SF 129 (LSB 1173XS (6) 91)

SENATE FILE 129

BY  PETERSEN, BISIGNANO, WINCKLER, CELSI, DONAHUE, DOTZLER, TOWNSEND, BENNETT, and WEINER

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the submission and posting of certain hospital policies.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  135B.36  Hospital policies —— submission to department —— posting.
   1.  A hospital licensed under this chapter shall no later than September 1, 2025, submit to the department its policies related to all of the following:
   a.  Nondiscrimination.
   b.  Reproductive health care. For purposes of this section, “reproductive health care” means neonatal care, family planning, long-acting reversible contraception, permanent contraception including tubal ligations and vasectomies, abortion, miscarriage care, maternal hemorrhage care, and vaginal delivery after a previous cesarean section birth.
   c.  If the hospital provides labor and delivery services, whether the hospital has adopted and implemented current best practices or safety bundles recommended by the American college of obstetricians and gynecologists and the alliance for innovation on maternal health, including but not limited to action measures for obstetrical hemorrhage, severe hypertension or preeclampsia, prevention of venous thromboembolism, reduction of low-risk primary cesarean births and support for intended vaginal births, reduction of peripartum racial disparities, and postpartum care access and standards.
   2.  The department shall post a copy of the policies submitted under subsection 1 on the department’s internet site and shall develop and implement an interactive online tool that allows the public to compare posted policies.
   3.  If a hospital alters a policy specified under subsection 1, the hospital shall submit a copy of the altered policy to the department within thirty calendar days after the hospital approves the alteration.
   4.  A hospital shall post a copy of its most recent policies submitted under the section on the hospital’s internet site where the policies are readily accessible to the public, without requiring a login credential or otherwise restricting access.
    Sec. 2.  CODE EDITOR DIRECTIVE.  The Code editor shall designate section 135B.36, as enacted in this Act, as a new subchapter within chapter 135B, entitled “patient’s right to know Act”.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the submission and posting of certain hospital policies. 
   The bill requires a licensed hospital, no later than September 1, 2025, to submit its policies related to nondiscrimination and reproductive health care to the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing (DIAL). If the hospital provides labor and delivery services, it must also submit its policies related to certain best practices and safety bundles, as described in the bill. The bill defines “reproductive health care”.
   The bill requires DIAL to post a copy of the policies on DIAL’s internet site and to develop and implement an interactive online tool that allows the public to compare the policies.
   If a hospital makes a change to a policy, the hospital must submit a copy of the policy to DIAL within 30 calendar days after the hospital approves the alteration.
   The bill requires a hospital to post a copy of its policies on the hospital’s internet site where the policies are readily accessible to the public without requiring a login credential or otherwise restricting access.