By Bob Eschliman
Editor
Using procedural processes to ensure they survived the final legislative funnel for this session, the Democrat-led Iowa Senate and Republican-led Iowa House of Representatives protected 52 bills this week.
Thursday, the Senate quickly moved 16 bills to the unfinished business calendar. They were:
- Senate File 229 (and attached House File 381) – an act to create the Iowa Health Information Network to be administered by a designated nonprofit entity.
- Senate File 236 – an act to expand the definition of a public utility for purposes of provisions governing public utility crossings of railroad rights-of-way.
- Senate File 337 (and attached House File 203) – an act to provide for the licensing of polysomnographic technologists.
- Senate File 383 (and attached House File 585) – an act to establish an address confidentiality program in the Office of Secretary of State for victims of domestic abuse, domestic abuse assault, sexual abuse, and stalking.
- Senate File 406 (and attached House File 548) – an act to require that disconnection devices be installed for distributed electric generation facilities.
- Senate File 422 (and attached House File 563) – an act to require the transfer of motor vehicles to vehicle recyclers be in compliance with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System.
- Senate File 443 (and attached House File 550) – an act to require publication of elective public officers’ contact information on the Internet.
- Senate File 472 – an act to modify the supplementary weighting for limited English proficient students.
- Senate File 476 – an act to provide for additional weighting for eligible students identified as limited English proficient who are enrolled in the statewide preschool program for 4-year-old children.
- Senate File 482 – an act to provide for the reorganization and modification of Iowa Code 99B, which governs games of skill or chance and raffles.
- Senate File 483 – an act to create an electric or natural gas vehicle facility tax credit for persons who purchase and install an electric vehicle facility or a natural gas vehicle facility.
- Senate File 484 – an act to create the Medical Cannabis Act.
- Senate File 485 – an act to allow school districts to exceed the voter-approved Physical Plant and Equipment Levy rate limit following the refunding or refinancing of certain loan agreements.
- Senate File 486 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the approval and imposition of the Facilities Property Tax Levy and the Equipment Replacement and Program Sharing Property Tax Levy for a merged area.
- Senate File 487 – an act to regulate the sale of portable electronics insurance.
- Senate File 488 – an act to allow the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission to establish and assess air quality fees, and to direct the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to collect those funds.
The Senate then moved 18 other bills from its debate calendar back to their respective committees:
- Senate File 180 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the refusal to submit to a chemical test of blood in operating-while-intoxicated cases.
- Senate File 221 – an act to provide access and communication through the Iowa Communications Network between local law enforcement agencies, E911 public safety answering points, and related facilities.
- Senate File 291 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to size, weight, and load limit applicability to authorized emergency vehicles.
- Senate File 293 – an act to establish a mental health professional loan forgiveness program and fund.
- Senate File 313 – an act to require requiring employers to provide accommodations to employees based on pregnancy or childbirth.
- Senate File 314 – an act to require that one member of the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board be a Republican, one be a Democrat, and one have no party affiliation.
- Senate File 322 – an act to require that a primary runoff election be held in the event of an inconclusive primary election for certain offices.
- Senate File 328 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to absentee ballot deadlines.
- Senate File 372 – an act to provide for the licensure of durable medical equipment providers.
- Senate File 399 – an act to require the Iowa Building Code Commissioner, with approval of the Iowa Building Code Advisory Council, adopt requirements and standards for radon control in new residential construction.
- Senate File 405 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the issuance of temporary restricted driver’s licenses for employment purposes.
- Senate File 408 – an act to develop Iowa Innovation Learning Spaces to be administered by the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Collaborative Initiative at the University of Northern Iowa.
- Senate File 429 – an act to repeal provisions of Iowa Code related to annual assessments of academic progress, aligned to the Iowa Core Curriculum, for grades 4, 8, and 11.
- Senate File 432 – an act to amend the duties of the Iowa College Student Aid Commission.
- Senate File 444 – an act to require a study concerning modernization, reform, and regionalization of financing, education and training of providers, reporting requirements, tax credits for personnel, governance reform, and governing boards and commissions.
- Senate File 446 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to public sector preferences for veterans in appointment and employment.
- Senate File 458 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the authority of cities to regulate and restrict the occupancy of residential property.
- Senate File 465 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the designation of a caregiver relating to inpatient stay at a hospital.
During a special Friday morning session, the House moved 18 bills to its unfinished business calendar. They were:
- House File 193 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to programs and services under the purview of the department of public health including the board of hearing aid dispensers and the medical residency training matching grants program.
- House File 281 – an act to permit fantasy sports contests in Iowa.
- House File 437 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to alcoholic beverage control and matters under the purview of the Alcoholic Beverages Division of the Iowa Department of Commerce.
- House File 505 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to public access to data processing software under Iowa’s open records law.
- House File 524 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the certification and regulation of shorthand reporters.
- House File 528 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the responsibilities for expenses for the safekeeping and maintenance of prisoners by counties and cities.
- House File 532 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to privileged communications between a physician or health facility and a patient following an adverse health care incident.
- House File 564 – an act to amend Iowa code as it relates to the transfer of jurisdiction from the 1 juvenile court to the district court related to a Child In Need of Assistance (ChINA) case.
- House File 589 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the confidentiality of junvenile court records.
- House File 606 – an act to establish a motor vehicle insurance verification program.
- House File 607 – an act to expand the definition of a public utility for purposes of provisions governing public utility crossings of railroad rights-of-way.
- House File 614 – an act to allow the possession, sale, transfer, purchase, and use of consumer fireworks.
- House File 615 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the establishment, operation, and dissolution of rural improvement zones.
- House File 616 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to property tax credits and assessment by modifying filing deadline provisions, requirements relating to property assessment notices and equalization order notices, and provisions relating to property assessment protests and assessor informal reviews.
- House File 617 – an act to provide for special vehicle license plates displaying decals designed and issued by nonprofit organizations.
- House File 621 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the administration of the streamlined sales and use tax agreement by the Iowa Department of Revenue.
- House File 622 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to vehicle registration fees assessed to the price charged under vehicle rental agreements.
- House File 623 – an act to amend Iowa Code as it relates to the apportionment of gross receipts of a broadcaster for purposes of Iowa income tax.
Under Joint Rule 20, the House and Senate may only consider bills that originated in the other chamber next week. Beginning next week, they may only consider bills passed by both houses, bills that are exempt from the funnel rules, and unfinished business.
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