This Week at the Statehouse – Week 12

The Legislature’s second funnel week ended today. Three major bills that died included the House’s bill to prohibit tenure, the Senate’s Name Image and Likeness bill for student athletes, and the big tech company censorship bill. Next week the legislators will continue floor debate on policy bills and appropriations and ways and means committee debate.

Last week, I provided the Senate’s budget targets. We hope to see the House’s budget targets early next week. This year, the Education Budget bill is starting in the House and the Economic Development Budget bill is starting in the Senate.

Policy Bills that Remain Alive After the Second Funnel

Here is a list of some of the policy bills the Board of Regents is tracking that remain alive this session.

HF 744 Free Speech. An Act providing for training, prohibitions, and requirements relating to first amendment rights at school districts and public institutions of higher education. The Senate Education Committee amendment contains the student government language originally in SF 478, as follows:

• Each member of the student government organization will be required to have instruction and training on the First Amendment, including descriptions of what is or is not protected.
• A student government organization’s access to and authority over any moneys disbursed to the student government organization will be contingent upon the student government organization’s compliance with the First Amendment. If, after exhaustion of all administrative or judicial appeals, it is determined that a student government organization knowingly and intentionally violated the First Amendment rights of a member of the campus community or that an action or decision of a student government organization is in violation of the First Amendment, the institution will suspend the student government organization’s authority to manage and disburse student fees for a period of one year. During this period of suspension, student fees will be managed and disbursed by the university.

Passed House and on Senate Calendar eligible for debate with a Senate Education Committee amendment

HF 802 Divisive Concepts. An Act providing for requirements related to racism or sexism trainings at, and diversity and inclusion efforts by, governmental agencies and entities, school districts, and public post-secondary educational institutions. The chair of the Senate Education Committee said the majority party will be filing an amendment to the bill before if passes the Senate. We do not know what will be in the amendment but assume it will apply to removing some of the additional governmental entities the House added and delete some K-12 curriculum language. Passed House and on Senate Calendar eligible for debate

HF 259 Implanting Microchips. An Act concerning the implantation or insertion of microchips or other devices in employees by employers. Passed House and on Senate Calendar eligible for debate with a Senate Labor Committee amendment

HF 364 Athlete Agents. An Act relating to prohibited conduct by athlete agents and making penalties applicable. Passed House and on Senate Calendar eligible for debate

HF 388 Child Development. An Act relating to the duties of the child development coordinating council. Passed House and on Senate Calendar eligible for debate

HF 675 Substitute Teachers. An Act relating to rules adopted by the board of educational examiners establishing standards for substitute teacher authorizations. Passed House and on Senate Calendar eligible for debate

HF 722 Teach Iowa Loans. An Act relating to the transfer, deposit, and appropriation of moneys to the teach Iowa scholar fund from the teacher shortage forgivable loan repayment fund and the teacher shortage loan forgiveness repayment fund. Passed House and on Senate Calendar eligible for debate

HF 770 Teacher Professional Development Courses. An Act relating to licensure renewal requirements adopted by rule by the board of educational examiners. Passed House, in Senate Education Committee

SF 183 Prohibits Design Build. 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. Passed Senate and on House Calendar eligible for debate

SF 342 Brady List. An Act relating to officer disciplinary actions (including a legislative Brady List Interim Study Committee requirement). Passed Senate and on House Calendar eligible for debate

SF 476 Qualified Police Immunity. An Act relating to qualified immunity, the peace officer, public safety, and emergency personnel bill of rights, uniform commercial code filings, and protected information of law enforcement officers and state or federal judicial officers and prosecutors. Passed Senate and on House Calendar eligible for debate

SF 492 Unemployment benefits. An Act relating to unemployment insurance and including effective date and applicability provisions. On Senate Calendar eligible for debate (companion to HF 754 on House Calendar)

SF 541 Distributed Ledgers. An Act relating to electronic transactions by permitting the use of distributed ledger technology and smart contracts. On Senate Calendar to consider House amendment

SF 547 Iowa Scholar Program. An Act relating to applicant priority and grant award amounts under the teach Iowa scholar program (priority given to minority persons). Passed Senate and on House Calendar eligible for debate

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