Senate Study Bill 1078 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BILL BY CHAIRPERSON EDLER) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the term brain health. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 1095XC (2) 90 dg/rh

S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 225C.1, subsection 1, Code 2023, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. The general assembly finds that services to persons 3 with mental illness, an intellectual disability disabilities , 4 developmental disabilities, or brain injury injuries, or 5 brain illnesses are provided in many parts of the state by 6 highly autonomous community-based service providers working 7 cooperatively with state and county officials. However, the 8 general assembly recognizes that heavy reliance on property tax 9 funding for mental health and intellectual disability services 10 has enabled many counties to exceed minimum state standards 11 for the services resulting in an uneven level of services 12 around the state. Consequently, greater efforts should be 13 made to ensure close coordination and continuity of care for 14 those persons receiving publicly supported disability services 15 in Iowa. It is the purpose of this chapter to continue and 16 to strengthen the services to persons with disabilities now 17 available in the state of Iowa, to make disability services 18 conveniently available to all persons in this state upon a 19 reasonably uniform financial basis, and to assure the continued 20 high quality of these services. 21 Sec. 2. Section 225C.1, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 22 following new subsection: 23 NEW SUBSECTION . 3. a. The general assembly finds that 24 to reduce the stigma associated with brain health disease and 25 brain illness and to assist Iowans in receiving brain health 26 diagnosis and treatment, the terms “brain health” or “brain 27 illness” may be used synonymous with the terms “mental health” , 28 “mental illness” , and “behavioral health” to allow for more 29 preventative and earlier treatments of those Iowans with brain 30 health issues. 31 b. The recognition of the term “brain health” does not 32 replace or alter the terms “behavioral health” , “mental health” , 33 or “mental illness” as those terms relate to medical billing, 34 insurance regulation, or state professional licensure. 35 -1- LSB 1095XC (2) 90 dg/rh 1/ 3

S.F. _____ Sec. 3. Section 225C.2, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 1 following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. “Brain health” means all aspects of 3 the brain impacted by biological, neurological, and physical 4 characteristics of the brain affecting mood and behavior. 5 Sec. 4. Section 135.11, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 6 following new subsection: 7 NEW SUBSECTION . 29. Recognize the term “brain health” , 8 as defined in section 225C.1, as a term that mental health 9 providers may use in matters related to mental health, mental 10 illness, and behavioral health. The recognition of “brain 11 health” shall not replace or alter the terms “mental health” , 12 “mental illness” , or “behavioral health” as those terms relate 13 to medical billing, insurance regulation, or state professional 14 licensure. 15 EXPLANATION 16 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 17 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 18 This bill relates to the term “brain health”. 19 The bill includes brain illnesses in the legislative 20 findings relating to services to persons with mental illness, 21 an intellectual disability, developmental disabilities, or 22 brain injury in Code chapter 225C (mental health and disability 23 services). The bill provides that the general assembly finds 24 that to reduce the stigma associated with brain health disease 25 and brain illness and to assist Iowans in receiving brain 26 health diagnosis and treatment, the terms “brain health” or 27 “brain illness” may be used synonymous with the terms “mental 28 health” and “mental illness” to allow for more preventative and 29 earlier treatments of those Iowans with brain health issues. 30 This recognition of the term “brain health” does not replace 31 the terms “behavioral health”, “mental health”, or “mental 32 illness” as those terms relate to medical billing, insurance 33 regulation, or state professional licensure. 34 The bill adds to the duties of the department of health and 35 -2- LSB 1095XC (2) 90 dg/rh 2/ 3

S.F. _____ human services the duty to recognize the term “brain health” as 1 a term that mental health providers may use in matters related 2 to mental health, mental illness, and behavioral health. The 3 recognition of “brain health” shall not replace or alter the 4 terms “mental health”, “mental illness”, or “behavioral health” 5 as those terms relate to medical billing, insurance regulation, 6 or state professional licensure. 7 -3- LSB 1095XC (2) 90 dg/rh 3/ 3