1. Notwithstanding chapter 22, the confidentiality of all child abuse information shall be maintained, except as specifically provided by this section.
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Terms Used In Iowa Code 235A.15

  • Allegation: something that someone says happened.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Assessment data: means any of the following information pertaining to the department's evaluation of a family:
     a. See Iowa Code 235A.13
  • Child: includes but shall not be limited to a stepchild, foster child, or legally adopted child and means a child actually or apparently under eighteen years of age, and a dependent person eighteen years of age or over who is unable to maintain the person's self and is likely to become a public charge. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Child abuse information: means any or all of the following data maintained by the department in a manual or automated data storage system and individually identified:
     a. See Iowa Code 235A.13
  • Confidentiality: means the withholding of information from any manner of communication, public or private. See Iowa Code 235A.13
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Court: shall mean and include any court upon which jurisdiction has been conferred to determine the liability of persons for the support of dependents. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Department: means the department of health and human services. See Iowa Code 249L.2
  • Department: means the department of health and human services. See Iowa Code 235A.13
  • Director: means the director of health and human services. See Iowa Code 235A.13
  • Disposition data: means information pertaining to an opinion or decision as to the occurrence of child abuse, including:
     a. See Iowa Code 235A.13
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Institution: means a birthing hospital. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Intellectual disability: means a diagnosis of intellectual disability or intellectual developmental disorder, global developmental delay, or unspecified intellectual disability or intellectual developmental disorder which diagnosis shall be made only when the onset of the person's condition was during the developmental period and based on an assessment of the person's intellectual functioning and level of adaptive skills. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Minority leader: See Floor Leaders
  • Multidisciplinary team: means a group of individuals who possess knowledge and skills related to the diagnosis, assessment, and disposition of child abuse cases and who are professionals practicing in the disciplines of medicine, nursing, public health, substance use disorder, domestic violence, mental health, social work, child development, education, law, juvenile probation, or law enforcement, or a group established pursuant to section 235B. See Iowa Code 235A.13
  • Near fatality: means an injury to a child that, as certified by a physician or physician assistant, placed the child in serious or critical condition. See Iowa Code 235A.13
  • Party: means a petitioner, a respondent, or a person who intervenes in a proceeding instituted under this chapter. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Report data: means any of the following information pertaining to an assessment of an allegation of child abuse in which the department has determined the alleged child abuse meets the definition of child abuse:
     a. See Iowa Code 235A.13
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
 2. Access to report data and disposition data subject to placement in the central registry pursuant to section 232.71D is authorized only to the following persons or entities:

 a. Subjects of a report as follows:

 (1) To a child named in a report as a victim of abuse or to the child’s attorney or guardian ad litem.
 (2) To a parent or to the attorney for the parent of a child named in a report as a victim of abuse.
 (3) To a guardian or legal custodian, or that person‘s attorney, of a child named in a report as a victim of abuse.
 (4) To a person or the attorney for the person named in a report as having abused a child.
 b. Persons involved in an assessment of child abuse as follows:

 (1) To a health practitioner or mental health professional who is examining, attending, or treating a child whom such practitioner or professional believes or has reason to believe has been the victim of abuse or to a health practitioner or mental health professional whose consultation with respect to a child believed to have been the victim of abuse is requested by the department.
 (2) To an employee or agent of the department responsible for the assessment of a child abuse report.
 (3) To a law enforcement officer responsible for assisting in an assessment of a child abuse allegation or for the temporary emergency removal of a child from the child’s home.
 (4) To a multidisciplinary team, or to parties to an interagency agreement entered into pursuant to section 280.25, if the department approves the composition of the multidisciplinary team or the relevant provisions of the interagency agreement and determines that access to the team or to the parties to the interagency agreement is necessary to assist the department in the diagnosis, assessment, and disposition of a child abuse case.
 (5) In an individual case, to each mandatory reporter who reported the child abuse.
 (6) To the county attorney.
 (7) To the juvenile court.
 (8) To a licensing authority for a facility providing care to a child named in a report, if the licensing authority is notified of a relationship between facility policy and the alleged child abuse under section 232.71B.
 (9) To the child protection assistance team established in accordance with section 915.35 for the county in which the report was made.
 c. Individuals, agencies, or facilities providing care to a child, but only with respect to disposition data and, if authorized in law to the extent necessary for purposes of an employment evaluation, report data, for cases of founded child abuse placed in the central registry in accordance with section 232.71D as follows:

 (1) To an administrator of a psychiatric medical institution for children licensed under chapter 135H.
 (2) To an administrator of a child foster care facility licensed under chapter 237 if the data concerns a person employed or being considered for employment by the facility.
 (3) To an administrator of a child care facility registered or licensed under chapter 237A if the data concerns a person employed or being considered for employment by or living in the facility.
 (4) To the superintendent of the Iowa school for the deaf if the data concerns a person employed or being considered for employment or living in the school.
 (5) To an administrator of a community mental health center accredited under chapter 230A if the data concerns a person employed or being considered for employment by the center.
 (6) To an administrator of a facility or program operated by the state, a city, or a county which provides services or care directly to children, if the data concerns a person employed by or being considered for employment by the facility or program.
 (7) To an administrator of an agency certified by the department to provide services under a medical assistance home and community-based services waiver, if the data concerns a person employed by or being considered by the agency for employment.
 (8) To the administrator of an agency providing mental health, intellectual disability, or developmental disability services under a regional service system management plan implemented in accordance with section 225C.60, if the data concerns a person employed by or being considered by the agency for employment.
 (9) To an administrator of a child care resource and referral agency which has entered into an agreement authorized by the department to provide child care resource and referral services. Access is authorized if the data concerns a person providing child care services or a person employed by a provider of such services and the agency includes the provider as a referral or the provider has requested to be included as a referral.
 (10) To an administrator of a hospital licensed under chapter 135B if the data concerns a person employed or being considered for employment by the hospital.
 (11) To an area education agency or other person responsible for providing early intervention services to children that is funded under part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
 (12) To a federal, state, or local governmental unit, or agent of the unit, that has a need for the information in order to carry out its responsibilities under law to protect children from abuse and neglect.
 (13) To a nursing program that is approved by the state board of nursing under section 152.5, if the data relates to a record check performed pursuant to section 152.5A.
 d. Report data and disposition data, and assessment data to the extent necessary for resolution of the proceeding, relating to judicial and administrative proceedings as follows:

 (1) To a juvenile court involved in an adjudication or disposition of a child named in a report or a child that is the subject of a guardianship proceeding under chapter 232D.
 (2) To a district court upon a finding that data is necessary for the resolution of an issue arising in any phase of a case involving child abuse or guardianship proceedings for a child under chapter 232D.
 (3) To a court or the department hearing an appeal for correction of report data and disposition data as provided in section 235A.19.
 (4) To an expert witness at any stage of an appeal necessary for correction of report data and disposition data as provided in section 235A.19.
 (5) To a probation or parole officer, juvenile court officer, court appointed special advocate as defined in section 232.2, or adult correctional officer having custody or supervision of, or conducting an investigation for a court or the board of parole regarding, a person named in a report as a victim of child abuse or as having abused a child.
 (6) To the department of justice for purposes of review by the prosecutor’s review committee or the commitment of sexually violent predators as provided in chapter 229A.
 (7) Each licensing board specified under chapter 147 and the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing for the purpose of licensure, certification or registration, disciplinary investigation, or the renewal of licensure, certification or registration, or disciplinary proceedings of health care professionals.
 e. Others as follows, but only with respect to report data and disposition data for cases of founded child abuse subject to placement in the registry pursuant to section 232.71D:

