The Iowa Legislative session is underway and the following are a few bills of interest that have been introduced this session:
Senate File 22: This is a bill relative to the payment of college expenses (post secondary education subsidy) for a child whether the parents of the child were married to one another or not. Currently, the law provides that only married parents have this obligation. If the bill passes it would require, once paternity has been established, a determination of whether good cause exists for payment by the parents of college expenses for the child.
House File 60: This bill relates to a name change for a child under the age of 14. Under the law currently in effect, when a petition to change a child’s name is filed you must have the written consent of both parents. If one parent does not agree to the name change a hearing has to be held. The court can waive the consent requirement if the court finds that the parent has abandoned the child, has not provided financial support for the child without good cause, or the parent does not object to the name change after proper notice is given. This bill will eliminate the requirement that both parents consent but does require the court to hold a hearing to determine if it is in the child’s best interest to change his/her name.
House File 240: This bill would require the child support guidelines to provide that 10% of the child support be set aside in a separate fund and invested for the child until the child reaches age 25, unless the court determines that the set aside of said funds would not be in the best interest of the child.
Check back to see how the bills progress during this legislative session.
