This Week at the Statehouse – Week 3

New bills for consideration continue to be filed daily. This link will provide a complete list of bills the Board of Regents are tracking (in the box marked as lobbyist, type in Mary Braun).

Bills that had action this week:

HF 7, passed the House Education subcommittee by a vote of 2-1. The bill requires the three Regents universities to define certain course terminology in teacher preparation programs. The bill goes to the full House Education Committee for consideration. (There is no Senate companion bill)
HF 132, passed the House Education Committee by a vote of  14-9 (formerly HF 12).The bill requires social studies instruction in high schools on certain political ideologies (such as communism and totalitarianism) that conflict with freedom and democracy essential to the founding of the U.S. The bill goes to the full House for consideration. (There is no Senate companion bill)
HF 135, passed the House Education Committee by a vote of 15-8 (formerly HF 11). The bill requires the Board of Regents to publish on its website the average student debt and graduate wage information and prohibits from freshman students from registering for their sophomore classes until they’ve gone to career services and received the wage information per major and have provided a written notice indicating they have been provided the information. The bill goes to the full House for consideration; the floor manager said there will be an amendment to delete the provision about prohibiting students from registering for their sophomore year classes. (There is no Senate companion bill)
HF 139, unanimously passed the House Economic Growth and Technology Committee (formerly HSB 14). The bill establishes a cybersecurity simulation training center at Iowa State University to help governments and business deal with cybersecurity attacks. The bill goes to the full House for consideration. (There is no Senate companion bill)
HF 143, unanimously passed the House Economic Growth and Technology Committee (formerly HSB 13). The bill relates to ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. The bill goes to the full House for consideration. (Senate companion bill is SSB 1072)
HF 48, was NOT recommended for passage by the subcommittee and will not be considered this legislative session. The bill would have prohibited tenure at the Regents universities. 
HSB 9, unanimously amended and passed the House Health and Human Services Committee. The bill strikes the current mental health professional loan repayment program and establishes a new mental health practitioner loan repayment program in College Student Aid. The bill appropriates $1.5 million for the new program. The bill goes to the full House Appropriations Committee for consideration. (There is no Senate companion bill)
HSB 41, passed the House Education subcommittee by a vote of 2-1. The bill prohibits the Board of Regents from investing public moneys in companies that are owned or controlled by Chinese military or government services. The bill goes to the full House Education Committee for consideration. (There is no Senate companion bill)
SF 108, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 12-6. Among other things, the bill requires the use of the e-verify system for all hires. The bill goes to the full Senate for consideration. (There is no House companion bill)
SF 127, unanimously passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee (formerly SSB 1012). The bill establishes a professional counselor’s licensure compact. The bill goes to the full Senate for consideration. (House companion bill is HF 90)
SF 128, unanimously passed the Senate Workforce Committee (formerly SF 36). The bill provides that a contractor, for purposes of Iowa Code chapter 91C relating to registration of construction contractors, includes a labor broker or recruiter who brings one or more workers to a construction job site in Iowa. The bill goes to the full Senate for consideration. (There is no House companion bill)
SF 133, unanimously amended and passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee (formerly SSB 1008). The bill relates  to the requirements for a prescribing psychologist or a psychologist with a conditional prescription certificate. The bill goes to the full Senate for consideration. (House companion bill is HF 23)

Upcoming Dates

January 30 – Randy Pilkington, Executive Director of UNI BCS, and Dan Beenken, Director of UNI Family Business Center, will present UNI’s economic development budget request to the House Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee

February 13 – President Mark Nook, along with the presidents of Iowa State and Iowa, will present UNI’s budget request to the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee

February 14 – UNI Day at the Capitol

February 14 – Randy Pilkington, Executive Director of UNI BCS, and Dan Beenken, Director of UNI Family Business Center, will present UNI’s economic development budget request to the Senate Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee

March 3 – First Funnel – Bills not reported out of their originating committee by this date are no longer eligible for consideration (does not apply to budget, tax or oversight bills)

March 31 – Second Funnel – House bills not passed out of Senate committees and Senate bills not passed out of House committees are no longer eligible for consideration (does not apply to budget, tax or oversight bills)

April 28 – 110th Calendar Day (lawmaker per diem expenses end)

If you have any questions, please email me at mary.braun@uni.edu.