Healthcare

signed · Iowa · House May 28, 2025

HF 310: A bill for an act relating to assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations including a health care provider, and making penalties applicable.

HF 310 strengthens penalties for assaults targeting specific professionals, including healthcare providers. The bill makes existing assault penalties applicable when attacks occur against individuals working in certain occupations, such as healthcare. It directly affects individuals in these professions by ensuring assaults against them face the same legal consequences as other violent crimes. The key provision clarifies that penalties for assaulting these workers will be enforced without additional modifications to existing law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProtects healthcare providers from assault by strengthening penalties, ensuring safer working conditions for medical professionals in the healthcare system.95% confidence

passed · Iowa · House Mar 26, 2026

HF 385: A bill for an act relating to discharge of involuntarily committed persons from a facility or a hospital.

HF 385 requires hospitals and facilities treating involuntarily committed mental health patients in Iowa to implement specific discharge protocols. Before releasing a patient, facilities must refer them to an administrative services organization, assess suicide risk, provide a 15-day supply of prescribed medications (with reimbursement options if not covered), and create a detailed discharge report including care plans, medication lists, and appointment details. This bill directly affects hospitals, patients under involuntary commitment, and administrative services organizations responsible for coordinating post-discharge care. The law also mandates quarterly reports from these organizations to the state department and requires facilities to notify courts of discharges for confirmation.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates mental health discharge protocols including suicide risk assessment, medication continuity, and care planning, directly strengthening patient safety and access to follow-up care in mental health services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Mental Health

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signed · Iowa · House Jun 27, 2025

HF 1038: A bill for an act relating to the opioid settlement fund, making appropriations and disbursements, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

HF 1038 allocates funds from Iowa's opioid settlement to state agencies addressing the opioid crisis, directly affecting programs that provide treatment, prevention, and recovery services. The bill specifies how the money is distributed (disbursed) to eligible state entities and includes rules for when the funding takes effect, including retroactive application for prior periods. It does not change eligibility for the settlement funds but establishes the legal framework for their use. The bill passed unanimously and was signed into law by the Governor on June 6, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates opioid settlement funds to state agencies for treatment, prevention, and recovery services under health and human services, directly funding healthcare programs addressing the opioid crisis.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

in committee · Iowa · House Jan 14, 2025

HF 8: A bill for an act relating to student access to broad-spectrum cannabidiol products from school nurses during the school day.

HF 8 requires Iowa school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to create procedures allowing school nurses to provide broad-spectrum cannabidiol (CBD) products to students during the school day. The bill only permits products containing no THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), as defined in the bill, and mandates that parents or guardians must provide the product, supply manufacturer documentation confirming no THC, and complete a specific form with usage instructions and medical contact details. School nurses may only administer the product per the parent's written instructions, and the product must be stored securely when not in use. This directly affects students needing such products, school staff, and parents/guardians who must provide the product and documentation.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables school nurses to administer THC-free CBD for medical needs, improving student access to treatment per bill requirements.90% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SF 192: A bill for an act relating to authorized uses of moneys in the victim compensation fund.

This bill expands Iowa's victim compensation fund to cover emergency contraception and health care treatment for sexual assault victims, including abortion services. It directly affects victims of sexual assault who seek these specific medical treatments. The key change amends the fund's authorized uses to explicitly include reimbursement for emergency contraception, other health care, and abortion as part of victim care. The fund, administered by the Department of Justice, will now cover these costs alongside existing provisions like medical examinations and venereal disease treatment. This is a policy change to broaden access to covered medical services for sexual assault victims.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands victim compensation fund to cover emergency contraception, abortion, and health care for sexual assault victims, directly enhancing justice system support for victims through funding and access to critical medical services.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands victim compensation fund to cover emergency contraception and abortion services for sexual assault victims, directly increasing healthcare access for this population.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights Violent Crime Women's Health

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SF 189: A bill for an act relating to medical malpractice by exempting claims involving sexual assault from the limitations on noneconomic damages.

