2022 Legislative Update: What bills survived the funnel, and which didn’t

By Maggie DeWitte, Executive Director Pulse Life Advocates

February 18, 2022, was the first funnel this legislative session. Any bill that did not get through the subcommittee and committee process in one chamber was considered dead. We had several pro-life bills that we were working to get passed. Here is a list of the different bills.

SF2029 A bill relating to the post-fertilization age of an unborn child relative to an abortion and making licensee discipline and civil penalties applicable. This bill stated that if a physician determined the baby was 12 weeks old, they would not be able to perform an abortion. This bill would have changed our current 20-week abortion ban to 12 weeks. We registered in support of this bill. Unfortunately, it did not pass out of committee and is dead for this session.

HF2210 A bill relating to abortion complications and statistical reporting. This bill would provide reports on abortion complications and improve our abortion reporting here in Iowa. We registered in support of this bill, but unfortunately it did not pass out of committee and is dead for this session. 

HF2289 This bill relates to the prohibition of abortion in our state. This is a ‘trigger’ bill that states should Roe vs. Wade be overturned, abortion in Iowa would be outlawed. We registered in support of this bill; however, it did not pass through the committee process and is dead. 

HF2389 (previously HF2219) A bill related to medication abortions including required informed consent and the dispensing of abortion-inducing drugs to patients within the state, providing penalties. This bill requires that any woman entering an abortion clinic to obtain a chemical abortion, MUST be informed via written materials, signage and verbally that she can get an abortion pill reversal to stop the chemical abortion should she change her mind. It also states that RU-486 must be dispensed in a health care setting. This will hopefully eliminate mail order abortion pills in our state. We registered in support of this bill, and it passed the committee process and is now eligible for debate on the House floor.

HF2206 This bill related to the nonconsensual termination of a human pregnancy. This bill would correct a bad court ruling and make it a crime to attempt to cause a woman to abort. We registered in support of this bill, and it passed the committee process with bipartisan support and is now eligible for debate on the House floor. 

HF2447 This bill relates to an assault of a pregnant person and providing felony penalties. We registered in support of this bill, and it passed the committee process and is eligible for debate on the House floor. 

SSB3145 The MOMS Act:  This bill would offer funding to nonprofits that help mothers who choose life. Iowa’s over forty pregnancy resource centers are already doing great work, but we believe this will help new centers start in needy areas of Iowa and help current centers expand their services. Because this bill includes an appropriation, it may need to take a few more steps for it to move through the process. 

HF2420 (previously HF2267) This bill relates to the newborn safe haven act. Iowa already has a save haven law, but this bill will expand it from 30 days to sixty days in which a parent can voluntarily release custody of a newborn infant. We registered in support of this bill, and it passed the committee process and is eligible for debate on the House floor.