Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 232.73 (2026)

Medically relevant tests — immunity from liability

✓ current as of July 2026

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1. A person participating in good faith in the making of a report, photographs, or X rays, or in the performance of a medically relevant test pursuant to this chapter, or aiding and assisting in an assessment of a child abuse report pursuant to section 232.71B, shall have immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise be incurred or imposed. The person shall have the same immunity with respect to participation in good faith in any judicial proceeding resulting from the report or relating to the subject matter of the report.\n\nTue Dec 09 22:21:33 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 232 (92, 1) 59 JUVENILE JUSTICE, §232.75\n\n 2. As used in this section and in sections 232.73A, 232.77, and 232.78, “medically relevant test” means a test that produces reliable results of exposure to cocaine, heroin, amphetamine, methamphetamine, or other illegal drugs, or combinations or derivatives of the illegal drugs, including a drug urine screen test. [C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §235A.7; C79, 81, §232.73] 83 Acts, ch 88, §1; 90 Acts, ch 1264, §28; 95 Acts, ch 182, §8; 96 Acts, ch 1092, §3; 97 Acts, ch 35, §9, 25; 2001 Acts, ch 135, §11; 2012 Acts, ch 1040, §1 Referred to in §232.68, 232.71B, 232.77, 232.96A, 232.106 \n

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 22 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1974–2025 · leading case: Shannon & Danny NELSON, Individually, & on Behalf of E.N. F/K/A E.N., a Minor, Appellees, v. Lynn M. LINDAMAN, Lynn M. Lindaman, M.D., P.L.C. D/B/A Lindaman Orthopaedic, & Mercy Med. Ctr.—Des Moines, Appellants, 867 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2015).

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Shannon & Danny NELSON, Individually, & on Behalf of E.N. F/K/A E.N., a Minor, Appellees, v. Lynn M. LINDAMAN, Lynn M. Lindaman, M.D., P.L.C. D/B/A Lindaman Orthopaedic, & Mercy Med. Ctr.—Des Moines, Appellants, 867 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2015). · cites it 156× “71B, shall have immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise be incurred or imposed.”

Garvis v. Scholten, 492 N.W.2d 402 (Iowa 1992). · cites it 18× “Iowa Code § 232.73 . Laurene and Gary think that whether the defendants acted in good faith when they released the information must be judged objectively.”

Maples v. Siddiqui, 450 N.W.2d 529 (Iowa 1990). · cites it 14× “Siddiqui filed a motion for partial summary judgment as to the claims for loss of companionship on the ground that she enjoys statutory immunity from that claim under Iowa Code section 232.73. The district court granted the motion for partial summary judgment on the ground that…”

Karen Dorshkind v. Oak Park Place of Dubuque II, L.L.C., 835 N.W.2d 293 (Iowa 2013). · cites it 4× “at 300 (quoting Iowa Code §§ 232.73 , .75 (1995)). We stated: Although [the relevant statute] does not specifically mandate protection for an employee who in good faith makes a report of suspected child abuse, we think the forceful language of 37 the statute articulates a…”

Pamela Plowman & Jeremy Plowman v. Fort Madison Cmty. Hosp., Pil Kang, John Paiva, Davis Radiology, P.C., Leah Steffensmeier, the Women's Ctr., & Fort Madison Physicians & Surgeons, 896 N.W.2d 393 (Iowa 2017). · cites it 2× “2d at 9 (“We therefore construe the immunity provision in [Iowa Code] section 232.73 liberally to encourage communications between physicians and DHS child abuse investigators.”

State v. King, 434 N.W.2d 627 (Iowa 1989). · cites it 14× “Iowa Code § 232.73 (1987) (emphasis added).”

Teachout v. Forest City Cmty. Sch. Dist., 584 N.W.2d 296 (Iowa 1998). “§ 232.73. Furthermore, “any person, official, agency or institution required by this chapter to report a suspected case of child abuse who knowingly and willfully fails to do so is guilty of a simple misdemeanor.”

Baldwin v. Estherville, 333 F. Supp. 3d 817 (N.D. Iowa 2018). “2d 1 , 7 (Iowa 2015) (explaining that IOWA CODE § 232.73, which provides immunity from civil liability for a physician participating in a child abuse assessment, "provides a form of qualified immunity," and that " '[q]ualified immunity is a question of law for the court and the…”

Shannon & Danny Nelson, Individually, & on Behalf of E.N. F/K/A E.N., a Minor v. Lynn M. Lindaman, Lynn M. Lindaman, M.D., P.L.C. D/B/A Lindaman Orthopaedic, & Mercy Med. Ctr. – Des Moines (Iowa 2015). · cites it 74× “71B, shall have immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise be incurred or imposed.”

Goings v. Chickasaw Cnty., IA, 523 F. Supp. 2d 892 (N.D. Iowa 2007). · cites it 2× “Second, Defendants argue that they are immune from all liability on Counts II, III and IV, pursuant to Iowa Code section 232.73 (2003), because they were participating in, or assisting in good faith in, the making of a child abuse report.”

State v. White, 223 N.W.2d 173 (Iowa 1974). “§ 232.73, The Code. In this case that event occurred April 4, 1972.”

Alexander v. Amerigroup Iowa, Inc (Iowa Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 10× “Qualified Immunity Alexander next claims that the district court erred in finding Amerigroup was immune under Iowa Code section 232.73 (2019) from any liability stemming from the five child abuse reports on her claims for negligent and intentional infliction of emotional…”

Show all 22 citing cases →

— Iowa Code § 232.73(1) — 4 cases

Shannon & Danny NELSON, Individually, & on Behalf of E.N. F/K/A E.N., a Minor, Appellees, v. Lynn M. LINDAMAN, Lynn M. Lindaman, M.D., P.L.C. D/B/A Lindaman Orthopaedic, & Mercy Med. Ctr.—Des Moines, Appellants, 867 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2015). “71B, shall have immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise be incurred or imposed.”

Alexander v. Amerigroup Iowa, Inc (Iowa Ct. App. 2025). “Qualified Immunity Alexander next claims that the district court erred in finding Amerigroup was immune under Iowa Code section 232.73 (2019) from any liability stemming from the five child abuse reports on her claims for negligent and intentional infliction of emotional…”

Andrew Lennette, Individually & on behalf of C.L., O.L., & S.L., Minors v. Grace C. Mae Advocate Ctr., Inc. (Iowa Ct. App. 2021).

Shannon & Danny Nelson, Individually, & on Behalf of E.N. F/K/A E.N., a Minor v. Lynn M. Lindaman, Lynn M. Lindaman, M.D., P.L.C. D/B/A Lindaman Orthopaedic, & Mercy Med. Ctr. – Des Moines (Iowa 2015). “71B, shall have immunity from any liability, civil or criminal, which might otherwise be incurred or imposed.”

— Iowa Code § 232.73(2) — 2 cases

In the Interest of H.S., Minor Child (Iowa Ct. App. 2019).

In the Interest of L.H., G.G., & A.E., Minor Child. (Iowa Ct. App. 2019).

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