Last week was the legislature’s first funnel, which is the deadline when bills are required to pass at least one full committee to remain eligible for discussion. If a bill fails to advance through a committee, it is considered “dead” for the session and is tabled. Oftentimes, a bill is not moved forward because it lacks support or needs improvement to be done over the interim.
Below are the bills that remain “alive” after the first funnel and are eligible for debate:
EMS: Bills being considered are: Providing a source of state funding for EMS through sports gambling monies; Removal of the 5-year limitation on the tax for EMS, so counties can make a long-term investment in an EMS program if they decide to make EMS an essential service; Increase the Volunteer Fire Fighter and Volunteer EMS Personnel, and Reserve Peace Officer Tax Credit from $100 to $200.
Medical Cannabidiol: The bill we passed through committee followed the recommendations of the Medical Cannabidiol Board. It allows PA’s, podiatrists, and nurse practitioners in addition to MD’s and OD’s to also certify a patient for a medical cannabidiol card. It removes the requirement for THC, the psychoactive ingredient that causes a “high”. Instead it allows no more than 4.5 grams of THC in a 90-day period. A doctor can give a waiver from this requirement in special circumstances.
Hemp: Prohibits smokable hemp, a plant related to marijuana, but legalizes CBD with little (.3%) or no THC sold in the form of a food, food additive, or a topical application.
Rural Health Care – Bills being considered are: Medical residencies receiving funding under the state grants program must give priority to applicants from Iowa who want to practice in rural Iowa and they must do rotations in rural areas in psychiatry, OBGYN, family medicine, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. The U of I medical and dental schools would be required to have 75% of their admitted students be from the state of Iowa. Pharmacy benefit managers would be prohibited from unfair business practices; this would especially benefit rural pharmacies. Barriers would be removed from PA’s practicing in Iowa and make Iowa a more attractive place for them: allowing them full rights to write prescriptions and the ability be reimbursed by Medicaid.
2nd Amendment Rights: County courthouses would be prohibited from establishing gun-free zones in the areas the county controls, unless they screen those entering for possession of firearms and provide armed security personnel. The Judicial Branch would continue to be responsible for the security of the parts of the courthouse they occupy. The prohibition on cities and counties concerning regulating firearms extends to firearm accessories as well. This was to address the issue that some cities recently attempted to regulate firearms accessories. Some communities had been imposing heavy burdens on current shooting ranges and preventing the opening of others without good cause. This bill additionally provides that shooting ranges can continue to open and operate free from unreasonable standards.
Protect Life Amendment: This is a constitutional amendment that restores the right of the people through their elected representatives, not unelected judges, to make law regarding protections for unborn life. This is to correct a judicial overreach in 2018 where the courts “found” a right to abortion in the Iowa Constitution, something obviously not there. This has passed the Senate and the House Judiciary Committee, and so is awaiting action on the House floor.
Driving Hands Free: Designed to address distracted driving caused by cell phones and other technology in the vehicle. This requires the use of hands-free or voice-activated technology while driving a vehicle. The penalty for failure to comply is a moving traffic violation and a $100 fine. Last year there were approximately 1,700 tickets issued for distracted driving.
Classroom Management and Discipline – Changes in the law to better help schools handle disruptive behavior in the classroom, with the goal of keeping teachers and students safe as well as get those troubled students the support they need and better foster an optimal environment where the behaving students can learn.
Felon Voting Rights: Moving in the Senate – Requires felons to make full payment of restitution to their victims before they can regain their voting rights. It does not require payment of fines and court fees. Those convicted on murder-related charges, certain sex-related charges, and on the sex offender registry would not qualify under this legislation. They would have to go through the current process used of making application to the governor’s office and being evaluated.
Abortion-Related: Requires abortionists to give women information about the abortion reversal drug; Provides for licensing of abortion facilities; Requires a death certificate for an unborn child in the case of an abortion or miscarriage at a facility and also requires the child’s bodily remains be treated humanely and given a burial or cremation but not treated as medical waste
Child Care “Cliff Effect”: Some employees cannot take raises or promotions at their workplace because they would lose their child care assistance benefits. This bill restructures those benefits to encourage employees to take advantage of those career opportunities and get off state assistance.
Nonmedical Switching – Prohibits health insurers from switching a covered person’s prescription drugs to a less costly alternative or increasing the cost of the drug on the covered person when the individual is stable on the drug and their health care provider continues to prescribe the same drug.
Microchip Bill: Prohibits employers from requiring employees to have a microchip or other device implanted into the employee’s body.
Training for County Veteran Service Officers – $300,000 proposed for national training for continuing education for county veteran service officers
National Guard bill: Removes some barriers for the National Guard in exercising non-judicial punishment, especially for offenses related to the use of technology; Also allows the National Guard to target scholarship monies to recruit and retain in high demand STEM military occupations.
Confidentiality of Veterans Benefits: Currently county recorders are allowed to provide the names and addresses of veterans who are receiving disabled veteran tax credits to whoever asks. This bill protects veterans who are currently receiving benefits and keeps that information confidential. This applies to both city and county assessors as well as the recorders and also to military property tax exemption information as well as the disabled veteran property tax credit information.
Child Fatality Protocol – Requires DHS develop protocol for assisting a family in which there is an unexplained and unexpected child death and where there is a question of child abuse.
