Capitol Notebook: ‘Iowa Medical Freedom Act’ would limit publicly required vaccinations

DES MOINES — Iowa businesses, schools and government entities would be prohibited from denying services, access, employment or benefits based on whether a person has received a medical intervention, including vaccinations, under legislation advancing in the Iowa House.

A House subcommittee Thursday moved House File 2368 — being called the Iowa Medical Freedom Act — to the full House Health and Human Services Committee, with Republican Reps. Craig Johnson of Independence and Steve Bradley of Cascade in support. Rep. Timi Brown-Powers of Waterloo, the lone Democrat on the panel, declined to sign off on moving the measure forward.

The legislation would expand the state’s existing prohibition on COVID-19 vaccination mandates into a broader ban on discrimination based on whether someone has received any “medical intervention,” defined to include procedures, treatments, injections, medications, devices or other action taken to treat health conditions.

Businesses, ticket issuers, schools and government entities would generally be barred from refusing service, admission, transportation, employment or other benefits based on a person’s medical intervention status. The bill would also restrict mandates connected to public events, education and government services, prevent penalties or surcharges related to medical decisions, and bar exclusion of otherwise healthy individuals from activities based on their medical status.

The measure further narrows the state health department’s authority during public health disasters, limiting its power to compel treatment while preserving its ability to isolate infected individuals and issue recommendations. The bill specifies its protections would remain in effect during declared emergencies.

During the subcommittee meeting, opponents including the Iowa State Education Association and the Iowa Public Health Association warned the bill could increase absenteeism and disease outbreaks. Supporters, including Iowans for Freedom, argued the proposal protects informed consent and voluntary medical decision-making, citing concerns about vaccine mandates and potential workplace discrimination.

Backers of the bill contend the measure would rebuild public trust damaged during the COVID-19 pandemic, does not eliminate access to vaccines or other treatments, and still allows isolation of sick individuals. Several speakers framed the proposal as a safeguard against workplace or educational discrimination tied to vaccination status and said public health goals can be achieved without mandates.

Critics, including education, nursing and public health groups, warn the bill could weaken vaccination protections that help prevent outbreaks, particularly in schools. They argue existing medical and religious exemptions already provide flexibility, making broader restrictions unnecessary. Opponents say limiting the ability of schools and employers to set health requirements could increase absenteeism, disrupt learning and business operations, and strain health systems during outbreaks. They also raised concerns that the bill intrudes on local decision-making and reduces tools used to protect vulnerable populations and community health.

The proposal is advancing alongside other measures that seek to roll back vaccination requirements, including separate legislation that would eliminate Iowa’s long-standing immunization mandate for K-12 school attendance.

Bill would require annual antisemitism reports

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Iowa’s public school districts, regents universities and community colleges would be required to publish annual reports detailing incidents of antisemitism under legislation advanced this week and introduced by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

House Study Bill 646 and Senate Study Bill 3095 cleared committees in both chambers Wednesday, ahead of next week’s legislative “funnel” deadline. The bills require K-12 public schools, public universities and community colleges to issue an annual report documenting each complaint or incident of antisemitism from the prior year, along with findings and outcomes of any investigations.

The proposal codifies a 2025 executive order signed by Reynolds addressing antisemitism.

Lawmakers in both chambers' committees voted to amend the bill to say that K-12 schools, community colleges and public universities shall prohibit antisemitism and must treat harassment or discrimination motivated by antisemitic intent “in the same manner as any other form of discrimination prohibited by federal or state law.”

Supporters say the measure responds to rising incidents nationwide and would help Iowa better track and address antisemitism on campuses. Some critics contend the bill's definition of antisemitism could conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism and could stifle free speech.

Rep. Angel Ramirez, D-Cedar Rapids, introduced an amendment in committee to remove contemporary examples identified by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, arguing that some examples could be misconstrued to label criticism of Israel or its leaders as antisemitic.

