Iowa Senate File 2185 would require Iowa hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers and birth centers to report any “serious reportable events” — sometimes called “never events” — to the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. The Iowa Hospital Association, UnityPoint Health, and MercyOne have registered in opposition to the bill.
Senate File 2185
Senate File 2185 requires each facility to report to the director of the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing (DIAL) the occurrence of a serious reportable event as soon as is reasonably and practicably possible, but no later than 15 working days after discovery of the event. Reports shall be filed in a format specified by the director of DIAL and shall identify the facility but shall not include any identifying information for any of the healthcare professionals, facility employees, or patients involved.
The bill requires that following the occurrence of a serious reportable event, a facility shall conduct a root cause analysis of the event and shall either implement a corrective action plan or report to the director any reasons for not taking corrective action.
Upon the occurrence of a serious reportable event, if prior to or during a root cause analysis the facility determines the serious reportable event may constitute child abuse or dependent adult abuse, the facility shall inform persons within the facility who are mandatory reporters of child abuse and dependent adult abuse. Additionally, if a serious reportable event is reported by a facility, no other state agency or licensing board is required to conduct an investigation of or obtain or create investigative data based upon other reports of the same event.
Reports of serious reportable events made to the director by a professional licensing board; serious reportable event reports, findings of root cause analyses, and corrective action plans filed by a facility under the bill; and records created or obtained by the director in reviewing or investigating the reports, findings, and corrective action plans are confidential records under Code section 22.7.
A report issued 10 years ago stated that as many as 2,400 Iowans die each year from medical errors.
The executive director of the Iowa Association for Justice stated: “It’s important to get trackable data to determine whether this is a growing problem or the reporting is simply improving. I think a key factor in all of this is that in Iowa, we have essentially legislated medical malpractice lawsuits out of existence. Now, they are still being filed and are still being pursued, but it is so much more rare, and so much more difficult, today — even when you have a preventable death from negligent care.”
The bill passed a subcommittee on February 12, 2026 and moved to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
If you or a loved one may have been harmed as a result of medical negligence in Iowa or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find an Iowa medical malpractice lawyer or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state who may investigate your medical malpractice claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a medical medical malpractice case, if appropriate.
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