Creating the compassion and care for medically challenging pregnancies Act

Sponsored by the House Health and Human Services Committee, Rep. Eddie Andrews (R), Rep. Dan Gehlbach (R), Rep. David E. Young (R)

Topics:Health care Reproductive rights

Same legislation: HF 589

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Official bill page Lobbyist declarations One-pager to print

Where it is now

Done: IntroducedFebruary 25, 2025
Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 27, 2025
Done: House committeeMarch 3, 2025
Done: Passes the HouseMarch 24, 202595–0
Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
Next: Passes the Senate
Next: To the Governor
Next: Signed into law

Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?

What’s in it

AI summary When a doctor finds out a baby has a fatal medical condition before birth, they can tell the pregnant person about perinatal hospice services. The Department of Health and Human Services will create a list of these services in both English and Spanish and put it on their website. This list will help people find support and information if they choose to continue their pregnancy.¹

Read the official explanation

This bill creates the “Compassion and Care for Medically Challenging Pregnancies Act”. The bill provides definitions for “department”, “health care practitioner”, “lethal fetal anomaly”, and “perinatal hospice service” as used in the bill. The bill provides that a health care practitioner who diagnoses a lethal fetal anomaly may inform the pregnant woman, orally and in person, that perinatal hospice services are available and offer to refer the pregnant woman for such services; or provide the pregnant woman with the list and information sheet regarding available perinatal hospice services compiled and provided by the department of health and human services (HHS). The bill requires HHS to compile a geographically organized list of, and an information sheet regarding, perinatal hospice services available in Iowa and nationally. HHS shall post the list and information sheet, available in both English and Spanish, on HHS’s internet site. The internet site and information sheet shall include a statement indicating that perinatal hospice services are an innovative and compassionate model of support for the pregnant woman who is informed that her baby has a lethal fetal anomaly and chooses to continue her pregnancy; a general description of the perinatal hospice services available; and at the request of a perinatal hospice service included on the list, the perinatal hospice service’s informational materials and contact information, including whether 24-hour perinatal hospice services are available.

Changed since by amendment H-1052; see Amendments.

Full bill text²

Senate subcommittee

Named March 26, 2025. Meeting: Wednesday, April 2 · 10:00 AM · Room 217 Conference Room.

Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part

4 written public comments to its subcommittee: April 2, 2025 (2), March 3, 2025 (2) · on the Legislature’s site

Iowa Code it changes

Creates§135S.1 §135S.2 §135S.3

How the Code works³

Lobbying

11 for · 0 against · 12 undecided · Who →

Family tree

Tried before

HF 2395Cleared committee90th GA HF 2155Renumbered90th GA

91st General Assembly

HF 589Renumbered HF 807Passed a chamberfrom HF 589

Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title.

Tried before

This idea has been filed in an earlier General Assembly. None got through a chamber.

HF 2155 Creating the compassion and care for medically challenging pregnancies Act
90th General Assembly · Renumbered as HF 2395 · same title
Cleared committee
HF 2395 Creating the compassion and care for medically challenging pregnancies Act
90th General Assembly · Approved by committee · same title
Cleared committee

Matched by wording or an identical title.