WEEKLY BILL TRACKING
| Thurs. Jan. 31 – Wed. Feb. 6, 2019 |
HOUSE DEMOCRATIC RESEARCH STAFF
Agriculture
HF 8 Commercial Animal Establishment License Change. HF 8 eliminates the requirement to provide an identification number (tax ID or Social Security number) when applying for a license to run a commercial nonagricultural animal facility.(Passed Agriculture 12-11) to House Calendar
Appropriations
HF 307 Transportation Equity. Appropriates $19 million to the Transportation Equity Fund under the Department of Management, and establishes an appropriation for the fund for future years. Also appropriates an additional $2.3 million to the school aid formula for school district equity. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Appropriations Calendar.
Commerce
HSB 3 City Utility Board Member Removal. Amends current board member removal procedure to include judicial intervention. (passed Committee 22-1) to House Calendar.
HSB 4 Promotional Pyramid Schemes. Defines and criminalizes pyramid scheme operations within Iowa Code. (passed Committee 21-2) to House Calendar.
HSB 5 Franchisor/Franchisee. Defines franchisor/franchisee relationship and creates exemptions for Franchisors from certain liabilities under Iowa Code. (passed Committee 13-10) to House Calendar.
HSB 31 Permissible Interest Rates. Allows the Banking Superintendent to adjust interest rates and finance charges for $30K loans or less. (passed Committee 13-10) to House Calendar.
HSB 34 Consumer Credit Loan Application Fees. Allows Credit Unions to be exempt from charging denied applicants an application fee. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar.
HSB 35 Domestic Stock Insurers. Allows domestic stock insurers to organize and divide under Iowa Code. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar.
HSB 40 Student Loan Debt Management Services. Requires debt managers and loan servicers to be licensed when assisting borrowers with loan modifications. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar.
Economic Growth
HSB 63 Changes to the Enhance Iowa Board. The bill makes three changes to the Enhance Iowa Board. Terms for board members are extended from 2 years to 3. Administrative rules for the board no longer have to be passed by the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board. $100,000 that is currently reserved for marketing approved projects is rolled into money for projects. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
HSB 66 Welcome Centers. The bill updates old Code language with regards to welcome centers. The Iowa Economic Development Authority will continue to work with the DOT and other agencies in regards to providing tourism and travel information at welcome centers. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
HSB 85 Skilled Workforce Shortage Tuition Grant Program. The bill allows community colleges to use the list of high demand jobs from Workforce Development when deciding which careers will qualify for tuition grants. If a student, receiving the grant, starts in a career program that then drops off the high demand jobs list, the student can continue to receive the grant until they’ve finished their associate’s degree. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
Education
HSB 109 State Supplemental Aid Increased by 2.06%. The bill increases State Supplemental Aid (SSA)by 2.06% for Fiscal Year 2020, which is below the cost of inflation. The Cost Per Pupil would raise from $6,736 to $6,875 ($139). It provides $78.6 million in new state funding to Iowa’s 330 school districts. Preschools would receive $85.9 million, an increase of $3.7 million, while the property tax increase from SSA is picked up for $62.1 million, an increase of $10 million. The budget guarantee is the amount made up entirely of local property taxes to guarantee a school district receives 101% of the previous year’s funding level due to enrollment decline greater than the SSA increase. That property tax level is $10.2 million for 117 school districts. (passed Committee 12-11) to House Calendar
Ethics
HSB 96 Joint Rules Governing Lobbyist. Approved the joint rules that will govern lobbyist for the House and Senate. The rules establish registration requirements, use of electronic filings, lobbyist client reporting, and other various directions and restrictions related to lobbying the legislature. (passed Committee 6-0) to House Calendar
HSB 97 House Code of Ethics. Amended and approved the House Code of Ethics which governs every legislator and legislative employee of the House of Representatives. The committee amended the Code of Ethics to expand the definition of harassment to discourage members and employees from engaging in conduct that constitutes harassment and sexual harassment. Harassment is a form of discrimination based on any protected basis, including race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law, including the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Chapter 216 of the Iowa Code. (passed Committee 6-0) to House Calendar
Human Resources
HSB 74 Personal Degradation by a Caretaker. Currently, personal degradation by caretakers of dependent adults in facilities would be considered founded or not founded. If it is founded, the worker caretaker would have to go on the dependent adult abuse registry, hindering their chance at finding another job in this field. This was an oversight when personal degradation was added as a form of dependent adult abuse in 2017. The bill would instead classify personal degradation as “confirmed not registered,” or that this action is minor, isolated, and unlikely to occur again. If it does occur again, the caretaker can be put on the registry. (passed House Human Resources Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
