Legislative Update

SF 6 - This bill lowers the compulsory school attendance age from age six to age five. The bill makes a number of conforming changes, including the elimination of language establishing the conditions under which a child may be admitted to kindergarten and first grade in a public school. Introduced, referred to Education. Subcommittee, Heckroth, McKinley, and Sodders met on 1/20.

HF 100 - Requires that a child who turned 5 after the September 15 deadline for starting kindergarten be enrolled if the child was enrolled in another state and the child's parent makes a request. Allows a child who turns 5 after the deadline to be enrolled if the child demonstrates sufficient ability on DOE evaluations. Referred to Education

HF 156 - An Act providing an appropriation for a pilot project to implement a child care center that operates twenty=four hours per day, seven days per week. Subcommittee - Heddens, Gayman and Heaton. UPDATE - Subcommittee meeting on 2/23/09 @ 10:30.

NEW

HF 383 - STATE CHILD CARE ADVISORY COUNCIL -Requires one of the seven members of the Council on Human Services to be a member of the Child Care Advisory Council. Makes changes to the membership on the council, including that a slot for an unregistered child care home provider be for a "family, friend, and neighbor child care" provider. Identifies four additional slots for the advisory council (business, from nominees by the Chamber of Commerce executives, community empowerment office, and Iowa after-school alliance, the statewide preschool program for four-year-old children). Allows the council to advise the DHS on additional matters, including the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant and other funding sources. Requires the DHS to give the council various financial information. Requires the council to make reports to the DHS and the Governor. Introduced by Representative Petersen, et al.

SF 179 - An Act providing for a pilot project supporting high=quality child care for low=income children. Introduced by Senator Bolkcom. Referred to Human Resources.

HF 357 - An Act relating to preschool support provided through school ready children grants under the community empowerment initiative. Introduced by Rep. Kaufmann. Referred to Education.

Child Well-being and Development

HF 234 (formerly HF 139) - A study bill for requiring health insurance coverage for costs relating to mental health conditions, including alcohol or substance abuse treatment services, and creating a mental health insurance advisory committee. UPDATE - Eligible for debate in the House. Companion Bill - SF 16 Subcommittee, Schmitz, Quirmbach, and Seymour

HF 56 - An Act relating to early childhood immunizations for influenza containing mercury and making penalties applicable. Referred to Human Resources. Subcommittee, Wendt, Koester, and Steckman.

HF 63 - An Act relating to the dental screening program for children 2 enrolling in elementary or high school. Referred to Human Resources. Subcommittee, Mascher, Alons, and Hunter.

SF 101 - Establishing a shaken baby syndrome prevention program in the department of public health. Referred to Human Resources. UPDATE - Passed House Human Resources Committee. Eligible for debate in the House. Passed Senate 49 - 0 earlier.

SF 48 - An Act relating to health care, health care providers, and health care coverage, providing for appropriations, providing penalties, and providing retroactive and other effective dates. Has many divisions - one of interest may be - IOWA CHOICE INSURANCE EXCHANGE. Division II of the bill contains new Code chapter 514M. The purpose of the chapter is to ensure that all children and all other Iowans in the state have affordable, quality health care coverage, and to decrease health care costs and health care
coverage costs. Referred to Human Resources. Subcommittee, Hatch, Bolkcom, and Seymour.

HF 187 (Van Engelenhoven) Prohibits foster care parent from providing child care if a foster child is present who has been found by the DHS to have abused another child. Referred to Human Resources. Subcommittee - Mascher, Petersen and Forristall

HSB 111 -A study bill relating to the public health system by providing for the voluntary accreditation of certain public health agencies, the adoption of Iowa public health standards, the establishment of an accreditation data collection system, creating a fund, and providing for a penalty and an effective date. 1-29-09. UPDATE - Passed House Human Resources Committee. Eligible for debate in House. Companion Bill SSB 1103

HF 202 - An Act relating to the assignment of health care coverage and dental care coverage benefits. Referred to Commerce. Subcommittee, T. Olson, Petersen, and Sorenson

HF 255 - An Act providing for mandatory universal newborn and infant eye
examinations. Introduced by Rep. Gayman. Subcommittee, Hunter, Mascher, and L. Miller. Subcommittee on 2/16 @ 4:00. UPDATE: Subcommitte met and did not vote bill out of committee.

Family Economic Success

HSB 64 - An Act relating to disaster assistance by providing a jumpstart
housing assistance program, disaster aid individual assistance grants, and community disaster grants, making appropriations, and providing effective and retroactive applicability dates. UPDATE - Signed by Governor Culver on 2/2.

HF 288 - An Act modifying provisions applicable to the regulation of
delayed deposit services businesses and providing a penalty. This is a bill to regulate the pay day lending businesses. Introduced by Rep. Smith. Referred to Commerce.

HF 36 - An Act relating to relocation of the child support recovery unit to the department of revenue. Subcommittee, Lensing, Isenhart, and Pettengill.

Other Bills of Interest

HF 14 - An Act repealing the Iowa English language reaffirmation Act. Referred to State Governnment. Subcommittee - Lensing, Isenhart and Rants

HF 10 - An Act relating to employees who are breast=feeding. Referred to Labor

HF 110 - Makes it a simple misdemeanor with a $100 fine to leave a child unattended or not properly supervised in a car. Does not include a person outside the car who can see the child. Requires the DOT to use 50% of the fines and fees collected for a program to publicize the hazards. Referred to Judiciary

SF 137 - An Act providing that wage discrimination is an unfair employment
practice under the Iowa civil rights Act and providing an enhanced remedy. UPDATE - Voted out of State Government. Passed Senate on 2/16 on a vote of 32 - 18. Moved on to House and referred to State Government.

HSB 167 - An Act making changes to the sex offender registry and to duties and requirements related to persons who commit sex offenses, making fees applicable, and providing penalties (companion bill SSB 1177)

NEW

SSB 1218 - A study bill for an act concerning the appointment of members to local boards, commissions, committees, and councils. Subcommittee: Quirmbach,Olive,Reynolds