Bill
HF 516
HF 516 directs UI to admit at least 80% Iowa-connected students to medicine/dentistry and prioritize Iowa-trained residents/fellows at UIHC, boosting clinicians who stay in Iowa.
Purpose
- Directs the State Board of Regents and the University of Iowa (UI) system to prioritize Iowa-connected applicants for admission to the University of Iowa’s College of Medicine (M.D.) and College of Dentistry (D.D.S.), and to give preference in awarding certain residency and fellowship positions at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC). The intent is to increase the share of Iowa‑trained clinicians and to encourage practice in Iowa, including rural areas.
Key provisions
- Admissions quota: BOR must adopt a policy requiring that at least 80% of students admitted to the UI College of Medicine and College of Dentistry be either (a) residents of Iowa or (b) persons who, prior to application, were enrolled at an Iowa postsecondary institution (as defined in Code §261E.2). The policy must require that admission remain merit‑based and not lower standards. The BOR will not be authorized to impose penalties on institutions for noncompliance; the law does not create a private cause of action for enforcement.
- Definition of “resident of Iowa”: an individual who graduated from an Iowa high school, or who has lived in Iowa for at least four consecutive years immediately before applying (also applies to residency applicants).
- Applicant attestation: Applications to the two colleges and UIHC residencies must include an attestation selecting one of five statements (e.g., born in Iowa/graduated Iowa high school; has family in Iowa or earned an Iowa undergrad degree; lived in a rural community similar to Iowa’s; or expresses interest in practicing/attending in Iowa even if none of the preceding apply).
- UIHC residency/fellowship priority and rotations:
- UIHC must give priority for federal residency slots (per Balanced Budget Act of 1997) and fellowships to applicants who are Iowa residents, earned an Iowa undergraduate degree, or earned an Iowa medical degree.
- UIHC must offer rural-rotation opportunities to persons awarded primary care (including psychiatry) residency or fellowship positions.
- UIHC must offer interviews for available residency positions in specified specialties (ob/gyn, psychiatry, general surgery, emergency medicine, neurology, primary care) and for cardiology fellowship applicants who meet the Iowa‑connection criteria.
- Reporting and confidentiality:
- UI (with UIHC) must submit annual reports to the General Assembly about graduates’ and residents’ post‑training residency (state of practice) in the year after completion, disaggregated by whether applicants were Iowa residents at application or had Iowa educational ties.
- UIHC must submit an annual report by January 15 to the Governor and General Assembly summarizing the interviews described above. Applicant personal information in reports must be protected under FERPA and Iowa law.
Who is affected
- Primary: prospective and admitted students to the University of Iowa College of Medicine and College of Dentistry; applicants to UIHC residency and fellowship programs.
- Secondary: University of Iowa and UIHC admissions and graduate medical education processes; out‑of‑state applicants seeking admission or residency at UI; state workforce distribution (potential increase in clinicians remaining/practicing in Iowa).
- Fiscal impact: shifting admission mix toward more residents is expected to reduce nonresident tuition revenue. Legislative Fiscal Services estimates decreases in tuition revenue to UI medical and dental colleges of approximately $529,000 (FY2027), $1.1M (FY2028), $1.7M (FY2029), and $2.3M (FY2030). Example FY2026 tuition levels used in the estimate: College of Medicine — resident $38,000 vs nonresident $59,000; College of Dentistry — resident $59,000 vs nonresident $84,000.
Procedural/timeline notes
- Introduced: February 20, 2025.
- Passed both chambers with amendments; Governor signed the enrolled bill on June 11, 2025 (effective per usual state law schedule unless otherwise specified).
- Reporting: annual UI/UIHC reports as described; UIHC interview report due each year by January 15.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
