WEEKLY BILL TRACKING

HOUSE DEMOCRATIC RESEARCH STAFF

Agriculture

SF 512          Water Quality. Funds water quality efforts by creating a new water excise tax. The legislation exempts sales and use tax of water by a water utility, then creates a new water excise tax of which, when fully implemented, will see one half of the tax transferred to the Water Quality Financial Assistance Fund, with the remaining half staying in the general fund. Additionally, beginning in FY 2021, $15 million from the Rebuild Iowa’s Infrastructure Fund( RIIF) that is currently being used to pay off Vision Iowa Bonds will be appropriated the Water Quality Infrastructure Fund. (passed House 59-41 ) Signed, effective 7/1/18.

Commerce

HSB 531      Foreclosure Timelines. This bill deals with shortening the length in foreclosures including: the amount of time may redeem their property, the exclusive right of property time frame, the period of redemption by the creditors, the length of an agreement to reduce the period of redemption. The bill shortens other time periods as well, including notice requirements. The bill comes from the Banking Industry. (passed Committee 15-8) to House Calendar.

HSB 532      Stop Payment. This is a technical change in order to allow a person to stop-payment instructions using email. (passed House Commerce 23-0) to House Calendar

HSB 544      Life Insurance Technical Change. This comes from the Insurance Industry and allows for 3% maximum value in CM3 mezzanine loans of life insurances legal reserve. The current law allows for 2%. (passed House Commerce 23-0) to House Calendar

HSB 557      Pyramid Schemes. This legislation deals with defining what is a pyramid or promotional scheme, by defining them in the Consumer Frauds section of the Code. The legislation is brought forward by the industry and has been passed in other states. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar

HSB 582      Service of Process Clean Up. Technical clean up from the Iowa Insurance Division that provides uniformity in the Code regarding service of process. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar.

HSB 583      Health and Long Term Insurance Care Clean Up. Removes outdates language about a clearinghouse website that has been replaced by healthcare.gov as well as Code clean up. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar

HSB 584      Securities and Regulated Industries. Technical cleaned up from the Insurance Division that eliminates outdated references as conforms to federal law. (passed Committee 22-1) to House Calendar

HSB 585      Insurer as Victims of Fraud. This will allow insurers to receive criminal restitution payments if they are the victims of insurance fraud. This language is in agreement with the Iowa Attorney General’s office. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar

Economic Development

HF 2004       Small City Housing Tax Credit Clarification. The legislation will allow a city that straddles counties to qualify if the city is in whole or in part in one of the 88 smallest counties.

(passed Economic Growth 19-0 ) to House Calendar

Education

HSB 578      Next Generation Iowa Test as the Iowa Assessment. Due to concerns over a lawsuit over the bid process in choosing the next Iowa assessment which will cause delays in availability by the next school year, the bill designates the Next Generation Iowa Test as the new Iowa assessment for K-12 schools. The bill takes effect upon enactment. (passed Committee 21-1) to House Calendar

HSB 586      State Supplemental Aid (SSA). Establishes a 1% increase in SSA for K-12 schools for FY 2019. This is a $67 increase in the state cost per pupil to $6,731, and an overall state aid dollar amount increase of $31.96 million. Due to the low increase, 183 of the 333 school districts (55%) would be on the budget guarantee, which is made up entirely from local property taxes to reach the 101% funding level provided by the guarantee.  (passed Committee 14-8) to House Calendar

SF 475          Education Omnibus. Allows any school district to provide on-line courses through a private provider. Students are allowed to open enroll with no cap on the number of students. They could do this for two subjects if less than 10 students “typically” register for the course, and it is not offered by Iowa Learning On-line. A resident district may charge a fee from the receiving district for the student to be involved in activities. Allows community colleges to supplant high school courses for concurrent enrollment in CTE courses if there are more than five and less than 600 students. Creates a work group on student health requirements that are considered “burdensome.” A biliteracy diploma seal is created if a student demonstrates proficiency in two world languages, one of which must be English. (passed Committee 13-8) to House Calendar

Environmental Protection

HSB 539      Land Recycling Program Fees. Increases the reimbursement fee that is paid to the Department of Natural Resources as part of the land recycling fee. (passed Committee 19-0) to House Calendar

Human Resources

SF 360          Safe Haven Updates. Changes the age an infant can be given up under Safe Haven from 14 days old to 30 days old, and allows parents of an eligible infant to call 911 and relinquish physical custody to a first responder instead of taking the infant to the nearest health facility. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar

Judiciary

HF 2125       Probate Distribution of Assets by Affidavit. Increases the size of very small estates that may avoid probate from $25,000 to $50,000 and assures that no debt is owed to DHS for the reimbursement of Medicaid services or any debts are to be paid pursuant to the affidavit. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar

HF 2128       Probate Small Estates. Increases the size of a small estate for streamlined probate procedures from $100,000 to $200,000. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar

HF 2129       Probate Deferment of Tax Payments. Expands the types of security that can be used to defer paying inheritance tax for certain types of estates. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar

HF 2130       Probate Updates for EDMS. Updates probate procedures to comply with the Electronic Document Management System. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar

HSB 503      Probate Filing Fees. Changes court filing fees in probate cases to standardizes the fees statewide. (passed Committee 19-0) to House Calendar

