This Week at the Statehouse – Week 8 - End of First Funnel
First funnel week is done!
Here’s a list of bills we’re tracking that have come out of a committee and therefore still eligible to be considered this year (not an exhaustive list of all the bills we’re tracking):
HF 93 MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE RESTRICTIONS. Prohibits an employer from entering into an agreement with a licensed mental health professional that limits the location at which the licensee may practice, prohibits the licensee from contacting for professional services a person previously treated by the licensee, or imposes a time restriction on the practice of the licensee.
HF 132 SOCIAL STUDIES POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES. 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.
HF 135 UNIVERSITY GRADUATE INFORMATION. Requires the Board of Regents to publish on its website the average student debt and graduate wage information and prohibits 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.
HF 151 MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER LOANS. Strikes the current mental health professional loan repayment program and establishes a new mental health practitioner loan repayment program in college student aid and appropriates $1.5 million for the new program.
HF 182 REGENTS DEFINE CERTAIN COURSE TERMINOLOGY. Requires the three Regents universities to define certain course terminology in teacher preparation programs and establishes a legislative interim committee on teacher preparation programs.
HF 221 OUT-OF-STATE TEACHER LICENSING. Spells out the requirements for out-of-state teachers’ licensure.
HF 224 TEACHER BACKGROUND CHECKS; NO LICENSE RENEWAL FOR VETERAN TEACHERS. Repeals the license renewal requirement for teachers employed for at least 10 years and who possesses a master’s or doctoral degree. Also requires continuing background checks every five years for teachers who are not subject to these renewal requirements and allows the BOEE to charge a reasonable fee for these background checks. Adds charter schools and private schools to background checks.
HF 243 AUTISM SPECTRUM COVERAGE. Insurance coverage for covered individuals for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder.
HF 252 COMPREHENSIVE TRANSITION SCHOLARSHIPS – UI REACH. If moneys are appropriated, requires college student aid to develop a scholarship program for individuals over 18 who have intellectual, development or learning disabilities and who are enrolled in a comprehensive transition postsecondary program.
HF 255 ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS TO TEACHING LICENSES AND ONLINE ONLY COURSE TO LICENSURE. Puts in the Iowa Code the alternative pathway to licensure (RAPIL program) that is currently in Iowa Department of Education rules. The bill also allows an out of state company to provide an online only course for those with a bachelor degree to pass and then can get their temporary teaching license (no student teaching required).
HF 256 TEACHING LICENSURE AGE. Strikes the requirement that an applicant for a teaching license must be 21.
HF 323 PAYING STUDENT TEACHERS. School districts may pay a student teacher; it is left up to each school district.
HF 333 OPEN RECORD/MEETING COMPLAINTS. Gives a person 90 days, not the current 60 days, to file a complaint with the Iowa Public Information Board after an alleged violation of Code chapter 21 (open meetings) or Code chapter 22 (open records) occurred or the complainant could have become aware of the alleged violation.
HF 447 IOWA WORKFORCE GRANT PROGRAM FOR REGENTS’ STUDENTS. Establishes the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program within college student aid, subject to a state appropriation, for Regents students in high-wage and high-demand jobs and corresponding academic majors, as determined by Iowa Workforce Development and the Board of Regents.
HF 578 STATE PARENTAL LEAVE. A state employee entitled to leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 shall be provided paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child if the leave is taken within 12 months following any such birth or adoption.
HSB 218 BANNING DIVERSITY AT STATE UNIVERSITIES. Prohibits diversity or inclusion offices at the Regents universities.
SF 127/HF 494 PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS LICENSURE COMPACT. Establishes this compact that would provide access to counseling and would benefit our students. The bill also establishes a commission to administer the compact.
SF 128 CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION. 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.
SF 133/HF 183 PRESCRIBING PSYCHOLOGISTS. Provides requirements for a prescribing psychologist or a psychologist with a conditional prescription certificate.
SF 202/HF 350 PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS. Upon receipt of a public records request, the lawful custodian must promptly provide the lawful custodian’s contact information, approximate date of the records release, and an estimate of any reasonable fees associated with the records request.
SF 203/HF 143 RANSOMEWARE. Relates to ransomware and cybersecurity attacks. The bill goes to the Senate for consideration.
SF 253/HF 244 MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER LOAN REPAYMENTS. Requires college student aid to make loan repayments for mental health practitioners and establishes provisions for proportional payments for part-time practitioners.
SF 391/HF 327GOVERNOR EDUCATION BILL – TEACHER LIBRARIANS AND WORLD LANGUAGE. Among other things, removes the requirement that teacher librarians have a master’s degree and allows someone who is a public librarian to work in the school without additional training. Also, reduced the requirement that all K-12 districts are required to offer four years of a world language (e.g. Spanish 1, 2, 3, 4), to two sequential units (e.g. Spanish 1, 2 only).
SF 392 TEACHING PROGRAMS & INCENTIVES. Puts in the Iowa Code the alternative pathway to licensure (RAPIL) program that is currently in Iowa Department of Education rules. It also amends who is eligible for the Teach Iowa Scholar grants, and allows the use of school districts management levy for teacher recruitment incentives.
SF 402/HF 139 CYBERSECURITY CENTER at ISU. Appropriates $2.5 million to establish a cybersecurity simulation training center at Iowa State University to help governments and business deal with cybersecurity attacks.
SF 418/HF 181 PROHIBITS PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN CHINA. Prohibits public funds from investing in Chinese companies restricted by the federal government. House version prohibits the Board of Regents from investing public moneys in companies that are owned or controlled by Chinese military or government services.
SF 495 CYBERSECURITY DEFENSES. Adds blockchain technology to the Uniform Electronics Act.
SF 496 GOVERNORS EDUCATION BILL. Among other things, requires the use of the US citizenship test in HS civics courses and prohibits surveys on emotional learning or on physical health that are not required under law, unless the parent or guardian agree.
SSB 1123/HSB 126 STATE GOVERNMENT REORGANIZATION. Reorganizes all of state government and merges certain state departments. For UNI, this affects our Governor’s STEM Advisory Committee employees; the bill recommends they be moved under the Department of Education organization.
SSB 1168/HSB 173 GUNS IN VEHICLES. Allows weapons in vehicles in parking lots, including at the universities.
Upcoming Dates
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.