You have likely seen the recent, sobering reports regarding the health and well-being of our state. The statistics are a clear wake-up call: Iowa currently ranks 11th highest in the nation for adult obesity, 43rd for physical exercise, and faces a 71% increase in reports of frequent mental distress. These factors intersect with another painful reality—Iowa has the 2nd-highest cancer rate in the country.
We cannot afford to stand by. This legislative session, we got straight to work on comprehensive legislation designed to address the root causes of chronic disease, invest heavily in cutting-edge research, and prioritize the long-term health of every Iowan.
Senate File 2480: Funding Pediatric Cancer Research
In a major victory for Iowa families, Governor Reynolds signed Senate File 2480 this week. This bipartisan legislation fulfills a legislative priority: securing a reliable, annual $3 million funding stream dedicated entirely to pediatric cancer research.
Right now, many children fighting cancer are forced to endure harsh treatments originally designed for adults. They deserve care designed specifically for them. Senate File 2480 creates a steady funding source for this important research on child-specific treatments, allowing researchers to plan multi-year clinical trials without fear of the funding disappearing.
The funding will come from the first $3 million collected from a new, additional 5-cent tax on alternative nicotine products like vapes. The bill strictly prohibits these funds from being used for administrative overhead or unrelated costs. Every dollar must go toward laboratory research and clinical trials.
House File 2635: Putting Patients First, Cutting Prior Authorization Delays
Too many Iowans have experienced the frustration of waiting weeks for insurance approval just to get the care they need. This session, we passed House File 2635 to rein in prior authorization practices. Not only will this reduce delays standing between a patient and the care they need, it will also free up more of a doctor’s time. The less time a doctor has to spend doing paperwork, the more patients they can provide with care.
HF 2635 contains the following big wins for patients:
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Immediate Cancer Screenings: Eliminates prior authorization requirements for cancer-related screenings and emergency conditions. If your doctor says you need a screening, insurance cannot delay it.
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Real Doctors, Not Algorithms: Stops insurance companies from using artificial intelligence as the sole basis to deny or downgrade a patient’s care. All medical necessity denials must be reviewed by a human doctor within the same specialty.
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No Referral Penalties: Prohibits insurance companies from imposing financial penalties or administrative fees on healthcare providers who refer patients out-of-network for specialized care.
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Strict Audit Timelines: Imposes clear deadlines on insurance companies to finalize claims audits, putting an end to endless bureaucratic delays.
House File 2676: Improving Iowans’ Health and Well-Being
As you may remember from a previous newsletter we have been fighting hard to advance a comprehensive health reform package to combat the root causes of chronic disease. Just last week, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was here in Iowa for the signing of HF 2676 – officially cementing Iowa as a national leader in the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement.
Our children are facing a chronic disease epidemic and a crisis of mental health issues. We need to get our kids away from screens and up and moving.
Here’s what landed in the final bill that I’m very proud of:
- Prohibits schools from serving food and beverages with harmful dyes and chemicals.
- Sets a common-sense limit on screentime during school by limiting digital instruction in grades K-5 to 60 minutes per school day.
- Establishes a new requirement for nutrition education in medical school curricula and physician continuing education, ensuring doctors are just as equipped to prescribe healthy lifestyle changes as they are pharmaceuticals.
- Ensures the SNAP and summer EBT Programs dollars can only be spent on healthy foods, not sugary pop and candy.
- Requires students to take the presidential physical fitness test and increases weekly physical education requirements to the highest in the entire nation.
House File 2297: Preventing Lung Cancer Through Radon Mitigation
Iowa is a major hotspot for radon. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Because radon is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless radioactive gas, many Iowans are unknowingly exposed to high levels in their own basements and living rooms for years.
HF 2297 requires new single-family or two-family residential construction to include passive radon mitigation. This is a cost-effective solution that will allow families moving into new builds to rest easy knowing that their home has been given basic protection against this known risk.
If you live in an existing home, we have expanded programs to help you check your safety at zero cost. The Legislature successfully funded an initiative allowing Iowa homeowners and renters to request a free, do-it-yourself radon test kit online through the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and the American Lung Association.
Protecting Access to Clean Water Across Iowa
When discussing Iowa’s cancer rates, conversations with constituents often turn to water quality. After hearing about this issue from many Iowans in town meetings I helped lead legislation to double down on our promise to provide clean, safe water.
As I always say, this isn’t just on the backs of Iowa farmers. Protecting clean water requires partnerships with the state and local governments. That’s why you’ll see that this legislation is a very comprehensive approach.
Building upon our existing $100 million annual water quality baseline—and leveraging nearly $500 million in federal funding—we aren’t just spending more; we are spending smarter. By realigning the Water Quality Financial Assistance Fund to maximize efficiency, this new plan injects $319 million in new funding over the next 12 years into the programs that yield the highest return for public health.
I committed to many of you that I would secure robust, dedicated funding to protect the water quality in our rural communities. I’m proud to say I was able to deliver on that promise. After our input from the Iowa House Republicans, the final plan explicitly includes expanded resources for the Wastewater and Drinking Water Financial Assistance Program and establishes the brand-new Rural Iowa Infrastructure Bank. More details on how these vital programs will protect our district are outlined below.
Key Highlights of the 2027 Plan:
- We are allocating an additional $500,000 annually to water quality monitoring (totaling over $5 million state-wide)
- We are increasing annual funding for the Wastewater and Drinking Water Financial Assistance Program to over $12 million. Combined with a one-time boost of $8 million, we are making $20 million in grants available to Iowa communities for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects.
- We’ve created the Rural Iowa Infrastructure Bank, providing $10 million in 1% low-interest loans specifically for small and medium-sized communities to modernize their water systems without breaking the local budget.
- We are providing a one-time, $25M investment to Central Iowa Water Works to double their nitrate removal capacity within three years.
- While the Des Moines Metro has grown, CIWW infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. The Iowa Legislature is picking up the slack to ensure the 1 in 5 Iowans served by CIWW have their access to clean water protected.
- We continue to allocate roughly $2.79 million annually to the Urban Infrastructure Program that provides grants for urban conservation projects in Iowa communities like stormwater wetlands.
- We are launching the Greater Des Moines Watershed Program ($3.72M annually) to fund scalable “edge-of-field” practices like cover crops and wetlands. By treating water upstream, we reduce the burden on systems downstream.
A Healthier Future for Iowa
Public health reform doesn’t happen overnight, but our work this year to fund pediatric research, eliminate insurance red tape, combat chronic disease, and safeguard our drinking water for generations to come provides meaningful steps forward. Our work in the Statehouse is shaped by the feedback and stories I hear from people like you across the district. Please continue to reach out to share your priorities as we work together to build a healthier Iowa.
