Healthcare

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 3, 2026

HF 2263: A bill for an act requiring the department of health and human services to establish peer-run respite programs.

HF 2263 requires Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services to establish seven statewide peer-run respite programs. These programs must provide voluntary, short-term support for individuals experiencing emotional distress, mental health crises, or "life-altering challenges" (as defined in the bill), while operating independently from medical facilities and ensuring at least 51% of each program's board consists of people with lived experience of mental health conditions or similar challenges. The bill also limits clinical mental health services to under 10% of a program's total offerings and mandates that programs cannot be located on clinical or medical facility campuses. This legislation directly affects Iowans seeking crisis support and the state agency responsible for implementing these services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes peer-run mental health respite programs, directly advancing mental health services under healthcare topic95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SF 2362: A bill for an act establishing a long-term care workforce solutions interim committee.

SF 2362 creates a study committee to examine Iowa's long-term care workforce challenges. The committee, made up of legislative leaders and 12 stakeholder representatives (including consumers, providers, and state agencies), will review service adequacy, training needs, recruitment strategies, pay rates, and turnover causes. It must submit findings by January 2027, after which the legislative fiscal committee will review the report and propose solutions by October 2027. This bill does not change laws but sets a process for studying workforce issues affecting long-term care workers and residents.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates committee to address long-term care workforce challenges, aiming to improve service adequacy and staffing - directly supporting healthcare workforce stability and access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Long-Term Care

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died · Iowa · Senate Mar 4, 2026

SF 2421: A bill for an act relating to utilization review organizations’ use of artificial intelligence, prior authorization determinations and exemptions, and audits, and including applicability provisions.

SF 2421 would have required healthcare review groups to use human reviewers - not solely artificial intelligence - for decisions denying, delaying, or downgrading prior authorizations (e.g., changing urgent requests to standard ones). It mandated that denials include written explanations citing specific criteria, along with detailed attestations about the reviewer’s qualifications and specialty expertise. The bill also required separate human reviews for appeals and prohibited the same reviewer from handling both initial denials and appeals. This bill was withdrawn on March 4, 2026, and did not become law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates human review for prior authorization denials, requiring written explanations and qualified reviewers to protect patient access and decision transparency in healthcare coverage.95% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts AI use in healthcare decisions, mandating human reviewers instead of solely AI for prior authorization denials and appeals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Artificial Intelligence

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 3, 2026

HF 2266: A bill for an act providing for family medical leave for grandparents and providing penalties and remedies.

HF 2266 would require Iowa employers to provide family medical leave to grandparents for specific family care needs related to their grandchildren, including the birth of a grandchild, caring for a grandchild with a serious health condition, and addressing military-related exigencies involving a grandchild. The bill modifies the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to extend these leave rights to grandparents, defining "employee" and "employer" as in federal law. Enforcement would be handled by the state department of inspections, appeals, and licensing using existing state procedures under Chapter 91A. This legislation directly affects Iowa grandparents who are employees and their employers by adding these specific leave protections to state law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends medical leave for grandparent care during grandchild's serious health condition, improving access to healthcare support for families.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands family medical leave eligibility to grandparents, strengthening worker benefits under FMLA extension for specific care needs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HSB 652: A bill for an act relating to the confidentiality of peer support communications for public safety officers.

HB 652 protects confidential communications between public safety officers (including police, firefighters, EMTs, dispatchers, and correctional staff) and peer support counselors during crisis or wellness sessions. It prohibits counselors from disclosing these communications in disciplinary proceedings, administrative investigations, or legal cases, except when the communication involves a crime plan, an explicit threat of harm, or mandatory reporting requirements like child abuse. The bill explicitly states such communications cannot be used as evidence in fitness-for-duty evaluations or formal investigations. This law aims to encourage open dialogue about mental health by ensuring confidentiality for officers seeking peer support.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects peer support confidentiality for law enforcement officers, encouraging mental health access without disciplinary fear, aligning with officer wellness and accountability support in criminal justice.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill protects confidentiality of peer support counseling for public safety officers, advancing mental health services by ensuring safe access to care without disclosure risks.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProtects public safety officers' confidential peer support communications, enhancing workplace mental health resources and reducing fear of disciplinary action during wellness sessions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Mental Health Tags Public Safety

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signed · Iowa · House May 15, 2026

HF 2562: A bill for an act relating to care facility placement decisions for certain adults, and including effective date provisions.

