To the People of House District 95

Unchecked illegal immigration has led to a large amount of human trafficking and smuggling throughout the country. House Republicans are working to address this issue and protect people with House File 572, a bill to criminalize the smuggling of people in Iowa. By clearly defining the actions that constitute human smuggling and imposing strict penalties, this bill will protect vulnerable individuals and enhance public safety across the state.

House File 572 defines what qualifies as smuggling, including using vehicles transport individuals while concealing them from law enforcement, encouraging illegal entry into the country, or guiding individuals onto private property without consent. By categorizing smuggling as a class “C” felony, the legislation makes it clear human trafficking and smuggling will be dealt with harshly in Iowa. If a person being smuggled is put at risk of serious harm, if minors are involved, or if firearms used, the crime is a class “B” felony. In the most severe cases, where smuggled individuals suffer serious injury or become victims of sexual abuse, the offense can be classified as a class “A” felony. This tiered approach deters potential offenders and ensures that those who engage in the most dangerous forms of smuggling face the consequences of their actions.

House File 572 is essential for addressing human trafficking, and illegal immigration. By criminalizing smuggling of these people, the state can better protect vulnerable individuals who may be at risk of being exploited for labor or other illicit purposes. The legislation empowers law enforcement to take decisive action against those who engage in smuggling, thereby safeguarding potential victims and promoting a safer environment for all. Additionally, the bill enhances public safety by targeting individuals who may contribute to broader criminal activities associated with smuggling, such as drug trafficking and violence. By holding smugglers accountable, the legislation aims to reduce the risks posed to communities and create a more secure environment for all.

The bill has passed the house with bi-partisan support, it is currently assigned to a subcommittee in the Senate and will need to move through committee before next week to survive the second funnel.

Last week the Secretary of State issued a press release announcing the completion of their audit of Iowa’s voter registration lists. After gaining access to the federal database that had been denied under the Biden administration, the result confirmed that there were 277 noncitizens who were registered to vote. The 277 noncitizens are approximately 12% of the 2,176 individuals that could not be confirmed in the pre-election audit. Before the November election, to enforce both state and federal election laws, the SOS office sent the names to precinct election officials and directed county auditors to have precinct election officials challenge the ballots of those individuals. This action led to a federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU and the United Latin American Citizens of Iowa (ULAC) to prevent the use of the list to challenge these potential voters’ status as citizens. A federal judge denied the request and allowed the list to be used.

Of these 277 noncitizens, it has been confirmed that 40 casted ballots and 35 of those ballots were counted. This week the House Republicans passed House File 954 which addresses this issue and protects the constitutional requirement that only US citizens participate in our elections. Division IX of the bill the issue of citizenship verification is strengthened and helps ensure that the Secretary of State and county auditors in Iowa are not solely reliant on the federal government to confirm a potential voter’s citizenship status. The bill will now provide tools and codify policies to catch noncitizens within days of registering to vote. A status code for voter registration records designated as “unconfirmed” will ensure that ballots are not given to any potential voters who within the system has not confirmed their citizenship status. This status will apply to individuals whose citizenship status has yet to be confirmed or has informed the DOT or other state agencies that they are not US citizens. To bolster the unconfirmed status the bill codifies and directs the sharing of information between state agencies and other states to ensure the most up to date information of potential individuals who have indicated to a state agency that they are not citizens. The bill also expands reasons to cancel a voter’s registration to include citizenship status and allows challenges of voter’s qualifications to include questioning citizenship status.

While this issue was created by the Biden administration, President Trump, the same day HF 954 passed the House, issued an executive order mandating citizenship verification for elections as the issue has been prevalent across all states in the country. It’s not a surprise that Iowa once again led the way on election integrity. House Republicans will continue to be vigilant in protecting the integrity of our state’s elections.

This week, the House passed bills on work requirements for Medicaid expansion and food eligible for nutrition assistance.

House File 748 requires the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to request federal approval to include work requirements as a condition of maintaining eligibility for Medicaid expansion in Iowa. This program will reduce the dependence of low-income Iowans on public assistance and will help them move up the economic ladder.

This bill ensures that able-bodied adults are working. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, over 100,000 Iowans on Medicaid expansion are not working.

Medicaid expansion has only existed in Iowa for 10 years. This program is a safety net for low-income Iowans but is not intended to be a forever government dependent program. This bill intentionally gives DHHS flexibility to implement the program on an individualized basis, looking at the needs and abilities of each individual that has sought out assistance.

There is dignity in work. Not only from the financial stability it provides, but the sense of purpose, the skills you learn from completing a job, being responsible for more than yourself, creating good life habits of being on time and acting professionally and respectfully to all, providing a good example to your children. Also, our society has mostly tied health insurance with employment, and this bill builds on that to ensure Iowans are prepared for life after government assistance.

