Iowa
New crop of Iowa laws takes effect July 1
Starting today, Iowa teens ages 14 to 17 can work more jobs at longer hours, low-income families will face new requirements for receiving public benefits such as food assistance, and more Iowa parents will qualify for child care assistance, but will have to work more hours to remain eligible.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds singed nearly 170 bills into law this year passed by the Iowa Legislature.
Iowa Republicans used expanded majorities in the Iowa Legislature to reshape education and state government, place new restrictions on transgender youth, increase penalties for fentanyl distribution, limit the powers of the state’s taxpayer watchdog — and more.
Here is a look at some of the major laws taking effect today, and what they mean for Iowans.
Banning school books with sex acts
Iowa students may notice several changes when they return to school this fall.
Lawmakers this year passed a slate of education bills into law, including a bill limiting LGBTQ instruction topics through sixth grade and barring books with sexual content from school libraries.
Senate File 496 was a top priority of Reynolds and Republican lawmakers this session. They said the measure will give parents more input into their children’s education.
The new law requires schools to remove library materials depicting or describing a specific set of sex acts or sexual activities defined by Iowa law. Religious texts are exempted.
While the law takes effect July 1, the book restrictions aren’t enforceable until January. After that, teachers or school superintendents will face discipline from the Board of Educational Examiners.
The new law also requires schools to notify parents if a student requests changing their name or pronouns.
LGBTQ advocates have said that could lead to schools forcibly “outing” students even if they might be put in danger at home. Supporters contend it codifies parents’ rights.
Teens can work new jobs, longer hours
Iowa teens as young as 16 can now serve alcohol with parental permission. Fourteen- and 15-year-olds can work more hours later into the night. And 16- and 17-year-olds can work in more jobs, such as manufacturing and construction, as long as they are part of a state-approved educational or apprenticeship program with proper supervision and safety precautions. A parent must also grant permission for the work.
Senate File 542 allows 16- and 17-year-olds, with parental permission, to serve alcohol in restaurants — but not in bars or strip clubs. Teens under 16 can work up to six hours on a school day, two more than previously allowed, and can work until 9 p.m. during the school year and until 11 p.m. during the summer. Workers age 16 and older can work the same number of hours as adults.
Supporters have said the bill provides more opportunities for young Iowans who want to work and could help address the state’s shortage of workers.
Democrats, labor unions and others criticized the bill for potential conflicts with federal youth labor regulations.
More families eligible for child care assistance
More Iowa families will qualify for child care assistance payments from the state, but will have to work four more hours per week to stay in the program.
House File 707 increases the income limit for child care assistance to 160 percent of the federal poverty level. That equates to a household income of $48,000 for a family of four.
The state’s nonpartisan fiscal analysis agency estimates the increase will apply to more than 2,600 children.
The new law also increases how much the state reimburses child care providers. The current average cost per child is $413 per month. The law increases that to $464.
A child’s parent or guardian also will have to work or attend school or vocational training for an average of 32 hours a week, four hours more than the previous law required.
Families of kids with special needs will have a higher income threshold, and be required to work an average of 28 hours per week.
New requirements for food, other assistance
New requirements for Iowans receiving public assistance benefits, including an asset test and regular checks to determine their eligibility for programs, take effect July 1. However, implementing Senate File 494 will take some time, according to a state official.
Alex Carfrae, a spokesperson for Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, said the changes require federal approval and internally, the department has “begun IT system and process updates to ensure we meet legislative implementation deadlines.”
As a result, Iowans who rely on public assistance won’t see any immediate changes to their eligibility.
The new requirements apply to the SNAP food assistance program, the low-income health care program Medicaid, the children’s health care program known as CHIP and the Family Investment Program, or FIP, which provides cash assistance to needy families.
An analysis by the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency projected thousands of Iowans eligible for assistance will have their benefits canceled due to discrepancies in enrollment. Critics say the measure raise unnecessary barriers for low-income Iowans to receive food and health care assistance.
