SF 435 – Ag & Natural Resources FY14 & FY15 Budget
SF 446 – Health & Human Services FY14 Budget
HF 602 – Transportation FY14 & FY15 Budget
HF 604 – Education FY14 Budget
HF 613 – War Orphan Fund
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 435 is the FY14 budget bill for the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Highlights include:
General Fund – This bill includes $28.2 million in additional funding above the Governor’s level for FY14. Included in this funding is $7.85 million in items that the Governor had included in his proposed Environment First Fund. These are funding for soil conservation administration ($2.55 million), nutrient reduction Water Quality Initiative ($2.4 million), and an increase in funding for parks operations and maintenance ($2.9 million). The General Fund increases forestry health above the Governor’s proposed level by $100,000. Also included in the General Fund is $20 million in one-time spending for FY14. Of that money, $10 million is for Water Quality Initiative projects to provide additional funding for the Water Quality Initiative under IDALS. We are also including $4 million in funding for the Watershed Improvement Review Board and an additional $6 million for cost share above what is included in the Environment First Fund. The Water Quality Initiative will focus most of its efforts on priority watersheds that have been identified by the Water Resource Coordination Council. The projects will take place in smaller watersheds within the priority watersheds, and will be done in cooperation with farmers and landowners. These state dollars will be matched on an at least a one-to-one basis by the landowner/farmer. IDALS may use these funds to draw down additional federal funding as well. The department will monitor water quality along with these projects to make sure that we are getting the desired reduction in nutrient loads in our waterways. The department will also begin the process of assessing conservation practices, so we will have a better understanding of what we need to do going forward. The department will report back to the Legislature every year on the progress of the Water Quality Initiative. This will provide the Legislature with information about where the money is being spent, what conservation practices have been used in the watershed, and what impact these efforts have had on water quality within the watershed. The report will also detail what progress has been made in working with farmers and encouraging them to adopt the practices outlined in the nutrient study. The bill creates a Water Quality Initiative Fund for the receipt of funds for the Water Quality Initiative. IDALS can receive non-public funding to go along with the Water Quality Initiative, and they will be able to use the funds to draw down available federal dollars for these projects.
Environment First Fund - The Environment First Fund contains $42 million in appropriations. Many are status quo from last year, with the increased funding for water quality and soil conservation programs being included in our General Fund budget. The two main new items are REAP and inspectors for Animal Feeding Operations (AFO). We fully fund REAP at $20 million. This is the first time REAP has been fully funded in the history of the program. Secondly, we fully fund the initial request by the DNR for 13 AFO inspectors, increasing funding by $1.3 million over last year. This will get us closer to what was envisioned when we passed legislation in 2002. This will enable DNR to meet the EPA’s desire on this issue without removing field staff from other areas. The bill also increases funding for the watershed protection fund under IDALS by $100,000 over last year, to a total of $1 million. The Senate adopted an amendment to increase funding for the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) at Iowa State University by $250,000. This brings funding for the VDL to $3,478,636, and matches the funding to the amount that has been proposed by the House.
The Senate adopted an amendment that appropriates $1.5 million to the Nutrient Management Center, a cooperative effort of the three Regents Institutions; strikes the Restore the Outdoors program from the Code; deletes the requirement for a notary with ATVs; and appropriates FY15 at 50 percent. REAP is appropriated at $20 million for FY15. [4/24: 26-23, party-line (Johnson excused)]
SF 446 appropriates a total of $1.894 billion from the General Fund to the departments on Aging (IDA), Public Health (DPH), Human Services (DHS) and Veterans Affairs (IVA), and the Iowa Veterans Home (IVH). This is an increase of $172 million from last year. SF 446 appropriates a total of $410.3 million from other funds. This is a decrease of $77.8 from last year. SF 446 appropriates $54.3 million in supplemental appropriations from DHS for the Medicaid, IowaCare and Adoption Subsidy Programs. Highlights include:
Department of Veterans Affairs and Iowa Veterans Home – $11.7 million – an increase of $68,000:
• $68,000 increase for Veterans Affairs General Administration
• Transfers funding for the Home Ownership Assistance Program to the Iowa Finance Authority
Department of Human Services – General Fund – $1,805.1 million – an increase of $153.4 million:
• $497,000 increase for the Family Investment Program (FIP)
• $1 million increase for the Child Support Recovery Unit
• $324.7 million increase for the Medicaid Program. Of this amount, $255.5 million is due to shifting Mental Health appropriations previously funded through a separate appropriation to Medicaid
• $7.9 million increase for Medical Contracts
• $1.1 million increase for the State Supplementary Assistance Program
• $1.1 million increase for Juvenile Institutions
• $12 million increase for the Child and Family Services
• $3.9 million increase for Adoption Subsidy
• $1.8 million increase for the four Mental Health Institutes
• $3.2 million increase for the two State Resource Centers
• $2.2 million increase for the Civil Commitment Unit for Sexual Offenders
• $5.4 million increase for Field Operations (additional 56 FTEs)
Department of Public Health – $63 million – an increase of $14.7 million:
• $5.9 million increase for Addictive Disorders
• $4.4 million increase for Healthy Children and Families
• $1.3 million increase for Chronic Conditions
• $2.6 million increase for Community Capacity
• $480,000 increase for Public Protection
Department on Aging – $12.8 million – an increase of $2.5 million
Office of Long-Term Care Resident’s Advocate – $1.3 million (this is new appropriation)
NEW PROGRAMS, SERVICES OR ACTIVITIES
Department of Human Services
• $40,000 for a fatherhood initiative pilot project in Polk County.
