WEEKLY BILL TRACKING

HOUSE DEMOCRATIC RESEARCH STAFF

Agriculture

HF 733         Hemp Regulation. Regulates the cultivation of industrial Hemp (passed House Ways and Means Committee 25-0) to House Ways and Means Calendar.

SF 265          Sale of Mushrooms at Farmers Markets. Allows for the sale of certain times of mushrooms at farmers markets (passed committee 23-0) to House Calendar

SF 555          Implements of Husbandry Weight Limit. Raises weight limitations for some implements of husbandry (passed House 73-25) to Governor

Appropriations

HF 673         Radon Testing and Mitigation in Schools.  Requires a test for radon by July 1, 2024 and one every 5 years after that. If first test is positive, a second test must be performed within 60 days.  If radon found after second test, mitigation would be performed within two years, unless they plan to abandon the building.  The bill allows the use of the Physical Plant and  Equipment Levy (PPEL) and the Secure and Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) fund to pay for testing and mitigation. (passed Committee 22-1) to House Calendar

HSB 246      Federal Block Grant. Allocates Federal block grant appropriations to various State Agencies. (Passed Appropriations Committee 22-0) to House Appropriations Calendar.

Commerce

SF 341          Service and Assistance Animals. Updates code relating to service animals and rental liabilities. (passed Commerce 20-0) to House Floor.

SF 556          Life Insurance Guarantees. Updates Code to model the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ life and health insurance act. (passed House 97-0) to Governor.

SF 559          Portable Electronic Device Insurance.  Allows insurance carriers to electronically send notification to portable electronic device holders.  (passed House 98-0) to Governor.

Education

SF 316          Special Education Interim Study.  Establishes an interim study committee on special education.  They 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.  They are to identify a graduated process for the transfer of a child requiring special education from a self-contained classroom to a general education classroom.  (passed Committee 22-1) to House Calendar

Human Resources

HF 291         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 Senate Human Resources Committee 13-0) to Senate Calendar

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 Senate Human Resources Committee

13-0) to Senate Calendar

HF 422         Telehealth at the CCUSO Unit.  Allows the University of Iowa to provide health services for patients at the Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders (CCUSO) via telehealth whenever it is deemed medically appropriate. (passed Senate Human Resources Committee 13-0) to Senate Calendar

HF 570         Brain Injury Home and Community-Based Waiver Cap.  Removes the monthly Medicaid cap for those on the brain injury home and community-based services waiver. (passed Senate Human Resources Committee 13-0) to Senate Calendar

HF 642         Human Trafficking Confidential Information.  Allows partners (members of a DHS approved multidisciplinary team) to share information related to human trafficking with each other. Currently, these partners can only share this information when it is part of a child abuse assessment, but not for those cases when children are at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking. (passed Senate Human Resources Committee 13-0) to Senate Calendar

HF 690         Governor’s Children’s Mental Health Bill.  Policy bill that creates the structure for the children’s mental health system. (passed House 83-14) to Senate Human Resources Committee

HF 691         Funding of Mental Health Regions.  Changes the amount the MHDS regions are allowed to encumber to 40% of gross expenditures. Currently, this amount is 20% or 25% based on population. Spend down has to occur by 2023, as opposed to 2021. (passed House 96-0) to Senate Human Resources Committee

Judiciary Committee

HF 266         Commitment Procedure for Sexually Violent Predators.  Changes the civil commitment procedure for Sexually Violent Predators (SVP).  (passed Senate 49-0) to Governor

HF 529         Public Defender Fee Costs.  Assessment of fees when the public defender requests copies of certain documents.  (passed Ways & Means Committee 24-0) to House Calendar

HF 591         Minor Guardianship Updates.  Amends Iowa Code related to establishing a guardianship of a minor.  (passed Committee 19-0) to House Calendar

HF 610         Adult Guardianship and Conservatorship Updates.  Amends Iowa Code related to the opening and administration of guardianships of adults and conservatorships of adults and minors.  (passed Committee 97-0) to Senate Calendar

HF 679         Substantive Code Corrections.  Makes substantive code corrections.  (passed House 97-0) to Senate Calendar

HF 734         Postconviction DNA Process.  Makes changes to the postconviction relief procedure regarding DNA analysis.    (passed House 98-0) to Senate Calendar

SF 113          OWI Habitual Offender.  Allows a person convicted of a third or subsequent Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) offense to be sentenced as a habitual offender.  (Signed; effective 7-1-19)

SF 274          Public Speech at Universities.  Makes changes to public speech and public forums at community colleges and Regents universities.  (Signed; effective 3-27-19)

Labor

HF 531         Unemployment Changes. Removes provisions giving individuals additional unemployment benefits if they were laid off because their place of employment went out of business (passed House 53-44) to Senate Labor and Business Relations.

HF 666         Licensing Review. The bill sets up a rolling review of licensing by the state government efficiency review committee (passed House Ways and Means Committee 14-11) to House Calendar

Natural Resources

HF 599         Nonresident Hunting. The bill allows non-residents under the age of 16 to hunt in Iowa without a license.  (passed House 86-11) to Senate Natural Resources and Environment

HF 603         Snowmobile Registrations.  The bill eliminates the requirement that snowmobile owners obtain two $15 user permits and instead raises the annual registration fee to $30.  (passed House Ways and Means Committee 24-0) to House Calendar

HF 640         Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.  The bill changes the name of the Weather Bureau to the Climatology Bureau.  The bill also makes fees for feed and fertilizers two year licenses expiring in either odd or even years.  It moves the demonstration grants, for people who purchase vehicles which operate on alternative fuels, from the DNR to IDALS.  Finally the bill expands water quality projects and repeals the watershed demonstration pilot projects. (passed House Ways and Means Committee 24-0) to House Calendar

SF 86            Logan’s Law. The bill requires the DNR to add organ donations to their fishing and hunting licenses for people over the age of 14.  (passed Committee 19-0) to House Calendar

Public Safety

HF 516         911 Service Boards. Allows County Sheriffs and PSAP Police Chiefs Voting Membership on 911 Service Boards. (passed House 96-0) to Senate State Government Committee.