HF 2562 establishes a process for making care facility placement decisions (admission, discharge, or transfer) for Iowa adults who cannot consent to their own care and lack an available family member or legal representative. It defines "person authorized to consent" as individuals in a specific priority order (spouse, adult children, parents, siblings), who can make placement decisions and assist with insurance applications when a physician certifies the patient cannot consent and no representative can be located. The bill requires care facilities to inform these authorized individuals of their responsibilities and help find appropriate facilities, with court intervention available if needed. It directly affects vulnerable adults in care settings and the individuals stepping in to make critical healthcare placement decisions on their behalf.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFacilitates insurance applications for vulnerable adults via clarified decision-making authority, improving access to care services.85% confidence

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SSB 3177: A bill for an act relating to insurance coverage for emergency services, reimbursements for out-of-network providers, and complicating factors.

This Iowa bill (SSB 3177) requires health insurance plans to cover emergency services provided by out-of-network providers without charging patients extra beyond their standard cost-sharing (like copays). It mandates that insurers reimburse out-of-network providers at either the median rate paid to in-network providers for the same service or 150% of Medicare rates, within 60 days of claim submission. Providers can also seek additional reimbursement (up to 25% more) for "complicating factors" (e.g., severe conditions requiring extra effort), with denied claims resolved through binding arbitration via an approved list of arbitrators. The law directly affects patients receiving emergency care, out-of-network providers, and health insurers in Iowa.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires insurers to cover out-of-network emergency care without patient cost-sharing and mandates fair reimbursement rates, expanding access and protecting patients from surprise bills.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Medicare

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 18, 2026

SF 2354: A bill for an act relating to assistance animals in residential rental housing, including damage reimbursement, refundable income tax credits, and a landlord insurance risk pool, and providing penalties and effective date provisions.

SF 2354 (Iowa) establishes three options for landlords to seek reimbursement from tenants for damage caused by assistance, emotional support, service, or therapy animals in rental housing. Landlords may use the Department of Revenue’s tax setoff program, claim a refundable income tax credit, or join a state-run insurance risk pool (optional). The bill prohibits landlords from charging deposits for service animals but allows reasonable, refundable deposits for emotional support or therapy animals (used only for damage beyond normal wear and tear). It also penalizes intentional misrepresentation of an animal as an assistance or support animal with a simple misdemeanor charge. The bill takes effect July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates a refundable income tax credit for landlords, directly providing tax relief and establishing a fiscal mechanism within housing policy.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill removes financial barriers for service/emotional support animals, facilitating access to healthcare-related assistance in housing.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits

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died · Iowa · House Apr 29, 2026

HF 2310: A bill for an act providing a standing appropriation to the state board of regents for pediatric cancer research at the university of Iowa hospitals and clinics.

HF 2310 establishes a permanent state funding stream for pediatric cancer research at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. It appropriates $1 per Iowa resident annually (based on U.S. Census population estimates), capped at $3 million per fiscal year starting July 2026, directly from the state general fund. The funds must be used exclusively for pediatric cancer research activities - including lab work and clinical trials - at the University of Iowa, with strict prohibitions against covering administrative costs or unrelated projects. The State Board of Regents is required to submit an annual report detailing how the funds were spent to the governor and legislature by October 1. This bill directly affects the University of Iowa's cancer research programs and all Iowa residents through the per-resident funding mechanism.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $3M/year from state general fund for pediatric cancer research, increasing public health funding through dedicated budget allocation.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds pediatric cancer research at University of Iowa Hospitals through permanent state appropriations, advancing healthcare innovation and patient care via dedicated funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget Children's Health

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2026

HF 2593: A bill for an act relating to infant and maternal care at health care facilities.

HF 2593, known as "The Amir Act," requires Iowa healthcare facilities (including hospitals, birth centers, and birthing hospitals) to implement specific protocols for handling concerns raised by caregivers about an infant or the infant’s mother. Key provisions mandate that facilities document all caregiver concerns (such as verbal or written expressions of distress), immediately assess them, escalate unresolved issues to supervising clinicians or rapid response teams, and prohibit retaliation against caregivers. Facilities must also provide written and verbal notices to caregivers outlining their rights to request higher care acuity, initiate rapid response, and have concerns documented. Additionally, staff must undergo annual training on implicit bias, recognizing warning signs, and using escalation protocols, with the state health department overseeing enforcement and data collection.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates protocols for handling caregiver concerns about infants/mothers, requiring documentation, assessment, and prohibiting retaliation to improve patient safety and rights in maternal care.95% confidence

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