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Her proposal, she said, would retain the working IHRA definition while protecting student free speech. The amendment was rejected on a party-line voice vote after Rep. Steve Bradley, R-Cascade, urged the committee to oppose it.

Ramirez offered a second amendment to extend the reporting requirement to charter and nonpublic schools, which was also voted down.

She said she supports tracking antisemitism but warned the bill’s language could create unintended consequences.

“I believe it’s our responsibility to craft very intentional legislation that maintains constitutional protections,” she said. “At this time, I believe our definition of antisemitism … could lead to students, including Jewish students who critique the State of Israel, to be considered antisemitic — which I think would lead to over-reporting. That being said, I do think that a reporting system is a good idea, and antisemitism is hateful. It’s disgusting and has no place in our state.”

Iowa House advances restrictions on medication abortion

Republicans on an Iowa House subcommittee advanced a bill that would place restrictions on the abortion pill as more Iowans turn to the medication after the implementation of stricter abortion laws in the state.

House Study Bill 704 would require an in-person visit with a health care provider to receive the abortion pill.

Republican Reps. Devon Wood of New Market and Brett Barker of Nevada signed off to advance the legislation, while Democratic Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell of Ames declined to do so.

Anti-abortion advocates argued the legislation would help prevent “black market” abortion pills from flowing into Iowa from out of state and reduce the number of abortions, while reproductive rights advocates and health care providers expressed concern over the bill’s “medically inaccurate information” and restrictions on the medication.

Senate lawmakers advanced a similar bill out of a subcommittee Monday.

Bill would create ‘fraudulent polling scheme’ charge, penalties

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Political campaigns and any other entity that raises money off polling they know to be fraudulently compiled would be subject to a serious misdemeanor charge under legislation advanced by a House subcommittee.

House File 2377 would create the criminal offense of engaging in a fraudulent polling scheme.

A serious misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine between $430 and $2,560. Repeat offenses would escalate the punishment to, eventually, a Class D felony, which is punishable by up to five years in jail and a fine between $1,025 and $10,245.

The legislation’s text says it is not intended to regulate “the accuracy of political viewpoints, predictions, or opinions, nor to penalize good-faith methodological disagreements.”

Republican President Donald Trump, claiming a violation of state consumer fraud protections, has sued former Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register over a poll published shortly before the 2024 presidential election that missed the actual outcome in Iowa by 16 percentage points.

Reps. Charley Thomson, R-Charles City, and John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, signed onto advancing the bill to the House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, D-Hiawatha, declined to support advancing the bill but expressed interest in discussing it further.

Lawmakers advance Reynolds’ proposal for submitting state-based health insurance waiver

House lawmakers advanced a proposal by Gov. Kim Reynolds to submit a waiver to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as the first step to establish state-based health insurance in Iowa.

The proposal, House Study Bill 721, is one of Reynolds’ legislative priorities, as she says federal health insurance under the Affordable Care Act continues to remain expensive and uncertain.

Reynolds’ Chief of Staff Molly Severn said a state-run program would lower health insurance costs for Iowans after an expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies caused premiums to skyrocket for many.

“If Congress is unable to fix the Affordable Care Act, Iowa must explore opportunities to reduce costs at the state level,” Severn said during a meeting subcommittee Thursday morning.

A similar effort was attempted in 2017, when Iowa lawmakers tried to establish a similar state-run system, but it was unsuccessful.

Multiple representatives for health insurance companies and groups remained either undecided or in support of the legislation.

Democratic Rep. Austin Baeth of Des Moines questioned Reynolds’ staff during the subcommittee meeting on whether there would be more oversight of the waiver submission, which would be solely handled by the Iowa insurance commissioner under the bill. He suggested that there be a broader advisory committee overseeing the waiver submission.

Baeth, who sat on the three-member subcommittee, declined to advance the legislation. Republican Reps. Brett Barker of Nevada and Shannon Lundgren of Peosta agreed to advance the bill.

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