Iowa Statehouse Roundup: What passed the second legislative deadline

Iowa lawmakers have handed the second legislative deadline. After one other “funnel week,” the Home and Senate now have a shorter checklist of payments to contemplate. A invoice to limit eminent area use for carbon seize pipelines and a invoice to restrict public lands enlargement died final week.

There are exceptions to the deadline, however listed below are a number of the main payments which are nonetheless eligible for debate and a few which are probably useless.

Alive

“Dad and mom’ rights” training invoice: Gov. Kim Reynolds’ invoice went by way of a spherical of modifications within the Senate and, this week, within the Home. Because it stands, the invoice would ban instruction about sexual orientation and gender id in grades Ok-6. It could ban books from Ok-12 colleges which have “graphic” descriptions of sexual exercise. It could require colleges to contact mother and father if a transgender pupil asks to make use of a unique identify or pronouns. Dad and mom must consent to high school well being surveys except they’re required by legislation. And the state board that oversees educators must have an equal variety of mother and father and academics.

Distracted driving: The invoice would ban all handheld cellular phone use whereas driving. Arms-free telephone use would nonetheless be allowed. It handed the Senate and received by way of a committee within the Home. Present legislation solely bans texting whereas driving.

Behind-the-counter contraception: This precedence of the governor’s would permit Iowans to get hormonal contraception from a pharmacist with out first seeing a health care provider for a prescription. After being amended by a Home committee, it might permit for an preliminary 3-month provide of contraception, and after that, a yr’s price of contraception may very well be allotted. The affected person must see a well being care supplier for a refill after that.

Public help eligibility modifications: A Home committee moved the Senate’s invoice ahead that may set up a brand new asset take a look at for low-income Iowans to get meals help, require Iowans on Medicaid to cooperate with little one help, and arrange a brand new state laptop system or contract for real-time checks of Iowans’ eligibility for public help applications. The invoice has a number of variations from what the Home initially proposed, and it’s not clear which items of each payments may get remaining approval.

Auditor invoice: The invoice that may set up new guidelines for the state auditor was handed by the Senate after which amended by a Home committee.

Property tax reduction: Taxation payments aren’t topic to the funnel deadline, so this problem can nonetheless transfer ahead. Home and Senate Republicans have very totally different proposals for reducing property taxes, and it’s not clear if or when they’ll attain an settlement.

Baby labor: This invoice nonetheless hasn’t made it by way of the total Senate or Home, however each chambers moved it to their “unfinished enterprise” checklist, conserving it alive by way of the funnel deadline. They’ve two totally different variations of the invoice that may chill out a few of Iowa’s little one labor legal guidelines to let teenagers work extra hours and in additional forms of jobs.

Lifeless

Eminent area for carbon pipelines: The invoice would ban using eminent area for carbon seize pipelines except 90% of the route was first acquired by way of voluntary land gross sales. The Iowa Home handed the invoice with bipartisan help and opposition, however Senate Republicans decline to deliver it up for an preliminary listening to.

Public lands: The Senate invoice would make upkeep of present public lands a better precedence than acquisition of recent land, which raised considerations that it might severely restrict the enlargement of public lands within the state. A Home committee didn’t advance the invoice forward of the funnel deadline.

Election invoice: The Home invoice would add one other voter ID requirement for voting absentee and alter the principles for election recounts. It didn’t get a ground vote within the Home and by no means made it to the Senate.

Loss of life penalty: The Senate invoice would reinstate the demise penalty for grownup defendants discovered responsible of kidnapping, sexually abusing and murdering a toddler. It didn’t get a vote on the Senate ground, and by no means made it to the Home.

Banning the LGBTQ panic protection: The Home invoice would make it unlawful to make use of the invention of a sufferer’s sexual orientation or gender id as half a “non permanent madness” protection when being prosecuted for a violent crime. A Senate committee didn’t advance it.

Authorities reorganization: The 1,500-page invoice proposed by Reynolds was handed by the Home and Senate and awaits her signature to change into legislation. The invoice would merge companies to chop the variety of cabinet-level companies by greater than half, eradicate vacant authorities positions, and provides the governor and lawyer normal extra energy.

Already signed into legislation

Schooling Financial savings Accounts: Reynolds signed her precedence invoice into legislation in January. Below the legislation, all Iowa households, no matter revenue, will quickly be eligible for taxpayer-funded accounts to pay for personal college tuition.

Ban on gender-affirming care: Reynolds signed a legislation that bans transgender minors from getting puberty blockers, hormone remedy and surgical procedure to transition to a unique gender. These already receiving remedy have about 6 months from the day the legislation was signed to finish remedy in Iowa.

Proscribing college toilet use: The brand new legislation instantly blocked transgender college students and adults from utilizing Ok-12 college loos and locker rooms that align with their gender id.

Rural emergency hospital designation: The brand new state licensure course of permits some hospitals to get the federally-created designation of “rural emergency hospital.” It permits struggling hospitals to remain open for outpatient and emergency companies whereas stopping inpatient companies.

Medical malpractice damages cap: One other precedence for the governor, the brand new legislation caps non-economic damages in medical malpractice verdicts at $2 million for circumstances towards hospitals and $1 million for circumstances towards impartial clinics or physicians.