HF 566         Criminal Trespass while Hunting, Fishing, or Trapping. Amends penalties for criminal trespass while hunting, fishing, or trapping. (passed House 74-25) to Senate Judiciary Committee.

HF 634         Justice Advisory Board. Establishes a Justice Advisory Board under Department of Human Rights (passed House 97-0) to Senate Judiciary Committee.

HF 685         Cost of Medical Aid to Prisoners of County Jails. Creates a working group to recommend policy relating to the medical costs for prisoners in county jails. (passed House 95-0) to Senate Local Government.

HF 694         EMS Licensure Compact. Establishes Emergency Medical Services Personnel Licensure Interstate Compact. (passed House 96-0) to Senate State Government Committee.

HF 732         Medical Cannibidiol. Expands the state’s current Medical Cannabidiol Act (passed House 96-3) to Senate.

State Government

HF 590         Tax Return Preparer’s. A bill requiring tax preparers to use a federally issued tax preparer identification number on tax returns, the bill also establishes 15 continuing education hours per year for tax preparers (Passed the House 97-0) to Senate.

HF 656         Auditor Examination Fees. Increases the cap on the examination fee pool for small towns.  (Passed House Ways and Means 25-0) to House Ways and Means Calendar

HF 743         Uniform Electronic Legal Documents. Sets up a process for the electronic storage of official documents. (Passed the House 98-0) to Senate.

SF 304          Occupation License Revocations. Prohibits someone from losing their professional occupational license for delinquent student loan payments.  (Passed the House 96-0) to Governor.

SF 347          Education Telecommunications Council. Eliminates the education telecommunications council, at the request of the council.  (Signed; effective 7-1-19)

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. (Signed by Govenor)

SF 280          Rock Island Hunting and Fishing Licenses. Allows people stationed at Rock Island who live in Iowa to hunt and fish in Iowa. (passed House Veterans Affairs Committee 17-0) to House Calendar

Ways & Means Committee

HF 529         Public Defender Fee Costs.  Assessment of fees when the public defender requests copies of certain documents.  (passed Committee 24-0) to House Calendar

HF 656         Auditor of State.  Lifts the cap on the examination fee pool for small towns. (passed Committee 25-0) to House Calendar.

HF 666         Licensing Review. The bill sets up a rolling review of licensing by the state government efficiency review committee (passed Committee 14-11) to House Calendar

HF 733         Hemp Regulation. Regulates the cultivation of industrial Hemp (passed Committee 25-0) to House Calendar

HF 749         Snowmobile Registrations.  The bill eliminates the requirement that snowmobile owners obtain two $15 user permits and instead raises the annual registration fee to $30.  (passed Committee 24-0) to House Calendar

HF 750         Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.  The bill changes the name of the Weather Bureau to the Climatology Bureau.  The bill also makes fees for feed and fertilizers two year licenses expiring in either odd or even years.  It moves the demonstration grants, for people who purchase vehicles which operate on alternative fuels, from the DNR to IDALS.  Finally the bill expands water quality projects and repeals the watershed demonstration pilot projects. (passed Committee 24-0) to House Calendar

Administration and Regulation.

HSB 249      Administration and Regulation Budget. The House Republicans proposal for the Administration and Regulation budget spends a total of $52,420,985 in FY 20, $3.95 million more than FY 19.  There is also a supplemental appropriation in FY 19 to the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) of $456,979 for the payment of utility costs. The proposal also spends a total of $55.38 million in FY 20 of non-general fund spending, an increase of $75,000 from FY 19.  (Passed Budget Sub Committee 5-4) to Appropriations Committee.

House Education Budget Subcommittee

HSB 248      Education Budget.  Funds two new student loan programs under Future Ready Iowa.   The non-profit Schools portion of the Iowa Tuition Grant would increase $1.072 million for a total of $48.8 million.  For-profit schools (only Waldorf and the Barber Colleges) would see an increase of $10,000 for a total of $385,000.   The Rural Primary loan program is increased by $300,000.  Aid to Community Colleges would increase by $7 million to $209.691 million.  Early Childhood Iowa and IJAG are both increased by $1 million.  A new appropriation of $3 million for children’s mental health is provided to train teacher and educators to detect potential mental health issues in students and determine appropriate follow-up.  Iowa Learning On-line receives $500,000 which was funded by fees in the past.  IPTV would receive a  supplemental appropriation of $100,000 to keep their station active 24/7 and a $150,000 increase for FY 2020.  The Regents institutions would receive a one line item increase of $15.9 million which is $2.1 million below their requested amount.  The Board would determine the allocations to the institutions from that amount.  If there was a full appropriation amount provided to the institutions, the Regents indicated that they would likely raise tuition between 3% and 5% for ISU and U of I.  UNI would likely be less.  If it was not met, the increase would be more.  The Governor’s STEM council would receive $1 million increase.  For the specialty schools, the bill matches their requested amount with a $567,000 increase.  (passed Subcommittee 5-4) to House Appropriations Committee