Senate File 251 - Introduced SENATE FILE 251 BY SALMON A BILL FOR An Act relating to the appointment of an ombudsman assistant 1 for investigating complaints related to child foster care. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2558XS (2) 91 dg/ko
S.F. 251 Section 1. Section 2C.6, Code 2025, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 2C.6 Deputy assistant for penal agencies assistants . 3 1. The ombudsman shall designate one of the members of 4 the staff as the deputy ombudsman, with authority to act as 5 ombudsman when the ombudsman is absent from the state or 6 becomes disabled. The ombudsman may delegate to members of the 7 staff any of the authority or duties of the office except the 8 duty of formally making recommendations to agencies or reports 9 to the governor or the general assembly. 10 2. The ombudsman shall appoint an assistant who shall be 11 primarily responsible for investigating complaints relating to 12 penal or correctional agencies. 13 3. The ombudsman shall appoint an assistant who shall be 14 primarily responsible for investigating complaints relating 15 to child foster care under chapter 237. The assistant shall 16 have a minimum of ten years of experience as a foster parent, 17 with at least five of the ten years as a foster parent while 18 residing in Iowa. 19 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 2C.12A Direct communication child 20 foster care. 21 The ombudsman shall maintain a process to allow an 22 individual licensee under chapter 237 to directly communicate 23 and file a complaint with the ombudsman assistant under section 24 2C.6, subsection 3. 25 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 237.14B Ombudsman information. 26 All materials relating to child foster care that are made 27 available by the department to the public shall contain 28 information about the ombudsman assistant described in 29 section 2C.6, subsection 3. The information shall provide a 30 description of the ombudsman assistants duties and the process 31 for contacting the ombudsman assistant. 32 EXPLANATION 33 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 34 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 35 -1- LSB 2558XS (2) 91 dg/ko 1/ 2
S.F. 251 This bill relates to the appointment of an ombudsman 1 assistant who is primarily responsible for investigating 2 complaints relating to child foster care. The assistant must 3 have a minimum of 10 years of experience as a foster parent, 4 with at least 5 of the 10 years as a foster parent while 5 residing in Iowa. The bill requires the ombudsman to maintain 6 a process to allow an individual licensee under Code chapter 7 237 (child foster care facilities) to directly communicate 8 and file a complaint. The bill requires the department of 9 health and human services to provide a description of the 10 ombudsman assistants duties, and ways to contact the ombudsman 11 assistant, in all materials relating to child foster care made 12 available to the public. 13 -2- LSB 2558XS (2) 91 dg/ko 2/ 2