WEEKLY BILL TRACKING
| Thurs. March 14 – Wed. March 20, 2019 |
HOUSE DEMOCRATIC RESEARCH STAFF
Appropriations
HF 307 Honey Creek Bonds. Code clean-up for the repeal of the Honey Creek Bond Authority as all the bonds have been paid off. (passed Committee 24-0) to House Appropriations Calendar.
Commerce
HF 426 Insurance Division Bill. Updates criminal history checks for licenses granted by the Insurance Division (passed Senate 32-17 with amendment) to House floor.
HF 502 Real Estate Appraiser Practice of Privilege. Modifies Real Estate Appraiser to allow practice of privilege within the state (passed House 96-0) to Senate.
HF 665 Service Contracts. Merges Iowa Code relating to vehicle or residential service contracts (passed House Ways and Means Committee 23-0) to House Calendar.
HF 668 Three-tier System. Allows alcohol manufacturers and wholesalers to have a business or personal interest in retailers (Signed, effective 7-1-19).
Education
HF 598 Multiple Siblings Assigned to a Classroom. In addressing parents with multiple siblings in one grade level classroom setting, the school’s principal and teacher will work with the parent or guardian and then place the child in the requested class that the parent wants. Exceptions in the bill include if the siblings are disruptive to the class, or if a school would have to add an additional class to place the siblings in separate classes. If the parent does not like the principal’s action, they may appeal to the school board. (passed House 91-5) to House Calendar
HF 499 Small School Bus Passenger Limits. Increases the limit of small passenger school vehicles used for activities to the federal limit of 10 persons including the driver. The bill was amended in committee with a technical amendment. (passed House, 95-0) to Senate Education
SF 316 Special Education Interim Study Committee. Request from the Legislative Council, that an interim study committee be formed on special education. The interim committee would be required to review state and federal laws, and evidence based practices and strategies to make recommendations relating to special education requirements and outcomes for students with Individual Education Plans. (passed Committee 22-1) to House Calendar
Human Resources
HF 304 Personal Degradation by a Caretaker. The bill would 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 96-0) to Senate Human Resources Committee
HF 423 Suspension of Medicaid Coverage for Inmates. This bill clarifies that after the first 30 days of commitment DHS will suspend but not terminate an inmate’s Medicaid enrollment. It also clari-fies that the inmate will remain eligible for Medicaid during the entire period of their incarcera-tion. This will ensure that once released, there will be no disruption in services for the individual. (passed House 93-0) to Senate Human Resources Committee
HF 518 Dually Eligible Beneficiaries. Requires DHS to request federal approval to allow Medicaid to pay the nursing facility directly for the room and board costs, and eliminates the pass-through pay-ment with the hospice provider for dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid members. (passed House 94-0) to Senate Human Resources Committee
HF 625 Hawk-I Administrative Functions. Switches the program eligibility, payment and administrative functions of Hawk-I to the Department of Human Services. Currently, this is being done by a third-party contractor. The third-party contract ends June 30th. This bill is intended to reduce administrative costs. (passed House 96-0) to Senate Human Resources Committee
HF 700 Emergency Dispensing of Medication. Allows for the emergency dispensing of insulin and other unit dosed medications, for up to 30 days with an expired prescription. (passed House 96-0) to Senate Human Resources Committee
HF 710 Public Health Supervision of Board Executive Directors. Gives hiring and supervising authority over the Executive Directors of the Board of Medicine, the Board of Pharmacy, Dental Board and Board of Nursing to the Department of Public Health. (passed House 51-46) to Senate Human Resources Committee
HF 726 Health-Related Board Changes. Eliminates, combines, and takes out reimbursement for some health-related boards. (passed House 77-20) to Senate Human Resources Committee
Judiciary Committee
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 House 96-0) to Senate Judiciary Committee
HF 659 Minor Witnesses. Creates new requirements for pretrial contact involving a minor witness. (passed House 96-0) to Senate Judiciary Committee
