May 03, 2019

2019 End of Session Summary

The 2019 Iowa Legislature adjourned on Saturday, April 27. From this date, Governor Reynolds has 30 days to sign or veto legislation. Here are highlights of budget legislation adopted this year that have an impact on UNI.

HF 758 Education Budget bill for FY 20

  • Appropriated a lump sum of $12 million to the Board of Regents for allocation to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and UNI. The funds are to specifically support new strategic initiatives, meet needs caused by enrollment increases, meet the demand for new courses and services, to fund new but unavoidable or mandated cost increases, and to support any other initiatives important to the core functions of the universities. UNI’s budget request was $4 million.
  • The Governor's STEM Advisory Council, which is housed at UNI, is funded at $6,446,375, an increase of $1 million from FY 19. 
  • UNI’s two other budget line-items are funded at the same level as FY 19: 
    • Recycling and Reuse Center funded at $175,256 
    • Real Estate Education Program funded at $125,302

SF 608 Economic Development Budget bill for FY 20

  • Status quo funding for UNI’s Business and Community Services (BCS) from the Skilled Worker and Job Creation Fund. This includes $1,066,419 for UNI’s economic development programs, where at least $617,638 of this amount is to be allocated to support entrepreneurs through the Center for Business Growth and Innovation and Advance Iowa. Expenditures for research must go toward projects that will provide economic stimulus for Iowa and emphasis must be provided to services to Iowa-based companies.
  • Fully funds UNI’s $400,000 request for the expansion of the UNI Metal Casting Center's additive manufacturing capabilities related to investment castings technology and industry support.
  • The Regents Innovation Fund is also provided status quo funding of $3 million to the three public universities where $900,000 is allocated to UNI.

HF 765 Infrastructure Budget bill

  • Provides a $1 million appropriation in FY 2021 for the Industrial Technology Center (ITC) planning money to start the renovation and expansion of the building. There is no out-year funding to complete the project. Both budget chairs have said UNI’s ITC building project is at the top of their list for next legislative session.
  • Requires a 20% UNI match from public and private funds for infrastructure projects starting July 1, 2020 (this language is struck in SF 638, the standings budget bill).

SF 638 Standings and Miscellaneous Budget Bill

  • Strikes language in the infrastructure budget bill that would have require UNI to provide a 20% match for construction projects (and 40% match requirement for UI and ISU) to receive state infrastructure dollars. Replaces it with language that the Board of Regents provide:
    • A report to the General Assembly on construction costs for previous year projects for all three universities; and
    • A proposal going forward pertaining to a match requirement.

Other policy bills of interest:

SF 188 – Allows nonprojectile stun guns on Regents universities and community colleges campuses. The universities are allowed to ban them from inside the buildings or physical structures of any stadium or hospital. Persons convicted of a felony can also be prohibited.

SF 274 – Free speech on campuses. The bill directs the Board of Regents to adopt a policy addressing speech and expression at the universities under its jurisdiction. At their April Board meeting, the Board adopted the new policy: The Board of Regents is committed to the principles of free expression embodied in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Iowa. The Board recognizes that the primary mission of the institutions of higher education under its jurisdiction is the promotion of teaching, research, and scholarship. In support of this mission, the institutions of higher education under the jurisdiction of the Board of Regents must provide ample opportunity for members of the campus community to engage in the free exchange of ideas.

SF 617 – Sports wagering/fantasy sports betting. Sports betting does not include bets on the performance or non-performance of any individual athlete participating in a single game or match where a collegiate team from the state of Iowa is a participant. This would not allow any bets to be placed on an in-state college player, or on the opposing team’s players for that specific game; no matter if the game is played in Iowa or in another state.

SF 507 – Relates to workers compensation from injuries from falls. It specifically says personal injuries due to idiopathic or unexplained falls from a level surface on to the same level surface do not arise out of and in the course of employment and are not compensable under their chapter.

HF 392 – Exempt certain types of professional services from competitive bidding. The Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board brought the bill forward. Iowa Code section 68B.3 currently prohibits government officials and employees from selling goods or services in excess of $2,000 to ANY state agency absent public notice and competitive bidding. The conundrum with 68B.3 is that state law currently exempts certain types of services from competitive bidding, regardless of the amount of the contract (e.g. expert witnesses, doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers) but 68B.3 does not exclude those types of contracts. The bill amends 68B.3 to state the statute does not apply to a contract for professional services that is exempt from competitive bidding. The Ethics Board does not see the harm in excluding from 68B.3 professional services that are already exempt from competitive bidding requirements. The conflicts-of-interests statutes in chapter 68B would still apply.

SF 159 – Requires the Iowa Department of Education (DE) to develop rules that set the passing score for the end of program assessment test with the teacher preparation program (the PRAXIS test at UNI). The bill also establishes a one-year nonrenewable initial teacher license for a teacher candidate who hasn't passed the end of program assessment. The state board shall adopt rules to provide that the director of DE shall waive the assessment requirements for not more than one year for a person who has completed the course requirements for an approved practitioner preparation program but attained an assessment score below the minimum passing scores set by the department for successful completion of the program.

SF 319 – Effective July 1, 2019, a peace officer or retired peace officer is allowed to conduct the driving portion of driver’s education; if they wanted to do the coursework, they still would have to be certified through a driver’s education program.

SF 228 – Bioscience-based economic development. A Bioscience Development Corporation is to be established for expanding bioscience-based economic development opportunities in the state of Iowa. The corporation is also to further the overall development and economic well-being of the state. It replaces the current Iowa Innovation Corporation. The bill then changes the make-up of the Iowa Innovation Council (there will still be 29 voting members; changes who will be on the council). The duties of the Iowa Innovation Council do not change; they will continue to do what they've done in the past as it relates to all targeted industries.

SF 341 – Relates to assistance animals and service animals in housing, service animals and service-animals-in-training in public accommodations, and misrepresentation of an animal as a service animal or a service-animal-in-training, and providing penalties.

SF 603 - Authorizes use of concurrent enrollment programs for teaching certain math and science subjects.