Dear Senate District 48,
– Week Seven –
Seventh Week of the 91st General Assembly
On the Verge of Funnel Week #1
There is just one more week to go before we reach “Funnel Week”. This is the week that Senate bills need to be out of Senate committees in order to be considered for the rest of the year. House bills also need to be out of House committees. This rule does not apply to bills in Appropriations or Ways and Means. For this reason we have been busily moving legislation through subcommittees the past few weeks as well as moving legislation through our committees and talking with Iowans about how changes may affect them. As the pace quickens to meet this deadline, we will become increasingly more busy in the Iowa Legislature, looking at proposals, talking with stakeholders, and trying to come up with solutions that work to make Iowa the best state in the nation.
Bills Pass the Iowa Senate this Week
Purple Star School Initiative for Iowa Military Students
On Tuesday, the Iowa Senate passed SF 275, which would allow the Department of Education to develop and administer a Purple Star School initiative. This initiative would help Iowa ensure its military-connected students are supported at school. Programs like this one allow us to recognize schools that have demonstrated a commitment to supporting military-connected students and their families. The Purple Star Initiative helps create a support system for students who may be moving frequently due to their parents being in the military. With nearly all 50 states having either a Purple Star School designation or proposed legislation to create a statewide initiative, passing this bill would help make sure military-connected students and their families are taken care of here at home. This legislation brought about good, non-controversial conversations and garnered bi-partisan support.
Bills Make it Out of Committee
More Dollars to be Retained at the County Level
SF 300 was passed out of the Transportation Committee this week. This bill increases the amount a county treasurer office can retain for replacement of certificate of title fees. The current fee is $30, which results in the office retaining $12 of every transaction of this type. Currently, the amount of fees that are not retained by a county treasurer for issuing a replacement certificate of title are deposited into the Road Use Tax Fund (RUTF). Under current law, a county treasurer’s office may retain 40% of all fees related to issuing replacement certificates of title.
This bill increases the retention to $18 (which is 60%) of the fees associated with this transaction. This bill also has a technical change that harmonizes terms related to issuing a replacement certificate of title. Finally, this bill is applicable retroactively to transactions on or after January 1, 2025.
This bill would cause about $250,000 per fiscal year to be retained at the county level instead of going to the RUTF.
Improving Safety at Financial Kiosks
On Wednesday, the Iowa Senate Technology Committee passed a bill placing consumer protection regulations on digital financial asset transactions kiosks. SSB 1142 came to us after a number of grandparents had been scammed by criminals using these kiosks to steal money. The regulations cover daily transaction limits as well as maximum charges and required disclosures by the operators. With an increasingly digital world, the threat of theft or scams taking place throughout the transaction process has become more prevalent in recent years. To address financial scams through these kiosks that primarily target the elderly, these regulations will ensure the kiosks themselves become a less attractive tool for criminals to engage in these scams. With digital transactions being common practice in today’s world, ensuring a protected and safe environment is important for long-term use.
SSB 1120 Passes out of Health and Human Services
The Health and Human Services Committee passed a bill this week that will help high-acuity youth struggling with behavioral health, substance abuse, or is otherwise in crisis in the state of Iowa. As a continuation of the Health and Human Services department’s efforts, this bill is comprised of new avenues for residential assessment, evaluation, and treatment for youth. It utilizes existing state facilities to relieve pressures on community service providers to ensure the right level of care is being provided to Iowa youth. It also eliminates red tape to help ensure a smooth transition process for Iowa’s youth into adulthood by setting them up with the services and resources they need to be successful. Another component of the bill brings needed reform to our Juvenile Court Services by standardizing policies and procedures across the state to support the safety of youth, staff, and Iowa’s communities.
Protecting Children and Adults with Disabilities
Senate Study Bill 1057 also passed the Judiciary Committee this week. This was a proposal brought to us by Attorney General Brenna Bird to further protect Iowans. The bill is a proposed constitutional amendment to protect children and adults with disabilities from being forced to face their abusers in a courtroom. Iowa is currently the only state that does not have this protection. This would protect witnesses who are afraid to testify in a courtroom. After the trauma endured by these victims, there is no reason they should have face those that terrorized them when going through a trial. We have passed several bills aimed at protecting children in Iowa, and this is an important bill in our discussion moving forward.
Visitors at the Capitol
With a week filled with subcommittee meetings as well as committee meetings and floor debate, it required a bit of juggling to work in visits with constituents. Unfortunately, I missed a few people, but I was able to meet with most who sent a note in to say they were at the Capitol this week.
Best regards,
Mark