Supporters have said the changes will prevent fraud and abuse and ensure only those Iowans who are truly in need of government assistance are the ones benefiting.
State agencies, workers get shuffled
Gov. Reynolds’ massive government reorganization bill officially takes effect July 1.
Senate File 514 reduces the number of cabinet-level state agencies from 37 to 16, and eliminates hundreds of vacant state government positions.
Reynolds and supporters have said the proposal will make state government more efficient in its operations and services to Iowans.
Critics have asserted that it places too much authority with the governor.
More state agency leaders now will be appointed by the governor and subject to Iowa Senate confirmation, rather than being elected by colleagues on state boards or commissions.
The reorganization will result in a reduction of 202 full-time equivalent positions, and will reduce state spending by $6.5 million, according to an LSA analysis.
Limiting state taxpayer watchdog
Iowa’s taxpayer watchdog will face new restrictions on his office’s ability to access certain records when auditing government programs for waste, fraud and abuse.
The law also blocks the state auditor’s office from taking state agencies to court to force them to turn over documents.
Rather, disputes will be directed to a three-member arbitration panel, with one person appointed by the auditor, one by the agency being audited and one by the governor. The panel’s ruling will be final.
The lone Democrat elected to statewide office, Sand has said the bill — Senate File 478 — “is about politics and protecting insiders.”
Republicans have denied claims the bill is a personal attack meant specifically to target Sand, and say the bill protects Iowans’ personal information and puts into state law general accounting standards.
Increased penalties for distributing fentanyl
Individuals will face stiffer penalties for manufacturing, delivering or possessing fentanyl in an effort to combat rising rates of drug-related overdoses.
Fentanyl, a potent opioid, is often mixed into illicit pills, pressed to look like other prescription medications, and other drugs as a cost-cutting measure.
House File 595 also increases penalties for providing a drug that results in bodily injury or death, and it increases the penalty for manufacturing the drug in the presence of a minor or selling to a minor.
In addition, the law expands who can dispense naloxone, a medication that reverses the effects of an overdose.
Damages in trucking crash lawsuits capped
Iowans killed or severely injured after being struck by a commercial vehicle like a semi-trailer truck will limited to receiving $5 million per plaintiff for pain and suffering.
Senate File 228 caps non-economic damages in lawsuits involving commercial vehicles and provides limited liabilities for employers in those lawsuits. The bill includes an inflation adjustment for the cap every two years, beginning in 2028.
The new law does not limit economic damages, such as compensation for lost wages or medical expenses, and all punitive damages go to the plaintiff.
The cap is waived if a court finds the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, driving recklessly, committing a felony or otherwise breaking the law.
In-person caucus requirement
Iowa caucusgoers have to show up in person when stating their preference for president.
House File 716 requires the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses to be conducted in person only if the purpose of the caucus is to select delegates as part of the presidential nominating process — leaving open the possibility of doing the presidential preference process on a different date.
That has implications for Iowa Democrats’ plans to allow individuals to submit a presidential preference card in the mail.
Republicans expressed concerns that New Hampshire — which is required by its state law to hold the nation’s first presidential primary election every four years — would try to supersede Iowa if the new Democratic Party caucus process was put in place for fear it would be too similar to a primary.
New maternal health care options
As Iowa struggles with a provider shortage, state lawmakers passed a new law to expand access to midwives to improve maternal health care.
One-third of Iowa counties are considered “maternity care deserts” without a hospital or birth center offering obstetric care and without any obstetric providers.
House File 265 creates a licensing process for certified professional midwives, also referred to as direct-entry midwives, who provide care in homes and free-standing birth centers.
Unlike certified nurse midwives, which are already licensed by the state as nurse practitioners and practice primarily in hospital settings, CPMs are not required to have a nursing degree.
Erin Murphy and Caleb McCullough of The Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report.
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com