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Can you believe it is week ten of the 2022 Iowa Legislative Session? There are only a few more weeks to go before they finish for the year. Legislators are exhausted after a big week at the Iowa Capitol - Friday was the second legislative "funnel" deadline and the day that people who want to run for the Legislature had to announce they were running (and had to file their paperwork with the Secretary of State).
We have just a few more weeks to go before session ends. With the passing of the second funnel, most committees have finished their work. With the end of committee work comes the beginning of budget work, and it's already moving fast in the House. The Legislature passes ten budget bills each year; so far the House has six ready for debate and another one that was just introduced. We are waiting on the Health & Human Services Budget (which includes Medicaid), Infrastructure (which spends gambling funds on building projects), and Standings (the last bill that passes the Legislature and is sometimes called the "Christmas Tree" because there are a lot of last minute things that get added to it).
The weeks ahead will be filled with debate, with a few budget or tax committee meetings (since those are funnel-proof). You can watch what's going on in the House and Senate daily:
What Does This Mean to You?
- Bills that do not make it through the funnel are dead - they will not become law.
- Things are going to go fast now, so do not wait if you have something to say!
- It's time now to talk to your legislators about budgets - waiting lists, Medicaid, workforce - whatever your issue.
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You can contact your state legislators about any bill, or any budget issue, here.
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Second Funnel Survivors
The bills that made it through this last deadline have a chance to become a law this year. It is important to let your legislators know how you feel about them. If you see something you like, ask them to support it. If you see something that you do not like, ask them to vote against it. If you see something that would be better if changed, let them know that too! It's your time to advocate on the bills that have a good chance at becoming law.
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HF 604: Language Development for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing Children: Requires the development of a resource for parents/guardians of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to help identify milestones in development and supports needed. Establishes a workgroup to develop this resource. Passed House 96-0; On Senate Floor
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HF 866: Service Animals/Landlord-Renter Bill: Requires a renter's request for an accommodation of a service animal must be reasonable and states when it is okay for a landlord to refuse the accommodation (this applies to providers who provide housing to a person with a disability). Passed House 58-35; On Senate Floor (but has not moved since 2021).
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HF 2167: Autism Definition: Defines autism spectrum disorder as a mental health disorder, consistent with mental health diagnostic manuals (as such, mental health parity laws apply, so insurance coverage cannot discriminate). Passed House 95-0; On Senate Floor
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HF 2221: Hearsay Evidence: Current law does not allow "hearsay evidence," literally something someone hears, then says to someone else. It's not under oath, and its not inside the court. Hearsay is not allowed in Iowa courts as evidence of a crime. This bill allows these "hearsay" statements in sex crime cases when the victim is a child or a person who has a developmental disability or cognitive impairment. Passed House 97-0; Passed & Amended by Senate 47-0; On House Floor (must approve Senate amendment)
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HF 2252 & SF 2171: DHS Department Bill: Currently a parent can only receive state child care assistance if they have a disability that is temporary. This bill allows a parent to receive child care assistance if they have a disability that is permanent. The bill also allows a child to remain in foster care until age 21 and allows continued payment (currently 18). Finally, the bill allows DHS to share information about starting a dependent adult abuse investigation with banks and other financial institutions if the person's finances are at risk. You can read the DHS memo on this bill here. On Both House & Senate Floors (companion bills)
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HF 2259: Vehicle Registration/Parking Permits: Allows physical therapists to provide the required statement in order for a person with a disability to get accessible parking plates and permits. Passed House 95-0; On Senate Floor
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HF 2297: Medicaid MCO Regulation: Under this bill, future Iowa insurance mandates do not apply to Iowa Medicaid and its managed care organizations (including hawk-I). Laws can be written to include them though. (right now, laws apply unless the law says Medicaid is not included; this just requires the laws to say they are included). Passed House 97-0; Senate Floor
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HF 2438: Public Assistance Program Integrity: Requires that before DHS provides public assistance benefits (Medicaid, children's health insurance program/hawk-I, family investment program/FIP, food assistance/SNAP), a person must verify their identity on a computer, using personal or financial questions (like mother's maiden name, where you bank, etc). The questionnaire is to contain questions tailored to assist persons without a bank account or those who have poor access to financial and banking services or who do not have an established credit history. There are other options available for those without access to a computer (going into DHS office, completing over the phone, having someone else do it for you). You can read more about this here. House Appropriations Committee
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HF 2495: Transition and Postsecondary Scholarships: Creates scholarships for students with intellectual, developmental or learning disabilities who are at least 18 years old and enrolled in a comprehensive transition and postsecondary program at an Iowa college or university, such as REACH at the University of Iowa and NEXT at Northwestern College. Passed House 99-0; On Senate Floor
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HF 2546: Tiered Psychiatric Reimbursements: Requires DHS to implement a tiered rate for Medicaid psychiatric intensive inpatient care, so higher rates are paid for more complex needs. Passed House 96-0; On Senate Floor
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HF 2549: Mental Health Provider Loan Repayment: Establishes a mental health practitioner loan repayment program for psychiatrists, psychiatric ARNPs, prescribing psychologists, psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, and marital/family therapists who practice in federally-designated mental health shortage areas for at least five years (full-time) or seven years (part-time). In order to be eligible, communities must contribute $4,000-$20,000 per professional, which is 10% of the award. Passed House 94-2; On Senate Floor
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SF 513: MH/SA Police Report Confidentiality: Makes law enforcement crisis reports about a person experiencing a mental health crisis, substance-related disorder crisis, or housing crisis confidential (but allows them to be shared with health professionals caring for the person). Passed 48-0; On House Floor
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SF 2197: Special Education Task Force: Directs the Department of Education to establish a special education support task force to ensure students in nonpublic schools get their federally-required special education services, supports, and resources. Passed Senate 46-0; On House Floor
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SF 2216: Intensive Psychiatric Units: Adds 12 adult intensive psychiatric beds at Cherokee Mental Health Institute (MHI) and 12 child intensive psychiatric beds at Independence MHI. Passed Senate 47-0; House Appropriations Committee
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SF 2314: MHDS Cash Reserves: Increases the amount of unspent money a mental health and disability services (MH/DS) region may have left over at the end of the year before state payments are reduced or withheld. Senate Ways & Means Committee
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SF 2343 & HF 2526: Election Changes: Makes various changes to elections, including requiring a voter verification number and signature on an absentee ballot envelope (they won't be counted if these are not included). On Both House & Senate Floors
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SF 2361 & HF 2527: Governor's Workforce Bill: Makes lots of changes to building codes and other programs, but not much of interest to Iowans with disabilities. The bill does allow physicians working part-time in a rural area to have loan repayment through the Rural Primary Care Loan Repayment Program, gives College Student Aid Commission more flexibility to establish more program agreements if they have additional funds, no longer requires a medical student's residency be done in Iowa in order to receive the loan repayment, and add neurology to the list of specialties. Also makes ARNPs and nurses eligible for loan repayment under the Health Care Professional Recruitment Program. Senate and House Ways & Means Committees
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SF 2369: Governor's Education Bill: Makes lots of changes to educational programs. Requires school to post online all class material and books available in the school library (state aid reduced for violations); requires school boards to adopt process for considering or removing materials from class or library; creates a private school scholarships using public school funds for students whose families earn less than 400% of the federal poverty level or for children with an IEP. Allows children identified as requiring special education to be able to choose "competent private instruction" in lieu of AEA services without prior approval of the AEA. On Senate Floor
All bills still alive are listed as "active" in the Bill Tracker here.
If the bill is on the "Senate Floor" or in a Senate Committee - contact your Senator.
If the bill is on the "House Floor" or in a House Committee - contact your Representative.
You can also see the bills that didn't make the deadline here.
What Does This Mean to You?
- The list of bills being considered is much smaller now.
- Bills can get lost in the end-of-session chaos; advocate stories can keep them alive.
- Legislators listen!
- We cannot tell you how many times legislators have repeated advocate stories!
- Stories say more than any facts, figures - they make a bill real to legislators.
- It's time to act on budgets or bills - tell your story!
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Capitol Snapshot
Bill and Amy talk about some advocacy successes, a few bills still alive, and opportunities you have now to talk about budget issues like waiting lists, direct support staff, and more.
Click here to watch.
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REMINDER!
March 23 Capitol Chat
(11 a.m. to Noon)
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Why do we think session
will end early?
Legislators now know who is running against them, and if they will have a primary (someone from same party running against them). They are all running in new districts, and some will run in the June 7 primary, so legislators are anxious to get home and campaign.
It's also a good time to check if you're registered to vote at your current address - click here.
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Who's Retiring?
People wanting to run for Congress, any statewide office (Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Secretary of State, Secretary of Agriculture), or Legislature had to file their papers by the end of the day Friday, March 18.
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You can see a list of who filed for each office and their contact information here.
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You can see a list of who's retiring or running for a different in the Iowa Legislature here.
Remember, people are running in new districts this year. Following the every-ten-year US Census, district lines are redrawn so that each district continues to be about the same in population.
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You can see our new state district maps here.
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You can find where you are on these new maps here.
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infoNET is a disability policy newsletter of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council and its network of Iowans with Disabilities in Action.
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This project was supported, in part by grant number 2101IASCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy. | | | | |
