Read the full stored bill text
STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
April 09, 2026
The Honomble Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
Senate File 2190, an Act relating to the use of the titles physician assistant and physician
associate.
The above Senate File is hereby approved on this date.
SmArely,
annWynolds
Governor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
ISSONBDSmliioHT
mix MAINTAI
iiiiTniiiimsnni n^iiiiiiimi iiiiHiifiiHil
gi:ni:ral asskmbi.v maimiimaini raiflHHwnsiniinonininBaiiniftiDiiiiHMuiiiiniiinni
Senate File 2190
AN ACT
RELATING TO THE USE OF THE TITLES PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT AND
PHYSICIAN ASSOCIATE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 147.74, subsection 17, Code 2026, is
amended to read as follows:
17. A person who qualifies for licensure as a physician
asaiatant licensed associate under chapter 148C may use the
words ^physician aaaistant associate^^ after the person's name
or signify the same by the use of the letters ""P. A." after the
person's name.
Sec, 2. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT TITLE CHANGE.
1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary,
all references in the Iowa Code and Iowa Administrative
Code to ^physician assistant" shall be revised to ^"physician
associate". The terms ^^physician assistant", ^physician
associate", and ^^P.A." are synonymous, and all rights and
responsibilities of a physician assistant under current law are
unaffected by the change in title to ^physician associate".
2. All persons or entities employing, coordinating
treatment with, following orders from, training, educating, or
contracting with a person licensed as a physician assistant
or educating individuals in an accredited physician assistant
or physician associate education program, including but not
limited to a hospital or other health care facility, physician,
third-party payer, the federal government, and malpractice
Senate Pile 2190, p. 2
insurance carriers, shall continue the relationship without
interruption or alteration as a result of the change in
title to "^physician associate". A person or entity shall not
discriminate against an individual in contracting with the
individual, employment, or otherwise solely as a result of the
individual's use of the title ^^physician associate".
3. During the time before the title '^physician associate"
enters common usage, a person eligible for licensure under
chapter 148C may use the title ^physician assistant",
^^physician associate", or ^^P.A.". A person or entity
interacting with a person using the title ^^physician associate"
is entitled to rely on the person having all rights and
responsibilities of a physician assistant.
4. The change in title from ^^physician assistant" to
^physician associate" does not expand or alter the scope of
practice of a person licensed under chapter 148C.
5. Not later than January 1, 2027, each agency shall, as
soon as practicable and in the most cost-efficient manner
possible, make amendments to active versions of sub-regulatory
guidance, documents, and forms to reflect the change in title
from ^'physician assistant" to ^physician associate".
Sec. 3. CODE EDITOR DIRECTIVE — TERMINOLOGY CHANGES.
1. The Code editor is directed to change all references
to ^^physician assistant" and its derivatives to ^physician
associate" and its derivatives, as appropriate, wherever they
appear in the Code, including in sections 90A.1, 90A.8, 96.5,
124E.2, 135.1, 135.17, 135.24, 135.39D, 135.105D, 135.146,
135.190A, 135.194, 135B.1, 135B.7, 135G.1, 135G.3, 135H.3,
135J.1, 135P.1, 136A.2, 136C.3, 137.105, 139A.2, 139A.8,
139A.22, 139A.35, 139A.41, 141A.1, 141A.5, 141A.6, 141A.7,
142C.8, 144.26, 144.28, 144A.2, 144A.4, 144A.7A, 144B.1,
144B.5, 144B.6, 144D.1, 144D.2, 144D.3, 144D.4, 144F.2, 147.1,
147.2, 147.13, 147.14, 147.77, 147.107, 147.136, 147.136A,
147.138, 147A.1, 147A.8, 147A.9, 147A.10, 147A.13, 148C.1,
148C.2, 148C.3, 148C.4, 148C.5, 148C.8, 148C.9, 148C.11,
148C.13, 148F.7, 148G.1, 148H.4, 152.1, 152B.1, 152C.9, 152D.4,
152D.7, 154C.7, 154D.4, 154F.2, 155A.3, 155A.23, 189A.6, 225.9,
225.12, 225.15, 225.16, 228.1, 229.22, 232.68, 232.71B, 232.78,
232.79, 232.95, 233.1, 234,22, 235A.13, 237A.5, 237A.13, 249.3,
Senate File 2190, p. 3
249A.4, 249A,4B, 249N.2, 252E.1, 256.222, 272C.1, 272C.2C,
280.13C, 280.16, 280A.1, 321.34, 321.186, 321.375, 321.446,
321J.7, 321J.11, 321L.2, 321L.2A, 411.5, 462A.14A, 489.1101,
489.1102, 489.1105, 496C.2, 496C.4, 496C.7, 514C.11, 514C.17,
514C.18, 5140.20, 5140.25, 5140.28, 514F.6, 614.1, 622.10,
668A.1, 669.2, 702.8, 707A.1, 730.5, and 915.46.
2. The Code editor is directed to make changes in any Code
sections or other noncodified enactments amended or enacted
by any other Act to correspond with the changes made in this
Act if there appears to be no doubt as to the proper method of
making the changes and the changes would not be contrary to or
inconsistent with the purposes of this Act or any other Act.
Sec. 4. AMENDMENTS TO ADMINISTRATIVE RULES.
Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 17A to the contrary,
an agency may submit amendments to administrative rules in
accordance with this Act to the administrative code editor to
be updated editorially. Such amendments shall be limited to
updating the term ^^physician assistant" and its derivatives to
^^physioian associate" and corresponding derivatives.
AMY SINCL^R PAT GRASSLJ
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and
is known as Senate File 2190, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved 2026
W. CHARLES SMITHSON
Secretary €?*\he Senate