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SF469 • 2026

A bill for an act creating an emeritus license to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. (Formerly SSB 1121 .) Effective date: 07/01/2026.

A bill for an act creating an emeritus license to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. (Formerly SSB 1121 .) Effective date: 07/01/2026.

Education Healthcare
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Last action
2026-06-02
Official status
Signed by Governor . S.J. 1029 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on the scope of practice beyond maintaining it as previously held.

Emeritus License for Medical Supervision and Training

This law creates an emeritus license that allows doctors aged 60 or older to supervise and train resident physicians without needing continuing education credits.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates an emeritus license for doctors who are at least 60 years old and primarily work by supervising and training other doctors.
  • Allows these doctors to maintain the same scope of practice as before with this special license.
  • Makes the emeritus license valid for three years, which can be renewed once.
  • Exempts holders of an emeritus license from needing continuing education credits to maintain or renew their license.
  • Sets the application and renewal fee for an emeritus license at half the regular medical practice license fees.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Doctors over the age of sixty who mainly work by supervising and training resident physicians.

Terms To Know

emeritus license
A special type of medical license for doctors aged 60 or older, allowing them to supervise and train other doctors without needing continuing education credits.
resident physicians
Doctors who are training in a specific area of medicine under the supervision of more experienced doctors.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if someone with an emeritus license wants to renew it after the first renewal period.
  • It is unclear how many doctors will apply for this new type of license.
  • The board must create rules about 'primarily engaged in supervising and training resident physicians' before January 1, 2026.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-02 Iowa Legislature

    Signed by Governor . S.J. 1029 .

  2. 2026-05-11 Iowa Legislature

    Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. S.J. 1028 .

  3. 2026-05-02 Iowa Legislature

    Message from House. S.J. 979 .

  4. 2026-05-02 Iowa Legislature

    Immediate message. H.J. 1118 .

  5. 2026-05-02 Iowa Legislature

    Explanations of votes. H.J. 1159 .

  6. 2026-05-02 Iowa Legislature

    Passed House , yeas 58, nays 27. H.J. 1116 .

  7. 2026-05-01 Iowa Legislature

    Placed on Ways and Means calendar. H.J. 1084 .

  8. 2026-05-01 Iowa Legislature

    Committee vote: Yeas, 17. Nays, 7. Excused, 1. H.J. 1084 .

  9. 2026-05-01 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 1084 .

  10. 2025-05-15 Iowa Legislature

    Rereferred to Ways and Means. H.J. 1222 .

  11. 2025-05-09 Iowa Legislature

    Placed on Ways and Means calendar. H.J. 1114 .

  12. 2025-05-08 Iowa Legislature

    Committee vote: Yeas, 14. Nays, 5. Excused, 6. H.J. 1114 .

  13. 2025-05-08 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 1114 .

  14. 2025-04-24 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  15. 2025-04-23 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 04/24/2025 12:00PM House Lounge.

  16. 2025-04-22 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Nordman, Baeth and Lundgren. H.J. 1035 .

  17. 2025-04-01 Iowa Legislature

    Pursuant to Rule 31.7, referred to Ways and Means. H.J. 878 .

  18. 2025-04-01 Iowa Legislature

    Committee vote: Yeas, 14. Nays, 7. H.J. 878 .

  19. 2025-04-01 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, recommending passage. H.J. 878 .

  20. 2025-03-25 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  21. 2025-03-19 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 03/25/2025 8:15AM RM 304.

  22. 2025-03-18 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Ingels, Baeth and Weldon. H.J. 720 .

  23. 2025-03-18 Iowa Legislature

    Read first time, referred to Health and Human Services. H.J. 679 .

  24. 2025-03-17 Iowa Legislature

    Message from Senate. H.J. 663 .

  25. 2025-03-17 Iowa Legislature

    Immediate message. S.J. 549 .

  26. 2025-03-17 Iowa Legislature

    Passed Senate , yeas 40, nays 6. S.J. 547 .

  27. 2025-02-27 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 383 .

  28. 2025-02-27 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 380 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act creating an emeritus license to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. (Formerly SSB 1121 .) Effective date: 07/01/2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Kim Reynolds
governor
Office of the Governor Chris Cournoyer
LT GOVERNOR
June 02, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
Senate File 469, an Act creating an emeritus license to practice medicine and surgery or
osteopathic medicine and surgery.
Tire above Senate File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely,
KinXß^iolds k 1
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
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Senate File 469
AN ACT
CREATING AN EMERITUS LICENSE TO PRACTICE MEDICINE AND SURGERY OR
OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE AND SURGERY.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. NEW SECTION . 148.4 Emeritus license.
1. The board shall grant an emeritus license to a physician
and surgeon or osteopathic physician and surgeon who is
at least sixty years of age, who is or will be primarily
engaged in the practice of supervising and training resident
physicians, and who submits an application on a form prescribed
by the board.
2. An emeritus license issued pursuant to this section shall
entitle the licensee to maintain the same scope of practice
as the licensee had as a physician and surgeon or osteopathic
physician and surgeon.
3. An emeritus license issued pursuant to this section shall
be valid for three years from the date of issue and may be
renewed once.
4. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a
licensee licensed pursuant to this section is not required to
complete continuing education credits to maintain or renew an
emeritus license.
5. The application and renewal fee for an emeritus license
shall be one half of the application and renewal fees for
a license to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic
medicine and surgery.
Senate File 469, p. 2
6. The board shall adopt rules for
of this section, including
engaged in the practice of
physicians" .
7. The board shall not
section prior to January 1
a rule that
supervising
the implementation
defines "primarily
and training resident
issue a
2026.
license pursuant to this
AMY SINCLAIR
President of the Senate
PAT GRASSLEY //
Speaker of t/he House
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and
is known as Senate File 469, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved , 2026
W. CHARLES SMITHSON
Secretary of ^fî^penate
KIM REINOLDS f I
Governor