Other Bills to Watch
MH/DS Regions: The Iowa Senate has not scheduled debate on HF 471, which gives individuals with disabilities and providers more of a say on the boards of the mental health and disability services (MH/DS) regions. The bill also adds a new core service – community-based outpatient competency restoration. This creates an alternative to sending individuals to the state’s mental health institutes.
Iowa Caucus Changes: The House Ways & Means Committee surprised everyone with a bill (HF 716) last week. This requires anyone participating in a political party’s caucus to be registered with that party at least 70 days before the caucus. It also requires participation to be in person (so no remote or virtual participation option). At least one political party was working on an option to allow individuals with transportation challenges to participate remotely or virtually. This would not be allowed if HF 716 were to pass. The House has not yet voted on this. We do not yet know if the Senate is interested in this approach. The Iowa DD Council is registered against this bill because it limits the participation of Iowans with disabilities who very often face challenges with staff and transportation for an evening caucus.
Disruptive Student Removal: The fate of HF 604 is now in the hands of the Iowa Senate. This bill originally allowed teachers to remove “disruptive students” from a classroom. It required students removed three times in a semester to be expelled from school. The bill was amended and now creates a process for removing a student from a classroom that includes counseling and placement in an alternative learning environment (like a therapeutic classroom). For students who have a behavior intervention plan or individualized education plan (IEP), the school is required to call a meeting to discuss potential changes to the IEP or behavior plan to address the disruptive behaviors.
Seizure Ready Schools: Another bill is hung up in the Senate – HF 608, This requires a school to have a seizure action plan and trained staff to administer seizure medications and intervene when a student is having a seizure. This bill has come a long way and is one Senate vote away from being sent to the Governor. It’s not clear whether it can bridge this last hurdle this year. If you like this bill, you can send your Senators an email here.
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