may bring an action to enforce the bill. 12 The bill contains provisions related to prospective adoptive 13 parents that are similar to the prohibitions and actionable 14 rights related to current and prospective child foster care 15 providers. 16 -4- LSB 2019SV (3) 91 dg/ko 4/ 4

Senate File 473 - Enrolled Senate File 473 AN ACT RELATING TO CERTAIN SINCERELY HELD RELIGIOUS OR MORAL BELIEFS OF CERTAIN ENTITIES FOR PURPOSES OF CHILD FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: Section 1. Section 237.10, Code 2026, is amended by adding the following new subsection: NEW SUBSECTION . 9A. a. The department shall not do any of the following: (1) Require an individual licensee or approved kinship caregiver to affirm, accept, or support a policy related to sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. (2) Preclude a person from being licensed as an individual licensee or approved as an approved kinship caregiver based on the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs related to sexual orientation or gender identity, including but not limited to the person’s intent to guide, instruct, or raise a child in a manner consistent with the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. b. (1) The department, and the department’s designees, shall not adopt a standard, policy, or rule that precludes an individual licensee or an approved kinship caregiver from being considered as a possible placement for a child based on the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs related to sexual orientation or gender identity. Senate File 473, p. 2 (2) This paragraph shall not preclude the department, or the department’s designee, from taking into account the sincerely held moral and religious beliefs, including but not limited to the sincerely held moral and religious beliefs related to sexual orientation and gender identity, of a child and the child’s family of origin as compared to the sincerely held moral and religious beliefs of a potential individual licensee or approved kinship caregiver when determining the most appropriate placement for the child consistent with the best interests of the child. c. (1) A current or prospective individual licensee or approved kinship caregiver may bring an action asserting a violation of this subsection. A court may provide the current or prospective individual licensee or approved kinship caregiver injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or other relief as the court deems appropriate, and may award reasonable attorney fees and costs. (2) The attorney general may bring an action to enforce this subsection. d. For purposes of this subsection, “gender identity” means the same as defined in section 279.78, and “sexual orientation” means the same as defined in section 216.2. Sec. 2. Section 600.7A, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 600.7A Adoption services provided by or through the department —— selection of adoptive parent criteria. 1. The department shall adopt rules which provide that if adoption services are provided by or through the department, notwithstanding any other selection of adoptive parent criteria, the overriding criterion shall be a preference for placing a child in a stable home environment as expeditiously as possible. 2. a. The department shall not do any of the following: (1) Require a prospective adoptive parent to affirm, accept, or support a policy related to sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. (2) Preclude a person from being qualified as a prospective adoptive parent based on the person’s sincerely held religious Senate File 473, p. 3 or moral beliefs related to sexual orientation or gender identity, including but not limited to the person’s intent to guide, instruct, or raise a child in a manner consistent with the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. b. (1) The department, and the department’s designees, shall not adopt a standard, policy, or rule that precludes a person from being considered as a child’s prospective adoptive parent based on the person’s sincerely held religious or moral beliefs related to sexual orientation or gender identity. (2) This paragraph shall not preclude the department from taking into account the sincerely held moral and religious beliefs, including sincerely held moral and religious beliefs related to sexual orientation and gender identity, of a child and the child’s family of origin as compared to the sincerely held moral and religious beliefs of a prospective adoptive parent when determining the most appropriate placement for the child consistent with the best interests of the child. c. (1) A prospective adoptive parent may bring an action asserting a violation of this subsection. A court may provide a prospective adoptive parent injunctive relief, declaratory relief, or other relief as the court deems appropriate, and may award reasonable attorney fees and costs. (2) The attorney general may bring an action to enforce this subsection. d. For purposes of this subsection, “gender identity” means the same as defined in section 279.78, and “sexual orientation” means the same as defined in section 216.2. Sec. 3. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES —— CHILD FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION SERVICES —— DEPARTMENT REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. 1. The department of health and human services shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to amend the department’s rules relating to child foster care and adoption recruitment, retention, training, and support services to provide, unless otherwise provided by federal law or regulation, that an entity that holds itself out to the public as a religious organization as defined in section 13C.1, and that has a contract, subcontract, or other agreement with the department or an agent of the department to provide child foster care Senate File 473, p. 4 or adoption services, shall not be required to provide the contracted, subcontracted, or other agreed upon services in a manner inconsistent with the religious organization’s sincerely held religious beliefs. 2. a. This section shall not prohibit the department from determining the best interests of a child in the provision of child foster care, as that term is defined in section 237.1, or adoption services to the child. b. This section shall not relieve the department of the department’s duty to determine the best interests of a child in the provision of child foster care or adoption services to the child. ______________________________ AMY SINCLAIR President of the Senate ______________________________ PAT GRASSLEY Speaker of the House I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and is known as Senate File 473, Ninety-first General Assembly. ______________________________ W. CHARLES SMITHSON Secretary of the Senate Approved _______________, 2026 ______________________________ KIM REYNOLDS Governor