House File 933 - Reprinted HOUSE FILE 933 BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 267) (As Amended and Passed by the House March 25, 2025 ) A BILL FOR An Act relating to pediatric palliative care centers. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 HF 933 (2) 91 dg/ko/md

H.F. 933 Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known as “Mason’s 1 Law”. 2 Sec. 2. Section 10A.713, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 3 by adding the following new paragraph: 4 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Pediatric palliative care centers as 5 defined in section 135J.1. 6 Sec. 3. Section 135J.1, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 7 following new subsections: 8 NEW SUBSECTION . 2A. “DMEPOS” means the same as defined in 9 42 C.F.R. §424.57(a). 10 NEW SUBSECTION . 2B. “DMEPOS supplier” means the same as 11 defined in 42 C.F.R. §424.57(a). 12 NEW SUBSECTION . 8A. a. “Pediatric palliative care center” 13 means a residential care facility as defined in section 135C.1, 14 that only serves pediatric palliative care patients and that 15 only provides respite care services as defined in section 16 135C.1, and hospice program services. 17 b. Notwithstanding section 135C.1, subsection 21, a 18 pediatric palliative care center may provide care and services 19 to individuals who require the services of a registered 20 or licensed practical nurse on a nonemergency basis, and 21 may provide accommodation, board, personal assistance, and 22 other essential daily living activities to fewer than three 23 individuals at any one time. 24 NEW SUBSECTION . 8B. “Pediatric palliative care patient” 25 means an individual described by all of the following: 26 a. The individual is under twenty-one years of age. 27 b. The individual has been diagnosed with a chronic, 28 complex, life-threatening illness that is expected to shorten 29 the individual’s life expectancy. 30 c. The individual is not expected to survive past twenty-one 31 years of age. 32 Sec. 4. Section 135J.1, subsection 6, Code 2025, is amended 33 to read as follows: 34 6. “Hospice program” means a centrally coordinated program 35 -1- HF 933 (2) 91 dg/ko/md 1/ 4

H.F. 933 of home and inpatient care provided directly or through an 1 agreement under the direction of an identifiable hospice 2 administration providing palliative care and supportive medical 3 and other health services to terminally ill patients and their 4 families. A licensed hospice program shall utilize a medically 5 directed interdisciplinary team and provide care to meet the 6 a unit of care’s physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and 7 other special needs which are experienced during the final 8 stages of illness, dying, and bereavement. Hospice care shall 9 be available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. 10 Sec. 5. Section 135J.7, Code 2025, is amended to read as 11 follows: 12 135J.7 Rules. 13 Except as otherwise provided in this chapter , the The 14 department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A necessary 15 to implement this chapter . Formulation of the rules shall 16 include consultation The department shall consult with Iowa 17 hospice organization representatives and other persons affected 18 by this chapter . and the rules shall, at a minimum, provide for 19 all of the following: 20 1. A pediatric palliative care center shall not serve more 21 than twelve pediatric palliative care patients at any one time. 22 2. A pediatric palliative care center’s interdisciplinary 23 team may include volunteers who provide a personal presence 24 that augments other services available to a pediatric 25 palliative care patient admitted to the pediatric palliative 26 care center, the pediatric palliative care patient’s family, or 27 the pediatric palliative care patient’s health care provider. 28 3. A pediatric palliative care center’s rooms may be used 29 for respite care services, end-of-life care, or both. 30 4. A pediatric palliative care center shall have a 31 registered nurse or licensed practical nurse onsite and 32 available at all times a pediatric palliative care patient is 33 at the pediatric palliative care center. 34 5. A pediatric palliative care center shall employ a medical 35 -2- HF 933 (2) 91 dg/ko/md 2/ 4

H.F. 933 director. 1 6. A pediatric palliative care center shall contract with a 2 hospice program to assist in the provision of core services to 3 pediatric palliative care patients. 4 7. A pediatric palliative care center shall include 5 adequate space for the family of a pediatric palliative care 6 patient to visit the pediatric palliative care patient, cook 7 for and eat with the pediatric palliative care patient, and 8 stay overnight with the pediatric palliative care patient while 9 the pediatric palliative care patient is at the pediatric 10 palliative care center. 11 8. A pediatric palliative care center shall not be required 12 to provide a pediatric palliative care patient with items 13 for the pediatric palliative care patient’s health, safety, 14 or daily living needs, including but not limited to durable 15 medical equipment and medications, provided that, consistent 16 with the pediatric palliative care patient’s interdisciplinary 17 team’s plan of care for the pediatric palliative care patient 18 and the pediatric palliative care patient’s family, the items 19 are provided by any of the following: 20 a. The pediatric palliative care patient. 21 b. The pediatric palliative care patient’s family. 22 c. A hospice program contracted with the pediatric 23 palliative care center to provide such items. 24 d. A DMEPOS supplier. 25 9. Any medication brought by a pediatric palliative care 26 patient to a pediatric palliative care center as a part of the 27 pediatric palliative care patient’s medical care plan shall 28 be documented by the pediatric palliative care center, stored 29 in a secure space, administered by the pediatric palliative 30 care center’s staff as directed in the pediatric palliative 31 care patient’s medical care plan, and returned to the pediatric 32 palliative care patient upon the pediatric palliative care 33 patient’s departure, or properly disposed of upon the pediatric 34 palliative care patient’s death. 35 -3- HF 933 (2) 91 dg/ko/md 3/ 4

H.F. 933 10. A pediatric palliative care center shall be eligible for 1 funding available to other licensed residential care facilities 2 and hospice programs that treat individuals with an illness 3 or disability, including but not limited to funding from the 4 federal social services block grant, the state supplementary 5 assistance program, the hospice respite benefit, home and 6 community-based services waivers, any funding source under 7 chapter 249A, and any benefit a nursing facility under chapter 8 135C may be eligible for related to respite care services. 9 -4- HF 933 (2) 91 dg/ko/md 4/ 4