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STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
May 19, 2025
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
Senate File 565, an Act providing for the continuation of health insurance in certain
circumstances for the surviving spouse and each surviving child of employees of the state
of Iowa and including retroactive applicability provisions.
The above Senate File is hereby approved on this date.
Sine - ely,
1• ( Ki.% ' eynolds
Governor of low
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 FAX 515.725.3527 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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Senate File 565
AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR THE CONTINUATION OF HEALTH INSURANCE IN CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THE SURVIVING SPOUSE AND EACH SURVIVING
CHILD OF EMPLOYEES OF THE STATE OF IOWA AND INCLUDING
RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY PROVISIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. NEW SECTION. 509A.13E Health insurance coverage
— surviving spouse and children of employees of the state of
Iowa.
1. For the purposes of this section, " eligible employee
of the state of Iowa - means an employee of the state of
Iowa, including but not limited to any department, agency,
board, bureau, or commission of the state of Iowa, who is
participating in a state health or medical group insurance plan
under chapter 509A which covers the employee at the time of
death of the employee and whose death has been determined by
the department of administrative services to be the direct and
proximate result of a traumatic personal injury incurred in the
performance of the employee's work duties, and to whom none of
the following applies:
a. The employee's death resulted from stress, strain,
occupational illness, or a chronic, progressive, or congenital
illness, including but not limited to a disease of the heart,
lungs, or respiratory system, unless the traumatic personal
injury was a substantial contributing factor to the employee's
death.
Senate File 565, p. 2
b. The employee's death was caused by the employee's
intentional misconduct, or by the employee's intent to cause
the employee's own death.
c. The employee was voluntarily intoxicated at the time of
the employee's death.
d. The employee was performing the employee's duties in a
grossly negligent manner at the time of the employee's death.
2. a. The governing body of the state shall permit
continuation of existing health insurance coverage or
reenrollment in previously existing coverage for the surviving
spouse and each surviving child of an eligible employee of the
state of Iowa.
b. The governing body of the state shall permit continuation
of existing health insurance coverage for the surviving spouse
and each surviving child of an employee of the state of Iowa
who dies and who is reasonably expected to be determined to be
an eligible employee of the state of Iowa, until such time as
the determination of eligibility is made.
3. The governing body of the state shall not be required to
pay for the cost of the health insurance under this section;
however, the governing body of the state may pay the full cost
or a portion of the cost of the health insurance, in which case
the department, agency, board, bureau, commission, or other
employing entity of the eligible employee of the state of Iowa
shall bear the cost of such health insurance. If the full
cost or a portion of the cost of the coverage is not paid by
the governing body of the state, the surviving spouse and each
surviving child who is eligible for health insurance under this
section may elect to continue coverage by paying that portion
of the cost of the health insurance not paid by the governing
body of the state.
4. The governing body of the state shall notify the
provider of health insurance coverage for state employees of
the identity of the surviving spouse and each surviving child
who is to be provided health insurance coverage pursuant to the
requirements of this section.
5. The governing body of the state shall implement
continuation of health insurance coverage for the surviving
spouse and each surviving child of an eligible employee of
Senate File 565, p. 3
the state of Iowa in a manner that ensures that the health
insurance coverage provided under this section is the payor of
last resort, as permitted by federal law.
6. a. This section shall not require continuation of health
insurance coverage if the surviving spouse or a surviving child
who would otherwise be entitled to continuation of health
insurance coverage under this section was, through the actions
of the surviving spouse or the surviving child, a substantial
contributing factor to the death of the eligible employee of
the state of Iowa.
b. This section shall not require continuation of health
insurance coverage if the surviving spouse or a surviving child
becomes ineligible for health insurance coverage under the
terms of the health insurance coverage obtained by the state
for reasons other than the death of the eligible employee of
the state of Iowa, including but not limited to ineligibility
under this chapter, remarriage of the surviving spouse, or
ineligibility for continuing coverage for a surviving child
pursuant to section 509A.13B.
Sec. 2. RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY. This Act applies
retroactively to January 1, 2024.
a' 21
AMY SIN _/ AIR
President of the Senate
PAT GRASSLE
Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and
is known as Senate File 565, Ninety-first General Assembly.
t0tv- Approved kk&.4%. 14 , 2025
•, r•4ti•h• •• %(All •• W. CHARLES SMITHSON
Secret. y of .: e Senate
KIM - E
Governo