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News from Every Child Counts
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5/10/13
The legislative session completed week one of overtime yesterday afternoon. All the issues that were top priorities at the beginning of session are still unresolved and being worked on in Conference Committees.
Here is an overview of where we are with the budget and some policy bills.
SF 296 - Medicaid Expansion - the House passed their version of medicaid expansion on 4/30 with a vote of 51 - 49. The Senate took up the House version and refused to concur with the House amendment. The result is a conference committee.
House conference committee appointed Rogers, Fry, Heaton, T. Olson, and M. Smith; Senate conference committee appointed, Jochum, Boettger, Hatch, Johnson, and Ragan.
The 1st Conference Committee meeting was held yesterday at 8:00 a.m. and ended quite abruptly at 8:30 a.m with the House Republicans claiming they needed to get back to the floor for business. But, the House convened at 8:36 a.m. and adjourned at 8:39 a.m so we are unsure what business was so important and actually was accomplished during that 3 minute time period.
Needless to say, there were no further Conference Committee meetings on SF 296 yesterday. The Senate Democrats did hold a press conference yesterday afternoon and offered a compromise. You can read the compromise proposal here. You can also see the health care costs comparison document here. The House Republicans stated more work was needed to close the divide.
SF 452 or otherwise known as the Standings bill is in Conference Committee, also. Members held their first meeting yesterday. Senate conference committee appointed, Dvorsky, Bertrand, Gronstal, Jochum, and Whitver; House conference committee appointed Soderberg, Paulsen, Upmeyer, Hall, and Lundby. The most recent NOBA is available here. This outlines the differences between the two chambers.
A few items we are watching involve ELL students, food banks, preschool, Shared Visions and mental health. Right now the House version provides status quo funding for At Risk Children (which includes Shared Visions). The Senate version has a 2 million dollar increase. See page 5 for the language differences around the Four Year Old Preschool Program.
The Senate bill Increases the number of years limited English proficient (LEP) students are eligible to generate supplementary weighting for excess costs associated with LEP instruction. Specifies that the extension applies to LEP students first identified on or after July 1, 2009. The House doesn't address this issue at all. The Senate version has an appropriation for 2 million for food banks. The House version does not. The House added mental health reform language. The Senate has their own bill that passed earlier in the session. SF 446 (Health and Human Services Approps bill) is in Conference Committee. House conference committee appointed Heaton, Costello, Fry, Wessel-Kroeschell, and Heddens; Senate conference committee appointed, Hatch, Bolkcom, Johnson, Ragan, and Segebart. They held their first meeting on Wednesday. It seems they can't move forward until they get medicaid expansion figured out. You can read the most recent NOBA here which lays out the differences between the two chambers on this bill. Unfortunately, the House chose to provide no increase to the market rate for child care provider reimbursement rates or extend the eligibility for Child Care Assistance from 6 months to 12 months. They also provided no increase to 1st Five. The Senate has provided significant increases to child care and 1st Five. An item that is in the House bill but not in the Senate bill is related to Early Childhood Iowa. The House transfers the $6,350,000 TANF dollars to the general fund and changes the funding formula from early childhood to school ready. There is significant discussion going on around this item because it has a huge impact on funding amounts for certain ECI area boards. Education reform has remained stagnant. There is really nothing new to report with this. There is probably something missing here, but there will be more updates to catch those things!
And finally, don't forget to communicate with your legislators and weigh in on important children and family issues!
We hope you have a nice weekend!
Sincerely,
Sheila Hansen & Danielle Oswald-Thole
P.S. - the bill list at the bottom is not updated - probably won't be until session is over - really over, like Sine Die over!! :-)
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Quality Early Learning and Development:
HF 215 - Education Reform Bill - UPDATE - currently in Conference Committee. Senate members are: Quirmbach, Bowman, Wilhelm, Ernst and Sinclair. House members are: Jorgensen, Dolecheck, Stanerson, Steckman and Wood. SF 338 - An Act requiring background checks for school employees. Made funnel - currently in House with amendment filed. HF 500 - early childhood Iowa initiative requirements for area boards. UPDATE - made funnel. Eligible for debate in Senate. Amendment filed. SF 222 - EHS expansion by state of Iowa. Referred to Appropriations. UPDATE - funding appears in the Ed approps budget - $800,000. SF 404 - an act relating to supplementary weighting for limited English proficient students and including effective date provisions. UPDATE -funding for this appears in the Standings bill. Child Health and Well-Being:
SF 393 - An act requiring pulse oximetry screening for newborns in a birthing hospital. UPDATE - language for this is in the Standings bill. SF 296 - Medicaid expansion - The bill requires DHS to amend the medical assistance state plan to implement the bill with respect to the provision of medical homes and the coverage of certain low-income adults. UPDATE -SF 337 - An Act providing for training on suicide prevention and trauma-informed care for school personnel. UPDATE - language of this bill appears in the Ed Approps Bill SF 440 - Mental Health Reform. Creates a children's cabinet and a center for excellence for children's health. UPDATE - Passed Senate - House Approps Committee discussing today. HF 590 - Act relating to child abuse reporting, assessment procedures, and placement on the central registry for child abuse. UPDATE - eligible for debate in Senate. HSB 232 - Act relating to establishing a healthy Iowa plan, and making appropriations. UPDATE - made funnel. Waiting for a date for public hearing.
Family Economic Success:
SF 422 (formerly SF 88) - This bill increases the amount of the state earned income tax credit. Currently, the credit is equal to 7 percent of the amount of a taxpayer's federal earned income tax credit. The bill increases the amount of the credit to 20 percent. UPDATE - waiting for House to take action. SF 375 - Act providing for the establishment of the Iowa health benefit marketplace. Par of the Affordable Care Act. SF 441 - Act relating to child care by making appropriations for state child care assistance and support for child care. Bill Signed by Governor:SF 419 - Vision Screenings for school children Signed 4/23
HF 351 - A child who has reached the age of 4 by Sept 15 and enrolled in the statewide preschool program considered of compulsory age. HF 160 - Appropriates $11.63 million in FY 13 from the federal children's health insurance fund to the DHS MH Redesign Transition Fund. Signed on 3/28.
*bills listed by ECC legislative priority area. Bill listed might be helpful or harmful to the priority area. |
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Get timely updates from the Child and Family Policy Center:
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How is state policy affecting the families around you?
Tell us about it! Sheila Hansen
Every Child Counts
Director
Danielle Oswald-Thole
Every Child Counts Outreach Coordinator and Policy Advocate
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"The enormity of problems like hunger and social injustice can certainly motivate us to act. We can be convinced logically of the need for intervention and change. But it is the story of one individual that ultimately makes the difference-by offering living proof."
John Capecci and Timothy Cage
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