HF 707 Electronic Service for Juvenile Proceedings. Provides an alternate, electronic service of process for juvenile delinquency proceedings and termination of parental rights proceedings. (passed House 94-0) to Senate
HF 709 Child Support in a CINA case. Requires a court to suspend any child support obligation for a party that is granted custody or physical care of the child in a CINA case. (passed House 96-1) to Senate Judiciary Committee
HF 719 Divorce Conciliation. Allows a judge to determine whether dissolution of marriage participants must participate in conciliation. (passed House 97-0) to Senate Judiciary Committee
SF 274 Public Speech at Universities. Makes changes to public speech and public forums at community colleges and Regents universities. (passed House 52-44) to Governor
SF 377 Emergency Management Immunity. Extends immunity from municipal tort liability for providing emergency response services to nonprofit corporations providing those services through a contract with a city, county, township, or benefitted fire district. (passed Committee 18-0) to House Calendar
SF 457 Criminal Surcharges and Court Fees. Makes changes to criminal penalties, court funds, civil fees, and misdemeanor, felony, and scheduled fines. (passed Committee 17-1) to House Calendar
Local Government
HF 698 Pioneer cemeteries. As amended by the House, the bill would not raise the number of people that can be buried in a pioneer cemetery. The bill would now allow a county board of supervisors and a pioneer cemetery commission to jointly decide the care of cemeteries that no longer qualify as a pioneer cemetery. Currently 20 counties are using up to 6 3/4 cent levy to fund the cemeteries but the highest is only 4 1/2 cents. (passed House 96-0) to Senate Local Government
Natural Resources
HF 325 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 House 96-0) to Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee
Public Safety
HF 487 Wireless Infrastructure. Wireless Telecommunications Infrastructure Installation for Emergency Responders. (passed Senate 38-10) to Governor.
HF 716 Hunting with Firearms. Allows hunting with handguns. (passed House 57-40) to Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee
SJR 18 Eliminate Background Checks. Eliminates Background Checks for Firearms. (passed House 53- 46) to Governor.
State Government
HF 528 Adult Adoptee Birth Certificate. This establishes a process for the ability of an adult who was adopted to be able to receive their original birth certificate. (Passed House Ways and Means Committee 23-0) to House Calendar.
HF 641 Alcoholic Beverages Division. This is the ABD Technical Bill. Includes language that Hy-Vee wants to address aisles online and wine pick up. (Passed House Way and Means Committee 21-2) to House Calendar.
HF 648 Sports Betting and Fantasy Sports. Legalizes sports betting and fantasy sports in Iowa. (Passed House Ways and Means Committee 16-9) to House Calendar.
HF 692 Absentee Ballot Tracking. Requires that all county auditors use a mail tracking system that will ensure more ballots are counted. (Passed the House 96-0) to Senate.
Veterans Affairs
HF 288 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 95-0) to Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
Ways & Means Committee
HF 528 Adult Adoptee Birth Certificate. This establishes a process for the ability of an adult who was adopted to be able to receive their original birth certificate. (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar
HF 641 Alcoholic Beverages Division. This is the ABD Technical Bill. Includes language that Hy-Vee wants to address aisles online and wine pick up. (passed Committee 21-2) to House Calendar
HF 648 Sports Betting and Fantasy Sports. Legalizes sports betting and fantasy sports in Iowa. (passed Committee 16-9) to House Calendar
HF 665 Service Contracts Merges Iowa Code relating to vehicle or residential service contracts (passed Committee 23-0) to House Calendar.
HF 744 BOEE: Educator License Fee Cut of 25%. Cuts license fees for Educators paid to the Board of Education Examiners (BOEE) by 25% which would equal about a $20 cut in the fees per person. At the same time, it cuts the amount diverted from the BOEE fees to the general fund by 25%. The bill is revenue neutral to the BOEE. Based on FY 2018 numbers the bill would have a $638,663 fiscal impact to the general fund. (passed Committee 22-0) to House Calendar
SF 220 179 Expensing for Corporations. Expands the increased 179 expensing for individuals to income by corporations, financial institutions, partnerships, and Limited Liability Companies. (Signed; effective 3-15-19)