SF 189 modifies Iowa's medical malpractice law to exempt claims involving sexual assault by healthcare providers from limits on noneconomic damages (like compensation for pain and suffering). It directly affects patients who experience sexual assault during medical treatment, regardless of whether the assault was disguised as medical care or the patient believed it was legitimate treatment at the time. The bill removes the standard damage cap when a provider's action is sexual in nature, ensuring victims of such misconduct can seek full compensation for non-economic harms. This change applies specifically to cases where the defendant is a healthcare provider and the alleged misconduct involves sexual conduct.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExempts sexual assault medical malpractice claims from damage caps, protecting patients' rights to full compensation for noneconomic harms in healthcare settings.95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2025

HSB 122: A bill for an act relating to Hawki coverage for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder applied behavior analysis services, the autism support program, and making an appropriation.

This bill expands Iowa's Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (Hawki) program to cover applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for autism spectrum disorder treatment. It prohibits new applications for the autism support program after June 30, 2025, and repeals the program entirely on July 1, 2027. The bill appropriates $750,000 from the autism support fund to maintain Hawki's coverage of ABA services and supplemental dental care for fiscal year 2025-2026. It directly affects Iowa children enrolled in Hawki who require ABA therapy for autism treatment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $750,000 from autism support fund to maintain ABA coverage under Hawki program, funding essential healthcare services for children.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands Hawki program coverage to include ABA therapy for autism, appropriates $750k for continued funding, and maintains healthcare access for children with autism spectrum disorder.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 3, 2025

SF 406: A bill for an act relating to powers and duties applicable to public health disasters.

SF 406 amends Iowa's public health laws to clarify the state's powers during health emergencies. It requires health officials to seek individual consent for physical exams, testing, and vaccinations - prohibiting compulsion or penalties for refusal - and limits isolation/quarantine to the longest incubation period for the disease. The bill also adds a public website for sharing health emergency experiences and maintains religious exemptions for vaccinations during non-emergency periods (though exemptions don't apply during declared emergencies). These changes directly affect Iowa residents during public health crises by prioritizing individual consent while defining the department's authority.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProtects patient consent rights during health emergencies, prohibiting compulsion for exams/vaccinations and maintaining religious exemptions, aligning with patient autonomy indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · Iowa · House Mar 4, 2025

HF 656: A bill for an act relating to vision benefit plans, the regulation of insurers and vision benefit managers, vision care providers, and vision care provider contracts and including effective date and applicability provisions.

HF 656 regulates vision benefit plans in Iowa by setting standards for how insurers and vision benefit managers pay eye care providers. It requires clear, non-discriminatory reimbursement schedules, annual rate adjustments based on the consumer price index, and matching timeframes for claim payments and audits. The bill directly affects optometrists and eye care providers who receive payments from vision benefit plans, as well as the insurers and vision benefit managers that administer those plans. Key provisions ensure providers are paid fairly for covered services when patients are verified as eligible at the time of care, and prevent unfair delays in reimbursement. The law aims to create transparency and fairness in vision care billing without changing patient cost-sharing requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRegulates vision benefit payments to ensure fair reimbursement and timely claims, improving access for eye care providers and patients under vision care services.95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Mar 5, 2025

HSB 216: A bill for an act relating to the double up food bucks program, the supplemental nutrition assistance program, including a waiver for eligible foods, and making an appropriation.

This bill appropriates $1 million from Iowa's general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026 to support the Double Up Food Bucks program, which helps SNAP recipients buy fresh produce at farmers markets and grocery stores. It requires grant recipients to match funds dollar-for-dollar and requests a federal waiver to restrict SNAP-eligible foods to specific categories: all fruits/vegetables, real eggs, meat, dairy, grains, cereals, peanut butter, nuts, pasta, rice, legumes, and WIC-approved items. The waiver would allow these foods in any form (fresh, frozen, canned, etc.), and the funding becomes effective only after federal approval of the waiver. The bill directly affects Iowa SNAP recipients and local food retailers participating in the Double Up program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $1M from general fund for SNAP nutrition program, funding essential public assistance service per bill's explicit funding language.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds Double Up Food Bucks program to expand SNAP recipients' access to fresh produce, supporting public health through improved nutrition access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget

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