House File 970 requires healthy food based on necessary nutrition in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The legislature would like to emphasize the nutrition aspect of this taxpayer funded program to assist low-income individuals.

According to a 2016 USDA study of foods purchased with SNAPs funds, 20 cents of every dollar was spent on sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar. In the same report, it ranked categories of food purchased by SNAP households. Sweetened beverages made up the 2^nd most purchased category and prepared desserts was the 5th most purchased category. It also ranked the top 10 commodities by expenditure, with soft drinks being the top purchased commodity by SNAP households.

SNAP already limits recipients from purchasing hot foods intended for immediate consumption, as well as alcohol. This bill builds on that work to ensure that taxpayer funds are not going to fund poor health outcomes that do not alleviate hunger.

Iowa currently ranks 11^th in the nation for adult obesity. One in six children in Iowa are considered obese. Obesity leads to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and, as many of the members this legislature are concerned, several types of cancers. These obesity related diseases often disproportionately affect lower-income individuals at a higher rate. The leading cause of death in Iowa is heart disease.

This bill incentivizes better eating habits, and the state is willing to put additional support to those healthy choices by providing a $1 million appropriation in this bill to support additional purchases of fruits and vegetables through the Double Up Food Bucks Program.

The University of Northern Iowa’s faculty labor union issued a press release this week announcing its opposition to several bills approved the Iowa House. Those bills are:

• HF 269 – Freedom from Indoctrination Act
• HF 295 – Accreditation Autonomy Act
• HF 401 – Core Curriculum Act

HF269
The faculty union claims the bills undermine critical inquiry, free speech and student choice. HF 269 ensures that no student is forced to take courses promoting ideological activism, such as critical race theory or diversity, equity, and inclusion as a condition of obtaining a degree, and protecting the academic freedom of faculty from mandatory infusions of DEI-related course content. Simply, it ensures that universities are focused on academics not ideology. It reduces institutional focus on DEI and increases the focus on academics. It eliminates mandatory DEI coursework in public higher education, ensuring students aren’t compelled to engage with these topics academically.

HF 295
Before the bill, only the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) could accredit Iowa’s universities. HLC is deeply committed to the principles of diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEI). This commitment is articulated in HLC’s mission and vision statements, and it is central to HLC’s strategic plan and priorities as an organization. Iowa state law and Executive Orders issued by President Trump are successfully removing DEI from higher education in Iowa.  As nearly everyone realizes by now, DEI are inherently racist because it prioritizes race as the central lens through which all societal interactions and structures are judged, effectively reducing individuals to their race rather than their merits or character.

DEI favors certain racial groups over others in hiring, promotions, or resource allocation to achieve “equity” (equal outcomes) rather than equality (equal opportunity). DEI allows its adherents to use this new form of racial bias to pursue their goals.

HF401
HF 401 establishes undergraduate general education requirements across Iowa’s regent universities, requiring specific credit hours in English, Mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, Western heritage, and American heritage. Also, the bill mandates that core curriculum courses do not distort historical events or promote identity politics.

Again, academics not ideology. Knowledge not activism. Analysis not advocacy.

Unfortunately, universities have drifted so far off course, we are now in a spot where mandating the core curriculum is necessary to force universities back to their core mission of truth-seeking.  A university education is supposed to broaden knowledge and expose students to new ideas, not indoctrinate them into a specific left-wing worldview based on progressive morals and activist political training.

Curricula, especially in the humanities and social sciences, have become platforms for pushing social justice, identity politics, and political agendas rather than fostering objective inquiry or imparting foundational knowledge.

HF 871 – Disposition of Firearms
This bill establishes new guidelines for the Iowa Department of Public Safety regarding the handling of firearms and ammunition that are seized or forfeited. It mandates that legal firearms and ammunition be sold at public auctions, with exceptions for items that can be used for law enforcement or have significant historical value. The department is prohibited from transferring these items to other states or the federal government, except in specific approved circumstances. Additionally, firearms and ammunition can only be destroyed if they do not sell at auction or are deemed damaged or unsafe. Illegal weapons or those classified as offensive weapons are not subject to these rules and may be destroyed.

HF 918 – Financial Liability Coverage
House File 918 introduces new requirements for motor vehicle financial liability coverage in Iowa. Vehicle owners must certify that they have valid insurance when registering their vehicles and provide proof of coverage. If a driver is cited for not having insurance but can show proof before their court date, the citation will be dismissed. Penalties for violations have been updated, with increased fines for repeat offenders. The law aims to ensure that all motor vehicles on the road are properly insured, enhancing safety for everyone. The new regulations will take effect on December 1, 2028.

