This bill requires public employers in Iowa to provide free cancer screening exams every three years to full-time firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical services providers, starting July 2025. Political subdivisions (like cities or counties) can be reimbursed up to $1,250 per employee per three-year period for these screenings, funded by a $1 million state appropriation for fiscal year 2025-2026. The bill also expands the definition of "cancer" in retirement systems (including the Public Safety Officers' Retirement System and Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System) to include all cancer diagnoses, thereby broadening eligibility for disability and death benefits. It ensures political subdivisions must comply with these requirements without exemption due to funding concerns.
HF 124 requires mental health facilities and hospitals to follow specific steps before discharging people involuntarily committed for mental health treatment. Facilities must refer patients to administrative services organizations, assess suicide risk, provide a 30-day supply of prescribed medications, and create detailed discharge reports including appointment schedules, medication lists, crisis prevention plans, and educational materials about mental health symptoms. The bill also mandates post-discharge coordination by these organizations through follow-ups and home visits, and requires facilities to report discharges to the court for confirmation. This directly affects individuals receiving involuntary mental health treatment in Iowa facilities, aiming to improve continuity of care and safety after discharge.
HF 873 modifies Iowa's foster care and adoption support systems. It expands the criteria for declaring a child in need of assistance (CINA) to include serious chemical dependency treatment needs, alongside existing mental health requirements. The bill replaces the fixed 65% reimbursement rate for foster parents (based on USDA child-raising costs) with a requirement for the state to establish and periodically review foster care payment rules. It also caps state reimbursement for adoption investigations at $2,000 per pre- and post-placement check and adjusts who covers attorney fees in parental rights termination cases. These changes directly affect foster parents, adoptive families, and children in foster care or adoption proceedings.
SF 312 would create a physician assistant licensure compact, allowing licensed physician assistants from participating states to practice in Iowa without obtaining a separate license. It requires physician assistants to follow the licensing rules of the state where the patient is located during care, not where they are licensed. The compact also enables military personnel and their spouses to use an existing license from another participating state to practice in Iowa. This bill was introduced in Iowa but was withdrawn on March 26, 2025, after being attached to another bill.
This bill (SF 556) seeks to expand continuous eligibility under Iowa's WIC program for pregnant women, postpartum women, and infants whose family income is at or below 375% of the federal poverty level. It requires Iowa's health department to request a federal waiver by August 2025 to provide continuous coverage during pregnancy (instead of periodic renewals), and 12 months of continuous postpartum and infant eligibility. If federal approval is denied, Iowa must report the costs by December 2025 and could fund the expanded eligibility starting July 2026 using state funds, if the legislature appropriates money. The policy directly affects low-income families seeking nutrition support during pregnancy and early childhood.
This bill (SF 456) gives Iowa workers injured on the job more control over choosing their treating physician under workers' compensation. It allows employees to predesignate a primary care doctor (who has treated them before and is within 60 miles of work) to handle their injury, and requires employers to inform workers of this right. If employers fail to provide this notice, workers can choose any doctor at the employer’s expense. Disputes over doctor choices must be resolved by the workers’ compensation commissioner within 10-14 days, with options for phone or in-person hearings.
HF 277 removes birth centers from the definition of "institutional health facility" in Iowa law. This change eliminates the requirement for birth centers to obtain a Certificate of Need (CON) from the state before expanding services, relocating, or adding new offerings. The bill updates definitions in sections 10A.711, 135.131, and 135P.1 of the Iowa Code to clarify that birth centers are separate from hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. As a result, birth center providers would no longer face the CON approval process for operational changes. The bill directly affects birth center operators and their ability to expand services without state review.
HF 522 amends Iowa's therapeutic classroom incentive program to allow school districts using grant funds to cover specific nutritional items for students. It directly affects students in therapeutic classrooms - those whose emotional, social, or behavioral needs interfere with learning - and the school districts administering these programs. Key provisions authorize funding for micronutrient access (like vitamins D and K2), assessments of macro-nutritional needs, provision of whole foods (fresh produce, healthy proteins), restrictions on artificial food additives, and initiatives addressing digital screen use and natural light exposure. The bill expands allowable uses of existing grant funds to support nutrition-based strategies within therapeutic classrooms.
HF 699 clarifies that certain drug-checking tools and materials are not considered "drug paraphernalia" under Iowa law. It specifically exempts fentanyl/xylazine test strips, drug-checking equipment, and related materials used by harm reduction organizations for testing substances. The bill protects individuals and organizations from criminal charges, civil penalties, or loss of housing for using these tools or conducting drug checks. It also allows state funds, including opioid settlement money, to support these harm reduction activities.
HF 705 establishes a grant program within Iowa's Department of Justice to fund a nonprofit organization operating sexual assault forensic examination centers. To qualify, the nonprofit must be Iowa-incorporated, employ sexual assault nurse examiners, maintain dedicated treatment facilities for survivors, and prioritize sexual assault care as its main purpose. The funded organization must provide medical forensic services to all survivors - including adults, children, rural Iowans, and underserved groups - and offer trainings for medical professionals, law enforcement, and the public on sexual assault services and prevention. It must also submit annual reports to the attorney general detailing services and trainings delivered.