HSB 504      Mortgage Releases. Requires a mortgagee to record a written instrument showing the mortgage has been satisfied within 30 days of the mortgagor fully paying off the mortgage and increases the penalties for not filing this release. (passed Committee 19-0) to House Calendar

HSB 507      Illegal Use of a Scanning Device. Expands the crime and penalties for illegal use of a scanning device. (passed Committee 19-0) to House Calendar

HSB 524      Mechanics Liens Demands and Public Construction Lien Requirements. Allows for decrease the amount demanded in a lien without affecting the priority of the lien and requires a public corporation must retain funds due to a supplier for labor, service, or transportation and requires specific types of notice by the contractor. (passed Committee 13-6) to House Calendar

HSB 541      Kidnapping Under the Age of 18. Increases the penalty for kidnapping a victim under the age of 18 to a class “B” felony. (passed Committee 14-5) to House Calendar

HSB 577      Lascivious Conduct with a Minor Aged 14 or 15 years old. Expands lascivious conduct with a child to include certain sexual acts against 14 and 15 year olds. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar

Labor

HF 2019       Wage Statements. Allows employers to provide wage statements by electronic means and allows employees to opt of electric notification and receive another form if they choose to do so.

(passed Labor 17-0 ) to House Calendar

Local Government

HF 2117       Court Documents Provided to Public Defender. Requires the Judicial Branch, the County Attorney, or a political subdivision to provide court documents without charge to the Public Defender. (passed Committee 16-5) to House Calendar

HF 2118       Red Light Camera Ban. Prohibits the state or political subdivision from putting in place any automated or remote system for traffic enforcement. Effective July 1, 2018, all enforcement of red light cameras would be void. However, any citation issued or mailed pursuant to that date is not invalidated. (passed Committee 11-10) to House Calendar

Natural Resources

HF 2014       Weapons Requirements for Nonambulatory Hunters. This bill expands the type of weapons nonambulatory people may use to hunt. Amendment added in committee aligns the bill with current Code, nonambulatory hunters can use whatever weapons authorized for the current hunting season. (passed Committee 19-1) to House Calendar

HF 2037       Damages Assessed for Engaging in Prohibited Actions Involving Eagles. This bill raises the fine for selling, taking, catching, killing, injuring, destroying, or possessing eagles from $50 to $2,500. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar

HF 2042       Senior Crossbow Deer Hunting Licenses. Seniors over the age of 70 who hunt with a crossbow are eligible for an additional antlerless deer tag. This bill changes that additional tag to an any sex deer tag. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar

Public Safety

HSB 555      Sexually Violent Predator & Accumulation of Earned Time. No longer allows for those determined to be sexually violent predator (SVP) to be offered transitional release without supervision, and no longer requires a hearing to be done within five days if a SVP violates their terms of transitional release. For persons serving time under the Department of Corrections, they would no longer be awarded any earned time (reduction in sentence) until they have participated and completed the sex offender treatment program or the domestic abuse treatment program, if ordered by the court. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar

HF 164         Department of Natural Resources. Requires the Director of the Department of Natural Resources to develop and maintain policies regarding private property rights, search warrant requirements, and investigative procedures. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar

HF 2154       Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Creates a penalty (class D felony) if a person is convicted of knowingly operating an unmanned aerial vehicle in or above various correctional facilities. (passed Committee 19-0) to House Calendar

State Government

HF 2020       Terrace Hill Piano. This bill allows for the Terrace Hill Commission to establish an endowment fund for a piano competition. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar

HSB 549      Requests for Audits. The bill establishes that if the auditor is asked to do a request by a member of the General Assembly, costs should be recuperated from the appropriate department. The bill also allows for examination instead of an audit of a local community.  It also allows for payments by a local community to the auditor are to be retained by the auditor and available for use in the fiscal year. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar

Transportation

HSB 508      Text Messaging Citation Notice. This will allow a person who receives a traffic citation to sign up for text notification for citation payments, court dates, etc. The text will come from a 3^rd party vendor who has a contract with the Iowa Judicial Branch. Those choosing to use the voluntary service will see up to a 6% increase in their fine. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar

HSB 533      Snow Plow Blue and White Lights. This bill repeals the sunset of a 2015 law that allowed snowplows to use blue and white lights. The trial period was for one district in the state and will now be allowed for the entire state. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar

HSB 534      Transportation Commission Terms. This bill comes from the DOT and changes the time of the term for members of the Transportation Commission. Currently a commission member takes office and then the next month is immediately expected to vote on a 5 year transportation plan, that they have not worked on.  (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar

HSB 535      Commercial Driver’s Hands Free. This legislation comes from the DOT and clarifies that it is required that all operators of commercial motor vehicle are not allowed to use a phone unless it is in hands free mode.  This is currently federal law but this legislation specifically clarifies it in Iowa Code as to be in compliance. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar

HSB 536      3^rd Party CDL Examination. This bill repeals the sunset that is currently in place for Iowa based companies to administer their own commercial driver’s license exams. The law was created in 2014. It is set to be repealed in 2019. Currently only two companies do this. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar

Ways & Means

HF 2131       Hotel and Motel Tax Consecutive Days. Under current law, hotel and motel taxes are not paid on any lodging of more than 31 consecutive days. HF 2131 would extend this exemption to ninety days or more. (passed Committee 24-1) to House Calendar