HF 901 – Law Enforcement- Lateral Transfer
House File 901 allows military veterans with military police experience and former federal law enforcement officers to transfer to Iowa law enforcement agencies without completing standard academy training. Eligible individuals must meet specific service and training criteria and complete an Iowa-specific orientation course. The bill aims to streamline the transition of these individuals into law enforcement roles in Iowa.

Childcare affordability and availability are topics House GOP lawmakers have long made priorities. House Study Bill 316 passed the House Ways and Means Committee this week and moves in the right direction for both goals. The legislation provides that childcare centers will be given the residential rollback (instead of commercial) for property tax purposes. Simply put—it is a tax cut for commercial childcare centers. We all know that when their costs go down, they can create more slots and keep prices more affordable. Current law provides that a childcare center is a commercial property and is assigned a 90% rollback. This means they pay property tax on 90% of their assessed value.

House Study Bill 316 provides that for assessments years beginning January 1, 2025 and after—property that is primarily used as a childcare center—although a commercial property—will be given the same rollback as residential property on the amount of actual value used as a childcare facility. The residential rollback changes every year and this year it is 47.4%. This will result in a property tax cut for these businesses.

The bill provides that a person who wishes to qualify for this rollback must file an application with the assessor by July 1 of the assessment year for which the person is first requesting the limitation on forms provided by the department of revenue. The license to operate as a childcare center must be included with the application. The person will not have to apply in subsequent years as along as the property is still used for this purpose. The bill provides that each county’s board of supervisors shall determine eligibility of applicants by September 1 of each year. There is a process for appealing a decision. Additionally, if a property is receiving the residential rollback, but no longer is being used as a childcare center—the taxes that would have been owed will have to be paid back.

The bill now moves to the House Floor.

Last week the Iowa Senate passed Senate File 308 by a unanimous 47-0 vote. SF 308 establishes protections for employees of non governmental employers who disclose information to members of the general assembly. The bill prohibits employers from taking adverse actions against employees for such disclosures, provided the employee acts in good faith and reasonably believes the information indicates a violation of law or a danger to public health or safety. The measure further ensures that disclosures made under these provisions are confidential and cannot be compelled in legal proceedings. SF 308 outlines civil remedies for employees who face retaliation, including the possibility of reinstatement and damages. The legislation aims to encourage transparency and accountability in the workplace while safeguarding employee rights. SF 308 has been referred to the House Labor and Workforce Committee.

Key Aspects of the bill are as follows:

• Employers cannot prohibit employees from disclosing information to the general assembly if the employee believes it indicates a legal violation or public safety risk.
• Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees for making such disclosures, including actions like discharge, demotion, or failure to promote.
• Confidentiality is guaranteed for disclosures made under this legislation, protecting the identity of the employee and the content of the disclosure.
• Civil remedies are provided for employees facing retaliation, including the right to seek injunctive relief and damages.
• Certain exceptions apply where disclosures are prohibited by statute or involve deceptive actions by the employee.

It is no wonder Tim Walz wants to be on the road and leave his constituents in Minnesota behind. By being away from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, he doesn’t have to answer questions about the budget mess Minnesota now faces.

Earlier this month, Minnesota’s state budget agency released their updated revenue and budget estimates. Minnesota has a biennial budget and their forecasting law requires Minnesota Management and Budget to project out two budget cycles. The numbers were not good.

Last February, Minnesota expected to have a budget surplus of $2.237 billion at the conclusion of the FY 2026-2027 biennial budget. A year later, Minnesota’s revenue picture has dimmed considerably. In the new budget forecast, Minnesota now is expecting just $459 million in their accounts at the end of the budget period.

The smaller ending balance in 2027 means a much bigger problem in the 2028-2029 biennium. Minnesota is now expecting a $5.995 billion deficit if current programs are continued through that budget cycle. Minnesotans are now facing a reckoning for the massive expansion of government spending that has occurred while Democrats controlled the Governorship and both chambers in the Minnesota legislature in 2023 and 2024.

What may be a much bigger problem, however, was buried in the report. Minnesota Management and Budget now projects that in Fiscal Year 2029, spending on their department of health and human services will exceed what the state spends on pre K-12 education. As a comparison, in the current fiscal year, Iowa is spending $2.2 billion on the Department of Health & Human Services and $3.78 billion on K-12 school aid.

Tim Walz may want to find solutions to his budget mess instead of traveling the country.

As always, you can can shoot me an email with any questions or concerns at taylor.collins@legis.iowa.gov or you can call the Capitol Switchboard and leave me a message at (515) 281-7340.
Sincerely,

Rep. Taylor Collins