Iowa Enacts Strongest Simon's Law in the World - Parents May Demand Futile Treatment

A growing number of states have enacted Simon's Law over the past four years (e.g. AZ, KS, MO). They take different forms. Some require only that parents be informed that clinicians plan to write a DNR order for a child. Others prohibit writing the order over parental objection.

But a new Iowa statute goes much further. H.F. 594, signed by the Governor last week, prohibits clinicians from going to court for permission to withdraw life-sustaining treatment.

"A court of law or equity shall not have the authority to require the withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures from a minor child over the objection of the minor child's parent or guardian, unless there is conclusive medical evidence that the minor child has died and any electronic brain, heart, or respiratory monitoring activity exhibited to the contrary is a false artifact."

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds