No News is Good News?

The Iowa Senate worked one day this week to vote on a few easy bills, including:

• SF 463 makes it easier for physical therapists, occupational therapists, audiologists, and speech language therapists to work across state lines without having to get additional licenses.  Individuals who get services from one of these professionals may have greater access to services because of this bill, particularly those living in border communities.

• HF 2246 allows psychology students to get a temporary license while they are in their internship, allowing their supervisors to bill for their services.  This means more practices may open up spots for interns, which increases access to mental health services.  

Both of these bills are on their way to the Governor. The House didn't work this week, and we do not yet know if there will be much work next week.  

At this time, we will not send out another update until there is news to report.  Make sure to follow us on Twitter or Facebook (@infonetiowa) for updates.  The next issue of This Week @ The Capitol will be sent out when we have a decision on budgets and ending session.  So stay tuned!

NEXT CAPITOL CHAT:

May 25 (Noon - 1 p.m.)

Note the date and time change for the May Capitol Chat.  Because of the Memorial Day weekend, we have moved it to Noon on a Wednesday. So grab your lunch and join us for what we hope is an end of session update! 

The Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) helps youth with disabilities develop leadership skills. The training consists of five 2-hour sessions. All sessions will be held virtually and are free to all participants.

YLA is provided by Access 2 Independence, ASK Resource Center, Iowa Department of Human Rights, Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, and UI Health Care Center for Disabilities and Development.

What will students learn? The five themes include leadership, goal-setting, self-determination, civic engagement, plus networking, and mentoring. All sessions will be interactive.

Who can attend? There are two statewide training sessions during the week - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. YLA is for students with disabilities age 14–21. Each session will consist of 8–12 students from Iowa communities. After the interview process, students will be selected for either the am or pm session. 

When are these sessions held?

Trainings: Monday, July 25–Friday, July 29

Morning Session: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Afternoon Session: 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

Graduation Ceremony: Friday, August 5

How can I learn more? You can read the flyer here. You can also attend one of the information sessions:

• Wednesday, May 25 (4-4:30 pm)
• Wednesday, May 25 (5:30-6 pm)
• Thursday, June 2 (11:30 am - Noon)

Advocate Resources

Bill Tracker

Action Center

Calendar & Legislative Town Halls

Guide to the Iowa Legislature

Advocacy Toolkit

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 is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $774,176 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS.  The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.