SF 581 requires hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and birth centers (defined as "facilities" in Iowa law) to report serious medical errors - like wrong-site surgery or patient falls - to the Department of Inspections within 15 working days. Facilities must also conduct root cause analyses and implement corrective action plans, with findings submitted alongside reports. The law ensures confidentiality of all data, prohibits the system from punishing staff, and directs the department to analyze trends to improve healthcare safety. It establishes an electronic reporting system and mandates annual public reports on event patterns and corrective recommendations. The bill affects healthcare facilities directly, focusing on transparency and systemic quality improvement.
SF 386 extends the deadline for filing complaints with Iowa's Public Information Board regarding alleged violations of open meetings (Chapter 21) or open records (Chapter 22) laws. It changes the filing window from 60 days to 90 days after the violation occurs or the complainant reasonably discovers it. This applies to aggrieved individuals, Iowa taxpayers, citizens, the attorney general, or county attorneys. The bill modifies the complaint process but does not alter the underlying open government laws.
This bill modifies Iowa county property tax rates for general and rural services. It sets new annual tax rate formulas based on assessed value, with specific calculations for fiscal years starting in 2024-2028. Key provisions include requiring counties to maintain tax revenue at 101.5% of the previous year's actual levy (for 2027-2028) and linking rate adjustments to changes in the consumer price index (CPI), using a "budget adjustment factor" that ranges from 102% to 105% based on CPI growth. These changes directly affect county governments' ability to set property tax levies for local services.
This bill requires Iowa governmental bodies to provide clearer public notice for meetings by mandating three specific methods: posting visible notices at their main office or meeting location, emailing news media who requested updates, and sharing notices on official websites. Notices must include meeting details and tentative agendas, with any changes marked "AMENDED" and re-notified. It requires at least 24 hours' notice before meetings or cancellations (unless impractical), applying to all meetings - including electronic ones - and specific notices like veterans' appointments and grade-sharing agreements. The law aims to standardize how the public receives meeting information, ensuring consistent access to government transparency.
SF 313 prevents Iowa licensing boards and employers from restricting pharmacists or healthcare practitioners (like doctors, nurses, or nurse practitioners) from using their professional judgment to prescribe, recommend, or dispense medications within their legal job description. It prohibits employers from enforcing policies - whether in contracts, handbooks, or other agreements - that discourage such decisions, making these restrictions unenforceable and ineligible for disciplinary action. The bill ensures pharmacists and practitioners cannot face license discipline for following their best professional judgment when using medications consistent with their legally defined scope of practice. This applies to all licensed healthcare providers authorized to prescribe drugs in Iowa, including pharmacists, physicians, and advanced practice nurses.
SF 525 requires all Iowa public schools (and nonpublic schools offering kindergarten) to add specific nutrition instruction to health classes for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The bill mandates that this instruction emphasize the importance, benefits, and role of animal-based protein, dairy, vegetables, and fruit in a balanced diet. It also updates career education standards to include food production and local sourcing benefits within agriculture, food, and natural resources programs for high school students. These curriculum changes apply to all schools meeting state accreditation standards and take effect upon enactment.
SF 653 extends the deadline for taxpayers to claim historic preservation tax credits issued before July 1, 2023. It expands the protection period from January 1, 2023 (in prior law) to July 1, 2023 for existing credits against individual/corporate income taxes, franchise tax, and insurance premiums tax. This ensures taxpayers can still use credits earned before July 2023 without losing eligibility. The bill does not change the credit's refundability or create new credits.
SF 655 establishes a legal framework for Iowa municipalities to create "land redevelopment trusts" to address blighted, abandoned, or dilapidated properties. These trusts - formed by city ordinances, county resolutions, or multi-municipal agreements - will enable communities to rehabilitate properties that lower property values, increase public safety costs, and reduce tax revenue. Key provisions include defining "blighted" properties, requiring board governance with local officials, and allowing trusts to acquire property and manage redevelopment projects. The bill directly affects cities, counties, and townships seeking to revitalize neighborhoods and attract investment through this new tool, without altering property owner rights or imposing new taxes.
SF 462 strengthens firearm restrictions for convicted felons by mandating minimum prison sentences for possessing, receiving, or transporting firearms or offensive weapons. It directly affects individuals convicted of felonies who are prohibited from owning guns under state law. The bill requires courts to share identifying information about these prohibited individuals with law enforcement to prevent gun sales. Additionally, it establishes penalties for violations, focusing on reducing firearm access by high-risk individuals.
HF 383 would remove the pharmaceutical form of psilocybin (specifically crystalline polymorph COMP 360) from Iowa's Schedule I controlled substances list once the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it and reschedules it under federal law. This would allow doctors to legally prescribe, distribute, and market COMP 360 for medical use, directly affecting healthcare providers and patients seeking this treatment. The bill automatically aligns Iowa law with federal FDA decisions on this specific pharmaceutical formulation. Note: The bill was vetoed by the governor on June 11, 2025, so it has not become law.
HF 330 requires health insurance plans to cover evidence-based treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for individuals diagnosed with ASD. It directly affects people with ASD who have health insurance, mandating that insurers provide this coverage without excessive cost-sharing. The bill establishes specific requirements for insurance companies to include ASD treatment services in their coverage, applying to most health insurance plans. This law, signed by the Governor on June 11, 2025, ensures that individuals with ASD can access necessary treatment through their insurance.
HF 516 creates priority access for residency and fellowship positions at the University of Iowa’s colleges of medicine and dentistry, directly affecting UI’s medical programs and their affiliated hospitals and clinics. The bill requires state-funded training programs to prioritize applicants from these UI institutions when filling medical residency and fellowship roles. Now law after Governor signed it on June 11, 2025, this policy change aims to strengthen UI’s medical education pipeline without altering broader admission standards for other institutions.
