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SF 473 Iowa Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

A bill for an act relating to certain sincerely held religious or moral beliefs of certain entities for purposes of child foster care and adoption.

SF 473 (Iowa) prevents state departments from requiring foster care providers or adoptive parents to affirm policies conflicting with their religious or moral beliefs about sexual orientation or gender identity. It prohibits disqualifying individuals from foster care or adoption based solely on such beliefs, including their intent to raise children consistent with those beliefs. The bill allows departments to still consider the religious or moral beliefs of both the child and the provider when determining the best placement for the child. This applies directly to individuals seeking or currently providing foster care or adoption services in Iowa, and it creates legal remedies for violations.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Feb 27, 2025 Signed Jun 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

Reprinted Marked Up → Reprinted · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was reformatted from a signed version to a clean reprint, removing the Governor's signature page and updating the effective year in the legal text from 2026 to 2025. The substantive policy language regarding religious exemptions for foster care and adoption remains unchanged.
Scope change
The scope of the bill remains the same, covering child foster care and adoption services.
TECHNICAL

The year in the legal citations was updated from Code 2026 to Code 2025, likely reflecting the final passage date.

The Governor's signature block, date, and transmission letter were removed as they are no longer needed for the final printed version.

Header information was added to indicate the bill is a reprint, amended by the Senate, and includes a reference to a successor bill (SF 236).

Floor votes · Senate Mar 25, 2025

How they voted

34–14
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 49
Mar 25, 2025
D Democratic16
1 Yea 14 Nay 1
87% Nay
R Republican33
33 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
40
Key actions
18
Committee
13
Amendments
8
Jun 2, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by Governor.
upper
Apr 21, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 28, nays 16.
upper
Apr 21, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred with S-5200.
upper
Apr 21, 2026
Introduced
Message from House, with amendment S-5200.
upper
Apr 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House, yeas 58, nays 34.
lower
Apr 20, 2026
Lower · Passed
Amendment H-8353 adopted.
lower
Apr 20, 2026
Introduced
Motion to suspend rules for immediate consideration of amendment H-8320, yeas 39, nays 53.
lower
Apr 20, 2026
Introduced
Point of order raised on amendment H-8320, ruled not germane.
lower
Apr 15, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8370 filed.
lower
Apr 13, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8353 filed.
lower
Apr 7, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8320 filed.
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee vote: Yeas, 14. Nays, 6. Excused, 1.
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee report, recommending passage.
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee recommends passage.
legislature
Mar 3, 2026
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee Meeting: 03/05/2026 8:15AM House Lounge.
legislature
Mar 3, 2026
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee: Williams, Dunwell and Wessel-Kroeschell.
lower
May 15, 2025
Committee
Rereferred to Judiciary.
lower
Apr 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee vote: Yeas, 14. Nays, 6. Excused, 1.
lower
Apr 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report, recommending passage.
lower
Apr 2, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee recommends passage.
legislature
Apr 1, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Subcommittee Meeting: 04/02/2025 7:30AM RM 102.
legislature
Mar 31, 2025
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee reassigned: Williams, Holt and Wessel-Kroeschell.
lower
Mar 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee: Wheeler, Holt and Wessel-Kroeschell.
lower
Mar 25, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 35, nays 14.
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Introduced
Amendment S-3047 filed, adopted.
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report, approving bill.
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Introduced
Introduced, placed on calendar.
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.