This Week at the Statehouse – Week 6

It’s the first funnel day at the Iowa Legislature. The funnel day means Senate policy bills need to come out of a Senate committee and House policy bills need to come out of a House committee for it to remain eligible for debate this legislative session. This date does not apply to tax, spending and government oversight bills.

There was a flurry of activity this week as subcommittees and committees worked into the late hours to get bills out of committee to meet this deadline. Once the dust settles over the coming weekend, I’ll have a better idea of what policy bills that apply to UNI are eligible for debate. However, please remember that nothing is ever completely dead. Bills can be attached as amendments to other bills.

This coming week will encompass a lot of floor debate. Bills that have passed one chamber need to pass out of a committee in the other chamber by March 18 for that policy bill to remain eligible this session. This is called the second funnel day. Again, this date also does not apply to tax, spending and government oversight bills.

Bills of interest to UNI that have passed today’s funnel day include the following bills:

HF 2081 PRAXIS TEST. A bill for an act relating to teachers, including the assessments administered to practitioner preparation program admission candidates and to practitioner preparation program students prior to students’ completion of a practitioner preparation program, and certain specified licenses for teachers created by the board of educational examiners, and including notice and applicability provisions (eligible for House Floor debate)

HF 2298 NO COVID IMMUNIZATIONS. A bill for an act relating to immunization against COVID-19 requirements for enrollment in any licensed child care center, elementary or secondary school, or postsecondary school in Iowa (eligible for House Floor debate)

HF 2398 TEACHING LICENSE RENEWALS. A bill for an act relating to renewal requirements for licenses issued by the board of educational examiners to practitioners with master’s or doctoral degrees (eligible for House Floor debate)

HF 2421 TEACHER REQUIREMENTS. A bill for an act relating to education, including requirements related to teacher intern license programs (alternative pathway to licensure) and licenses and authorizations issued by the board of educational examiners (eligible for House Floor debate)

HF 2443 SMART CONTRACTS. A bill for an act relating to contract enforceability regarding smart contracts and distributed ledger technology (eligible for House Floor debate)

SF 183 PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTS. A bill for an act relating to a construction manager-at-risk commercial construction alternative delivery method and prohibiting certain other alternative delivery methods in the public sector (prohibits Regents to use design build) and including effective date and applicability provisions (Passed Senate; eligible for House Floor debate)

SF 2202 TEACHER ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY TO LICENSURE. A bill for an act relating to education, including eligibility for grants under the teach Iowa scholar program, licenses issued by the board of educational examiners, and the use of revenues from the district management levy, and including applicability provisions (eligible for Senate Floor debate)

SF 2250 GUNS AT WORK. A bill for an act relating to the carrying, transportation, or possession of firearms on real property comprising a person’s place of employment (eligible for Senate Floor debate)

SF 2342 TRANSGENDER ATHLETES. A bill for an act relating to student eligibility requirements in school district, accredited nonpublic school, charter school, community college, and regent institution athletics based on sex (eligible for Senate Floor debate)

Upcoming Dates

March 7 – UNI Day at the Capitol

March 18 – 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 19 – 100th Calendar Day (lawmaker per diem expenses end)

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