Take Action on Public Policies

Use your lived experience to help others across the state.

Public policy shapes key issues like health, education, accessibility, and recovery support. From the local level to the state and national levels, voting and advocacy can create change and motivate policy, with a direct impact on your community.

Tips for Taking Action

Share your substance use and recovery story with decision-makers.
Use data to communicate key trends.
Stay informed and get involved-your voice matters!

Iowa State University's Public Science Collaborative created a variety of resources to help navigate the landscape of behavioral health in Iowa. See our Behavioral Health Policy Tracker below to stay abreast of upcoming policies in Iowa, or reference our Iowa Legislative Advocacy Toolkit, 2025 Iowa Legislative Behavioral Health Report, or Advocacy Resource Library.

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Iowa Legislative Advocacy Toolkit

The Iowa Legislative Advocacy Toolkit, developed by the Public Science Collaborative (PSC), is a resource designed to empower individuals and organizations to effectively engage with the legislative process in Iowa. It explains how the legislature works, how to visit the state capitol, and how to talk with legislators. The toolkit also includes a handy glossary of common legislative terms, giving users practical tools to get involved and make their voices heard.

Check Out the Toolkit

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2025 Iowa Legislative Report: Behavioral Health

The Public Science Collaborative (PSC) created the 2025 Iowa Legislative Report to guide individuals and organizations working in the substance use and behavioral health space as they navigate and monitor Iowa’s legislature. This report is the first in an annual policy series that summarizes legislation from the prior session and previews the upcoming session.

Read the Report

Iowa Behavioral Health Policy Tracker

The Policy Tracker below provides an updated look at behavioral health-related legislation in Iowa. Use it to learn about legislation related to your organization or work and identify priorities.

Each row represents a group of legislation, identifying the bill that has progressed furthest through the legislative process among its related legislation. See the note at the bottom of the table to find when the information was last updated. The policy tracker will typically be updated at the end of each legislative week.