As used in this chapter, unless the context shall require otherwise, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them by this section:

1. 1. “Birthing hospital” means a private or public hospital licensed pursuant to chapter 135B that has a licensed obstetric unit or is licensed to provide obstetric services, or a licensed birthing center associated with a hospital.
2. 2. “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.
3. 3. “Court” shall mean and include any court upon which jurisdiction has been conferred to determine the liability of persons for the support of dependents.
4. 4. “Dependent” shall mean and include a spouse, child, mother, father, grandparent, or grandchild who is in need of and entitled to support from a person who is declared to be legally liable for such support.
5. 5. “Institution” means a birthing hospital.
6. 6. “Party” means a petitioner, a respondent, or a person who intervenes in a proceeding instituted under this chapter.
7. 7. “Petitioner” includes each dependent person for whom support is sought in a proceeding instituted pursuant to this chapter or a mother or putative father of a dependent. However, in an action brought by child support services, the state is the petitioner.
8. 8. “Petitioner’s representative” includes counsel of a dependent person for whom support is sought and counsel for a mother or putative father of a dependent. In an action brought by child support services, “petitioner’s representative” includes a county attorney, state’s attorney, and any other public officer, by whatever title the officer’s public office may be known, charged by law with the duty of instituting, maintaining, or prosecuting a proceeding under this chapter or under the laws of the state.
9. 9. “Putative father” means a man who is alleged to be or who claims to be the biological father of a child born to a woman to whom the man is not married at the time of the birth of the child.
10. 10. “Respondent” includes each person against whom a proceeding is instituted pursuant to this chapter. “Respondent” may include the mother or the putative father of a dependent.
11. 11. “State registrar” means state registrar as defined in section 144.1.

[C50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §252A.2; 82 Acts, ch 1004, §6, 7] 93 Acts, ch 79, §11; 94 Acts, ch 1171, §10, 11; 97 Acts, ch 175, §9; 2002 Acts, ch 1162, §78; 2015 Acts, ch 110, §77; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §838