---
type: "Bill"
title: "A bill for an act relating to damage awards against health care providers, creating a medical error task force, and including effective date and applicability provisions."
description: "A bill for an act relating to damage awards against health care providers, creating a medical error task force, and including effective date and applicability provisions."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ia"
legislature: "Iowa General Assembly"
session: "2023-2024"
identifier: "HF 161"
citation: "Iowa HF 161 (2023-2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["civil procedure", "damages", "dependent persons", "health", "health-related professions", "injuries", "medical malpractice", "tort law"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 12
action_count: 33
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2023-01-30"
last_action: "2023-05-12"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b5e7756b-f1d0-469a-bc90-ff18a98988d7"
source_url: "https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF 161&ga=90"
source_hash: "b9d400db642ae50c32897d69dacde49216cf59c1526842618c125513156cea67"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ia"]
---

# Iowa HF 161 (2023-2024) — A bill for an act relating to damage awards against health care providers, creating a medical error task force, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/90/attachments/HF161.html)
2. **Amendment H-1002** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/90/H1002.pdf)
3. **Amendment H-1003** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/90/H1003.pdf)
4. **Amendment H-1004** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/90/H1004.pdf)
5. **Amendment H-1007** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/90/H1007.pdf)
6. **Amendment H-1013** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/90/H1013.pdf)
7. **Amendment H-1014** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/90/H1014.pdf)
8. **Amendment H-1015** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/90/H1015.pdf)
9. **Amendment H-1017** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/90/H1017.pdf)
10. **Reprinted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGR/90/attachments/HF161.html)
11. **Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/90/Attachments/HF161_GovLetter.pdf)
12. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/90/attachments/HF161.html)

## Votes

- Shall amendment H-1002, as amended, be adopted? — **24–75** (fail) · lower
- Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H-1014, as amended? — **58–41** (pass) · lower
- Shall the bill pass? — **54–46** (pass) · lower
- Shall amendment H-1014, as amended, be adopted? — **53–45** (pass) · lower
- Shall the bill pass? — **29–20** (pass) · upper
- Shall the rules be suspended to consider amendment H-1007, as amended? — **38–61** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES — primary (organization)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-01-30** Introduced, placed on calendar. `introduction`
- **2023-01-30** Amendment H-1002 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-01-31** Amendment H-1003 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-02-01** Amendment H-1004 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-02-02** Amendment H-1007 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2023-02-07** Fiscal note.
- **2023-02-07** Amendments H-1013, H-1014 and H-1015 filed.
- **2023-02-08** Amendments H-1003 and H-1004 to amendment H-1002 withdrawn.
- **2023-02-08** Amendment H-1017 to amendment H-1002 filed, adopted. `amendment-introduction, amendment-passage`
- **2023-02-08** Amendment H-1002, as amended, yeas 24, nays 75, lost.
- **2023-02-08** Amendment H-1013 to amendment H-1007 adopted. `amendment-passage`
- **2023-02-08** Point of order raised on amendment H-1007, as amended, ruled not germane.
- **2023-02-08** Motion to suspend rules for immediate consideration of amendment H-1007, as amended, yeas 38, nays 61.
- **2023-02-08** Motion to suspend rules failed.
- **2023-02-08** Amendment H-1015 to amendment H-1014 adopted. `amendment-passage`
- **2023-02-08** Point of order raised on amendment H-1014, as amended, ruled not germane.
- **2023-02-08** Motion to suspend rules for immediate consideration of amendment H-1014, as amended, yeas 58, nays 41.
- **2023-02-08** Motion to suspend rules prevailed.
- **2023-02-08** Amendment H-1014, yeas 53, nays 45, adopted, as amended.
- **2023-02-08** Passed House, yeas 54, nays 46. `passage`
- **2023-02-08** Explanation of vote.
- **2023-02-08** Point of order raised pursuant to Art. III, Sect. 29, Const. of Iowa. B. Meyer object to title; ruled point not well taken.
- **2023-02-08** Immediate message.
- **2023-02-08** Message from House.
- **2023-02-08** Attached to SF 148.
- **2023-02-08** Substituted for SF 148.
- **2023-02-08** Passed Senate, yeas 29, nays 20. `passage`
- **2023-02-15** Explanation of vote.
- **2023-02-08** Immediate message.
- **2023-02-09** Message from Senate.
- **2023-02-15** Reported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor.
- **2023-02-16** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-12** Fiscal note.

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b5e7756b-f1d0-469a-bc90-ff18a98988d7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Iowa legislature records).