SF 2095 requires Iowa postsecondary schools offering health-related degree programs (like nursing or medicine) to find clinical rotation placements where students can be exempt from vaccination rules during their training, upon student request. This applies specifically to students completing supervised health care training for academic credit. Schools failing to provide such exemptions lose eligibility to receive Iowa tuition grants for their students. The bill amends existing law to link school compliance with vaccination exemption placement to tuition grant eligibility.
HF 2055 requires schools, food establishments, carnivals, recreational camps, youth sports facilities, and sports arenas in Iowa to maintain a supply of epinephrine auto-injectors. Facilities must obtain a prescription for these devices, store them securely, and replace them after use or expiration. Trained staff authorized to administer epinephrine may use the supply to treat individuals having severe allergic reactions, with liability protection for staff, facility owners, and prescribers acting in good faith. This bill directly affects public venues where large groups gather, ensuring immediate access to life-saving treatment for anaphylaxis.
This bill establishes a process for making care facility placement decisions for adults who cannot consent to their own care. It defines "person authorized to consent" with a priority order (spouse, adult children, parents, siblings) and requires a physician to certify the patient's inability to consent when no representative is found. If no authorized person can be located, the bill allows care facilities or physicians to petition a court for placement approval after meeting specific documentation requirements. The law directly affects vulnerable adults in care facilities, their families, and healthcare providers by clarifying decision-making authority and ensuring placement decisions prioritize the patient's best interests and least restrictive care options.
This Iowa bill clarifies that a person appointed to make health care decisions (an "attorney in fact") must prioritize the patient's written instructions in the durable power of attorney document, a separate life-sustaining procedures declaration, or direct communications to them. It specifies that verbal wishes shared with others or in unrelated documents do not limit the appointee's authority unless explicitly stated in the power of attorney. If the patient's wishes are unknown, the appointee must act in the patient's best interest, considering their medical condition. The bill aims to reduce confusion about decision-making authority under existing health care proxy laws.
HF 2220 establishes new standards for Iowa's subacute mental health care facilities. It requires facilities to create a written treatment plan within 24 hours of a resident's admission and eliminates preauthorization for the first 15 days of care. The bill limits managed care organizations to one review of medical necessity every 30 days after day 45 of treatment and prohibits discharge until proper support plans are in place. It also mandates an electronic bed-tracking system for children's psychiatric facilities and adjusts facility requirements to be less stringent than state mental health institutes. This bill directly affects subacute mental health facilities, residents, health insurers, and managed care organizations.
HF 2212 establishes a new state minimum hourly wage for direct care professionals in Iowa, directly affecting workers providing personal care, independent living support, and basic health services in nursing facilities, homes, or childcare centers. The bill sets a $20.00 hourly minimum wage for these workers starting July 1, 2026, with a $19.10 minimum for those with less than 90 days of employment at the same employer. This rate supersedes the federal minimum wage when higher, applying to defined roles like home health aides, certified nurse aides, and direct support professionals. The law amends existing wage provisions to specifically address direct care workers' compensation, with enforcement under Iowa’s labor laws.
HF 2096 requires health care providers to publicly disclose, in a single document updated annually, the prices for their 25 most common services using both standard medical codes and plain language descriptions. Hospitals must disclose prices for their 75 most common inpatient and 75 outpatient services (grouped by Medicare standards), updated quarterly, in the same accessible format. All disclosed prices must include a clear disclaimer stating they are estimates, not binding charges, and actual costs may vary based on individual circumstances. The law directs Iowa's health department to align these requirements with existing federal price transparency rules to avoid duplication. This bill directly affects all health care providers and hospitals in Iowa by mandating standardized, publicly available pricing for common services.
SF 2057, the "Right to Contraception Act," establishes a statutory right for Iowans to access contraceptives and for healthcare providers to offer them. It prohibits restrictions that single out contraceptive services, providers, or facilities, or that impede access regardless of a person's race, gender identity, income, disability, or location. The bill requires any government limitation on contraception to be justified by "clear and convincing evidence" that it significantly advances safety and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. This directly affects all Iowans seeking reproductive healthcare and healthcare providers delivering contraception services, ensuring equal access to these essential health services.
HF 2193 prohibits Iowa insurance companies from discriminating against living organ donors in life, disability, or long-term care insurance. The bill specifically bans insurers from denying coverage, limiting benefits, charging higher prices, or restricting coverage solely because a person is a living organ donor. It also prevents insurers from requiring donors to give up their ability to donate organs as a condition of coverage. The law defines a "living organ donor" as someone who has donated part or all of an organ while alive, and requires the Iowa Insurance Commissioner to create rules for enforcement. This directly affects individuals who have donated organs and seek or maintain insurance coverage.
This bill appropriates $1 million from Iowa's general fund for fiscal year 2026-2027 to support the Double Up Food Bucks program. It directly affects Iowa residents who receive federal SNAP benefits (food assistance) by expanding their access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The funds will be provided as a grant to the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative to help participants double the value of their SNAP benefits when purchasing produce at participating farmers markets and grocery stores. The program aims to increase access to healthy food options without changing existing SNAP eligibility or benefit amounts.