 (1) To a person conducting bona fide research on child abuse, but without data identifying individuals named in a child abuse report, unless having that data open to review is essential to the research or evaluation and the authorized registry officials give prior written approval and the child, the child’s guardian or guardian ad litem and the person named in a report as having abused a child give permission to release the data.
 (2) To registry or department personnel when necessary to the performance of their official duties or to a person or agency under contract with the department to carry out official duties and functions of the department.
 (3) To the department of justice for the sole purpose of the filing of a claim for restitution or compensation pursuant to sections 915.21 and 915.84. Data provided pursuant to this subparagraph is subject to the provisions of section 915.90.
 (4) To a legally constituted child protection agency of another state which is investigating or assessing or treating a child named in a report as having been abused or which is investigating or assessing or treating a person named as having abused a child.
 (5) To a public or licensed child-placing agency of another state responsible for an adoptive or foster care preplacement or placement evaluation.
 (6) To the attorney for the department who is responsible for representing the department.
 (7) To the child advocacy and local citizen foster care review boards created pursuant to sections 237.16 and 237.19.
 (8) To an employee or agent of the department regarding a person who is providing child care if the person is not registered or licensed to operate a child care facility.
 (9) To the board of educational examiners created under chapter 256 for purposes of determining whether a license, certificate, or authorization should be issued, denied, or revoked.
 (10) To a legally constituted child protection agency in another state if the agency is conducting a records check of a person who is providing care or has applied to provide care to a child in the other state.
 (11) To the legally authorized protection and advocacy agency recognized in section 135C.2, if a person identified in the information as a victim or a perpetrator of abuse resides in or receives services from a facility or agency because the person is diagnosed as having a developmental disability or a mental illness.
 (12) To the department for a record check relating to employment or residence pursuant to section 218.13.
 (13) To the Iowa board for the treatment of sexual abusers for purposes of certifying sex offender treatment providers.
 (14) To an employee or agent of the department responsible for registering or licensing or approving the registration or licensing of an agency or facility, or to an individual providing care to a child and regulated by the department.
 (15) To an employee of the department responsible for an adoptive placement, a certified adoption investigator, or licensed child-placing agency responsible for an adoptive placement.
 (16) To the superintendent, or the superintendent’s designee, of a school district or to the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school for purposes of a volunteer or employment record check.
 (17) To the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing for purposes of record checks of applicants for employment with the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing.
 (18) To a person or agency responsible for the care or supervision of a child named in a report as an alleged victim of abuse or a person named in a report as having allegedly abused a child, if the juvenile court or department deems access to report data and disposition data by the person or agency to be necessary.
 (19) To the Iowa veterans home for purposes of record checks of potential volunteers and volunteers in the Iowa veterans home.
 (20) To the administrator of a certified nurse aide program, if the data relates to a record check of a student of the program performed pursuant to section 135C.33.
 (21) To the administrator of a juvenile detention or shelter care home, if the data relates to a record check of an existing or prospective employee, resident, or volunteer for or in the home.
 (22) To the employer or prospective employer of a school bus driver for purposes of an employment record check.
 (23) To the administrator of a family support program receiving public funds, if the data relates to a record check of an employee working directly with families.
 (24) To an intake officer making a preliminary inquiry pursuant to section 232.28, subsection 3.
 (25) To a free clinic as defined in section 135.24A for purposes of record checks of potential volunteers and existing volunteers at the free clinic.
 f. Only with respect to disposition data for cases of founded child abuse subject to placement in the central registry pursuant to section 232.71D, to a person who submits written authorization from an individual allowing the person access to data pursuant to this subsection on behalf of the individual in order to verify whether the individual is named in a founded child abuse report as having abused a child.
 3. Access to report data and disposition data for a case of child abuse determined to meet the definition of child abuse, which data is not subject to placement in the central registry pursuant to section 232.71D, is authorized only to the following persons:

 a. Subjects of a report identified in subsection 2, paragraph “a”.
 b. Persons involved in an assessment of child abuse identified in subsection 2, paragraph “b”, subparagraphs (2), (3), (4), (6), and (7).
 c. Others identified in subsection 2, paragraph “e”, subparagraphs (2), (3), (6), and (18).
 d. The department of justice for purposes of review by the prosecutor’s review committee or the commitment of sexually violent predators as provided in chapter 229A.
 4. Access to report data for a case of child abuse determined to not meet the definition of child abuse, which data is not subject to placement in the central registry pursuant to section 232.71D, is authorized only to the following:

 a. Subjects of a report identified in subsection 2, paragraph “a”.
 b. Persons involved in an assessment of child abuse identified in subsection 2, paragraph “b”, subparagraphs (2), (6), and (7).
 c. Others identified in subsection 2, paragraph “e”, subparagraphs (2) and (18).
 d. The department of justice for purposes of review by the prosecutor’s review committee or the commitment of sexually violent predators as provided in chapter 229A.
 5. Access to disposition data subject to placement in the central registry pursuant to section 232.71D is authorized to the department of administrative services or to the personnel office of a public employer, as defined in section 20.3, as necessary for presentation in grievance or arbitration procedures provided for in sections 8A.415 and 20.18. Disposition data introduced into a grievance or arbitration proceeding shall not be considered a part of the public record of a case.
 6. a. If a child who is a legal resident of another state is present in this state and a report of child abuse is made concerning the child, the department shall act to ensure the safety of the child. The department shall contact the child’s state of legal residency to coordinate the assessment of the report. If the child’s state of residency refuses to conduct an assessment, the department shall commence an appropriate assessment.

 b. If a report of child abuse is made concerning an alleged perpetrator who resides in this state and a child who resides in another state, the department shall assist the child’s state of residency in conducting an assessment of the report. The assistance shall include but is not limited to an offer to interview the alleged perpetrator and any other relevant source. If the child’s state of residency refuses to conduct an assessment of the report, the department shall commence an appropriate assessment. The department shall seek to develop protocols with states contiguous to this state for coordination in the assessment of a report of child abuse when a person involved with the report is a resident of another state.
 7. If the director receives a written request for information regarding a specific case of child abuse involving a fatality or near fatality to a child from the majority or minority leader of the senate or the speaker or the minority leader of the house of representatives, the director or the director’s designee shall arrange for a confidential meeting with the requestor or the requestor’s designee. In the confidential meeting the director or the director’s designee shall share all pertinent information concerning the case, including but not limited to child abuse information. Any written document distributed by the director or the director’s designee at the confidential meeting shall not be removed from the meeting and a participant in the meeting shall be subject to the restriction on redissemination of confidential information applicable to a person under section 235A.17, subsection 3, for confidential information disclosed to the participant at the meeting. A participant in the meeting may issue a report to the governor or make general public statements concerning the department’s handling of the case of child abuse.
 8. Upon the request of the governor, the department shall disclose child abuse information to the governor or the governor’s designee relating to a specific case of child abuse reported to the department.
 9. If, apart from a request made pursuant to subsection 7 or 8, the department receives from a member of the public a request for information relating to a case of founded child abuse involving a fatality or near fatality to a child, the response to the request shall be made in accordance with this subsection and subsections 10 and 11. If the request is received before or during performance of an assessment of the case in accordance with section 232.71B, the director or the director’s designee shall initially disclose whether or not the assessment will be or is being performed. Otherwise, within five business days of receiving the request or completing the assessment, whichever is later, the director or the director’s designee shall consult with the county attorney responsible for prosecution of any alleged perpetrator of the fatality or near fatality and shall disclose information, including but not limited to child abuse information, relating to the case, except for the following:

 a. The substance or content of any mental health or psychological information that is confidential under chapter 228.
 b. Information that constitutes the substance or contains the content of an attorney work product or is a privileged communication under section 622.10.
 c. Information that would reveal the identity of any individual who provided information relating to a report of child abuse or an assessment of such a report involving the child.
 d. Information that the director or the director’s designee reasonably believes is likely to cause mental or physical harm to a sibling of the child or to another child residing in the child’s household.
 e. Information that the director or the director’s designee reasonably believes is likely to jeopardize the prosecution of any alleged perpetrator of the fatality or near fatality.
 f. Information that the director or the director’s designee reasonably believes is likely to jeopardize the rights of any alleged perpetrator of the fatality or near fatality to a fair trial.
 g. Information that the director or the director’s designee reasonably believes is likely to undermine an ongoing or future criminal investigation.
 h. Information, the release of which is a violation of federal law or regulation.
 10. The information released by the director or the director’s designee pursuant to a request made under subsection 9 relating to a case of founded child abuse involving a fatality or near fatality to a child shall include all of the following, unless such information is excepted from disclosure under subsection 9:

 a. Any relevant child abuse information concerning the cause of and circumstances surrounding the child fatality or near fatality, including the age and gender of the child and the department’s response and findings.
 b. Information describing any previous child abuse or neglect investigations of the caregivers responsible for the child abuse or neglect that are pertinent to the child abuse or neglect that led to the child fatality or near fatality, and the results of any such investigations.
 c. A summary of information, that would otherwise be confidential under section 217.30, as to whether or not the child or a member of the child’s family was utilizing social services provided by the department at the time of the child fatality or near fatality or within the five-year period preceding the fatality or near fatality.
 d. Any recommendations made by the department to the county attorney or the juvenile court.
 e. The services provided by and actions of the state on behalf of the child that are pertinent to the child abuse or neglect that led to the child fatality or near fatality.
 11. a. If a person who made a request for information under subsection 9 does not believe the department has substantially complied with the request, the person may apply to the juvenile court under section 235A.24 for an order for disclosure of additional information.

 b. If release of social services information in addition to that released under subsection 10, paragraph “c”, is believed to be in the public’s interest and right to know, the director or the director’s designee may apply to the court under section 235A.24 requesting a review of the information proposed for release and an order authorizing release of the information. A release of information that would otherwise be confidential under section 217.30 concerning social services provided to the child or the child’s family shall not include information concerning financial or medical assistance provided to the child or the child’s family.
 12. If an individual who is the subject of a child abuse report listed in subsection 2, paragraph “a”, or another party involved in an assessment under section 232.71B releases in a public forum or to the media information concerning a case of child abuse including but not limited to child abuse information which would otherwise be confidential, the director or the director’s designee may respond with relevant information concerning the case of child abuse that was the subject of the release. Prior to releasing the response, the director or the director’s designee shall consult with the child’s parent or guardian, or the child’s guardian ad litem, and apply to the court under section 235A.24 requesting a review of the information proposed for release and an order authorizing release of the information.
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