HSB 75 Spouse Protected Income. Amount that the spouse may retain when their partner is institutionalized is raised from $24,000 to $25,284 to match federal law. This is protected income for the spouse that cannot be used to pay for the institutionalization or other costs. (passed House Human Resources Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
HSB 76 Medicaid Appeal Reports. States that the Department of Human Services (DHS) must submit their report on all Medicaid appeals every year, not once every two years like is current practice. (passed House Human Resources Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
Judiciary Committee
HF 223 Out-of-State-Mileage Reimbursements. Increases the mileage for an out-of-state witness from 10 cents per mile to the rate set by the Supreme Court to cover actual and necessary expenses. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar
HF 224 Lascivious Conduct with a Minor Expansion. Creates new crimes for lascivious conduct with a minor, including a new crime for certain sexual acts against 14 and 15 year olds. (passed Committee 19-2) to House Calendar
HF 265 Warrant Confidentiality. Makes warrants for a search or seizure in a criminal case that results in an acquittal, dismissal, or when there is no criminal case filed confidential. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
HF 266 Commitment Procedure for Sexually Violent Predators. Changes the civil commitment procedure for Sexually Violent Predators (SVP). (passed Committee 20-1) to House Calendar
HF 267 Clerk of Court Counties Served. Removes the limit of four counties that a clerk of court may be appointed to serve. (passed Committed 21-0) to House Calendar
HSB 1 Massage Therapy Penalties. Makes it a serious misdemeanor for a person to engage in the practice of massage therapy without a license. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
HSB 9 Practice of Law. Changes the requirements for practicing law in the state. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
HSB 10 Indemnification of State Employees. Clarifies when the state will defend and indemnify state employees. (passed Committee 19-0) to House Calendar
HSB 21 Exploitation of a Dependent Adult Definition. Removes the requirement that exploitation for a dependent adult be for someone’s own personal or pecuniary profit. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar
HSB 25 Certifications of a Trust. Changes the certification process of a trust to require any acting trustee, instead of all trustees, and makes clarifying changes. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar
HSB 28 Postconviction Relief Procedural Updates. Updates the procedure for postconviction relief actions, including changes to trial court proceedings and filings. (passed Committee 20-0) to House Calendar
HSB 30 Vulnerable Elder Definition. Adds to the definition of vulnerable elder that a vulnerable elder is someone because of personal circumstances that is at an increased risk of harm to the person. (passed Committee 21-0) to House Calendar
Natural Resources
HF 49 Nonambulatory Hunter Legal Weapons. When the legislature legalized straight-wall cartridges for deer hunting the legislation did not include nonambulatory hunters. The bill allows nonambulatory hunters to use the legal method of take for each deer hunting season. (passed Committee 17-0) to House Calendar
HF 159 Eagle Fines. The bill increases the fine for illegally selling, taking, catching, killing, injuring, destroying, or possessing an eagle from $50 to $2,500. (passed Committee 18-0) to House Calendar
State Government
HJR 6 Line of Succession. A Constitutional Amendment that establishes the line of succession for the Governor and allows the Governor to appoint a Lt. Governor. (passed Committee 13-10) to House Calendar.
HSB 59 Canned Cocktails. Allows for beer wholesalers to also distribute a canned cocktail. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar.
HSB 64 Practice of Optometry. Expands the scope of practice of optometry to allow for three new procedures. (passed Committee 20-3) to House Calendar.
Veterans Affairs
HSB 65 Injured Veterans Grants Program. Expands the Injured Veterans Grants Program to include those who were injured in zones not considered “combat zones.” The bill also allows active duty military spouses the opportunity to get a temporary license or get their license expedited for their particular profession. (passed House Veterans Affairs Committee 16-0) to House Calendar
HSB 67 Gambling Revenue for 501(c)(19) Organizations. Allows an organization under a 501 (c)(19) status be eligible to receive gambling revenue. The 501 (c)(19) status includes organizations that benefit veterans. However, DIA indicated these organizations already qualify for this status. (passed House Veterans Affairs Committee 16-0) to House Calendar
Ways & Means Committee
HSB 84 Investments in Qualifying Businesses and Innovation Fund Tax Credit Cap. Changes the cap and required amount of tax credits for the Investments in Qualifying Businesses (15E.43) and the Innovation Fund (15E.52). (passed Committee 25-0) to House Calendar
HSB 108 Adoption Tax Credit Clarification. Allows expenses for a qualified adoption to be claimed in any year when the adoption becomes final. (passed Committee 25-0) to House Calendar