# Iowa HF 571: A bill for an act relating to protections for medical practitioners and health care institutions, including those related to the exercise of conscience, whistleblower activities, and free speech, and providing penalties. (Formerly HSB 139.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. Iowa HF 571, A bill for an act relating to protections for medical practitioners and health care institutions, including those related to the exercise of conscience, whistleblower activities, and free speech, and providing penalties. (Formerly HSB 139.) Effective date: 07/01/2026., is a 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) House bill sponsored by COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY; status signed, last action 2026-05-19 (Signed by Governor.) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF571-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Iowa HF 571 - State: Iowa - Session: 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) - Title: A bill for an act relating to protections for medical practitioners and health care institutions, including those related to the exercise of conscience, whistleblower activities, and free speech, and providing penalties. (Formerly HSB 139.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-24 - Last action: 2026-05-19, Signed by Governor. - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: judiciary - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (157 yes, 75 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Patients can decline conscience-objecting providers’ services: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, people cannot be sued for declining to use or buy a health care service because of a provider’s exercise of conscience under this law. This protection covers decisions involving either a practitioner or a health care institution. It does not require anyone to buy or use the… - Health workers gain whistleblower protections: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Iowa practitioners and health institutions gain protection from discrimination for reporting suspected violations of this law. Protection also covers plans to report and help with related proceedings. Good-faith disclosures to employers or state or federal health-care-rights… - Provider speech gains safeguards, boards face penalties: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, covered Iowa licensing bodies cannot punish providers or institutions for First Amendment-protected speech, expression, or association. An exception requires clear and convincing evidence of direct physical harm to someone who was their patient or client within the three yea… - Providers can sue over rights interference: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, people cannot use coercion or other means to interfere with providers’ protected conscience, whistleblower, or speech rights. Attempts to interfere are also barred, and injured practitioners or institutions can sue. Courts can award damages, reasonable costs and attorney fee… - Providers gain rights to refuse care: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Iowa health practitioners, including trainees, and health care institutions can refuse to participate in or pay for services that violate their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. The law protects them from discrimination, but excludes specified nongovernmental insurance o… - Religious health institutions control staffing choices: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, qualifying Iowa religious health institutions can base hiring, staffing, contracts, and admitting privileges on religious beliefs. They must publicly identify as religion-based and state a religious purpose or mission in their governing documents. They must also have interna… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-23 | House | Passed House | pass | 63 | 27 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 30 | 16 | | | 2025-03-26 | House | Passed House | pass | 64 | 32 | | ## Actions (30) - 2026-05-19: Signed by Governor. (House) - 2026-05-06: Reported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor. (House) - 2026-03-31: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2026-03-30: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2026-03-24: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2026-03-23: Message from House. (Senate) - 2026-03-23: Immediate message. (House) - 2026-03-23: Passed House, yeas 63, nays 27. (House) - 2026-03-23: House concurred in Senate amendment H-8174. (House) - 2026-03-09: Senate amendment H-8174 filed. (House) - 2026-03-09: Message from Senate. (House) - 2026-03-09: Immediate message. (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Passed Senate, yeas 30, nays 16. (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Amendment S-5078 filed, adopted. (Senate) - 2026-02-04: Placed on calendar. (legislature) - 2026-02-04: Committee report, recommending passage. (Senate) - 2026-01-22: Subcommittee recommends passage. (legislature) - 2026-01-16: Subcommittee Meeting: 01/22/2026 10:00AM Room 315. (legislature) - 2026-01-16: Subcommittee: Taylor, Blake, and Green. (Senate) - 2026-01-16: * * * * * END OF 2025 ACTIONS * * * * * (legislature) - 2025-06-16: Referred to Judiciary. (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2025-04-03: Placed on calendar under unfinished business. (Senate) - 2025-03-27: Read first time, attached to SF 220. (Senate) - 2025-03-27: Message from House. (Senate) - 2025-03-26: Immediate message. (House) - 2025-03-26: Passed House, yeas 64, nays 32. (House) - 2025-03-26: Amendment H-1064 adopted. (House) - 2025-03-11: Amendment H-1064 filed. (House) - 2025-02-24: Introduced, placed on calendar. (House) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/HF571.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/HF571.pdf) ## Related bills - HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly HSB 785.) Effective date: 10/02/20… (signed) - SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial authority, and budgets, by modifying property assessment provisions, divisions… (signed) - HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ballot issue campaigns by foreign nationals and investigations of election misconduc… (signed) - SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Formerly SF 2317, SSB 3121.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly SSB 3162.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program. (Formerly SF 2176.) Vetoed 6-2-26. (vetoed) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/HF571.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/HF571.pdf) ## Related - [HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2801-2025-2026) - [SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2472-2025-2026) - [HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ball…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2601-2025-2026) - [SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Former…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2471-2025-2026) - [SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2399-2025-2026) - [SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or conc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2299-2025-2026) - [Iowa bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa/bills) - [Iowa state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF571-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).