This bill amends Iowa's laws concerning state disaster emergencies and public health disasters by extending the duration of a state of disaster emergency from thirty days to sixty days. It requires that any extensions or amendments to the emergency proclamation be made by the general assembly rather than the governor, with the general assembly able to extend the proclamation in sixty-day increments. If the legislature is not in session, the legislative council can act only once to extend or amend the proclamation for a maximum of sixty days. The bill also imposes specific restrictions on actions taken during a disaster emergency, ensuring that constitutional rights, religious freedoms, and patient rights are not infringed upon, while prohibiting certain surveillance and enforcement methods.

Additionally, the bill revises the responsibilities of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during public health disasters, stating that HHS cannot require identification or monitoring of individuals at risk of contagious diseases and can only recommend, rather than mandate, physical examinations, testing, and vaccinations. It broadens the criteria for immunization exemptions in schools and licensed child care centers by allowing individuals to cite their sincerely held religious beliefs in addition to recognized religious denominations. Furthermore, the bill ensures that exemptions from vaccination remain in effect during emergencies or epidemics, protecting individuals who are exempt for religious reasons from being compelled to receive vaccinations during public health crises.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 29C.6, 135.140, 139A.4, 139A.8