House File 801 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 801 BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (SUCCESSOR TO HF 449) A BILL FOR An Act relating to screening children for commercial sexual 1 exploitation in certain circumstances. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2219HV (3) 91 dg/ko
H.F. 801 Section 1. Section 232.2, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 7A. Commercial sexual exploitation 3 means causing a child to engage in sex or sexually explicit 4 activities for money, goods, services, or the promise of money, 5 goods, or services. 6 Sec. 2. Section 232.28, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 7 to read as follows: 8 2. The Upon receiving a complaint under subsection 1, the 9 court or its designee shall refer do all of the following: 10 a. Refer the complaint to an intake officer who shall 11 consult with law enforcement authorities having knowledge of 12 the facts and conduct a preliminary inquiry to determine what 13 action should be taken. 14 b. Order the child subject to the complaint to be screened, 15 using a standardized, evidence-based, trauma-informed screening 16 tool, for commercial sexual exploitation. 17 Sec. 3. Section 232.71B, subsection 1, paragraph a, 18 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2025, is amended to read as 19 follows: 20 If the department determines a report constitutes a child 21 abuse allegation, the department shall promptly have the 22 child subject to the child abuse allegation screened, using a 23 standardized, evidence-based, trauma-informed screening tool, 24 for commercial sexual exploitation, and shall commence either a 25 child abuse assessment within twenty-four hours of receiving 26 the report or a family assessment within seventy-two hours of 27 receiving the report. 28 EXPLANATION 29 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 30 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 31 This bill relates to screening children for commercial 32 sexual exploitation (exploitation) in certain circumstances. 33 The bill defines commercial sexual exploitation as causing 34 a child to engage in sex or sexually explicit activities for 35 -1- LSB 2219HV (3) 91 dg/ko 1/ 2
H.F. 801 money, goods, services, or the promise of money, goods, or 1 services. 2 The bill requires the juvenile court or the courts 3 designee to order a child screened, using a standardized, 4 evidence-based, trauma-informed screening tool, for 5 exploitation when the court receives a complaint alleging that 6 the child committed a delinquent act. 7 The bill requires the department of health and human 8 services (HHS) to screen a child, using a standardized, 9 evidence-based, trauma-informed screening tool, for 10 exploitation if HHS determines a report it receives alleging 11 child abuse constitutes a child abuse allegation. 12 -2- LSB 2219HV (3) 91 dg/ko 2/ 2