This bill focuses on enhancing child welfare and mental health services in Iowa under the Department of Health and Human Services. It expands the definition of eligible employees to include employees of administrative services organizations and mandates the appointment of advocates for patients who are involuntarily hospitalized, ensuring these advocates have prior experience in mental health advocacy. The bill also revises terminology related to foster care, replacing "licensed foster care provider" with "individual licensee" and clarifying the decision-making authority of these licensees. Additionally, it introduces the concept of "fictive kin," allowing licensed individuals with significant emotional ties to a child to provide foster care, while emphasizing the importance of confidentiality regarding child abuse information and establishing penalties for unlicensed care provision.

Moreover, the bill includes amendments aimed at protecting dependent adults, defining "exploitation of a dependent adult" and clarifying "personal degradation" as harmful actions by caretakers. It specifies that certain actions, such as taking electronic images for reporting abuse, do not constitute personal degradation. The bill enhances confidentiality protections for dependent adult abuse records and allows community-based entities to apply for child abuse prevention funds. It also mandates information sharing with HHS to improve abuse case responses and appropriates funds to support continuity of care during the transition to a new behavioral health services system. Overall, the bill seeks to strengthen the legal framework for the protection and welfare of vulnerable populations while ensuring proper oversight and confidentiality.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 97B.1A, 229.19, 229.14, 232.95, 232.102, 234.1, 232.2, 237.1, 237.3, 237A.1, 237.4, 237.6, 237.9, 217.30, 237.12, 237.13, 237.15, 237A.3A, 423.3, 235A.1, 235A.15, 235B.2, 235B.3, 235B.6, 249A.4, 232.68, 22.7