• $3.3 million for an autism treatment program to be administered by Magellan to provide Applied Behavior Analysis and other treatment for children that do not qualify for Medicaid or private insurance autism coverage.
• $135,200 for federally-required national criminal history check of child care provider employees through the United States Department of Justice.
• $100,000 for the establishment of a Children’s Mental Health Cabinet pending the enactment of SF 440 (County Mental Health System Appropriations Bill).
• Directs the DHS to submit a Medicaid State Plan amendment to add men to the Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.
Department of Public Health
• $2.3 million increase for the Iowa First Five Healthy Mental Development Initiative programs.
• $2 million to expand the I-Smile Oral Health program to include at-risk adults statewide. Priority is given to individuals 60 years of age and older and other individuals with disabilities, behavioral limitations or complex chronic conditions. Currently, this Program only connects children with dental services.
• $400,000 to be used to by the Regional Autism Service Program (RASP) to create autism support programs administered by the Child Health Specialty Clinic located at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The University is prohibited from receiving any funds for indirect costs associated with the allocation.
• $140,000 for a comprehensive Alzheimers disease response strategy pending the enactment of SF 269 (Alzheimer’s Disease Response Strategy Bill).
• $185,000 for the establishment of a Direct Care Professionals Board for the purposes of providing for implementation and making penalties applicable pending the enactment of SF 232 (Direct Care Professionals Bill).
• $25,000 for the establishment of a Wellness Council to increase support for wellness activities.
• $1.2 million to the Iowa Collaborative Safety Net Provider Network to implement a statewide regionally-based network that will provide integrated health care delivery for patients.
• $500,000 for the establishment of an area health education fund to subcontract with area health education centers (AHECs) to recruit and retain health care providers in rural and underserved areas of the state pending the enactment of SF 377.
• $50,000 for a Program entitled “Reach Out and Read” that supports partnerships between medical providers and parents through community health centers to promote reading and encourage literacy skills for children entering school.
• $29,000 for the establishment of an Emergency Services (EMS) Task Force pending the enactment of SF 346 (Emergency Medical Services Task Force Bill).
• $56,000 for the establishment of a licensure program for substance abuse and addictive disorder counseling and services pending the enactment of HF 569 (Behavioral Science Board Bill).
Department on Aging
• $2.2 million to administer the Office of Substitute Decision Maker.
• $40,000 for a Guardianship and Conservatorship pilot project in collaboration with the National Health Law and Policy Resource Center at the University of Iowa.
Other Fund Appropriations
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant – $133.8 million – an increase of $800,000
• $106 million from the Health Care Trust Fund – no change.
• $6.7 million from the Pharmaceutical Settlement Account – an increase of $1.8 million.
• $88.1 million from the IowaCare Account – decrease of $78.6 million.
• $1 million from the Nonparticipating Provider Reimbursement Fund – decrease of $1 million
• $28.8 million from the Quality Assurance Trust Fund – an increase of $2.3 million
• $34.7 million from the Hospital Health Care Access Trust Fund – no change. [4/18: 26-22, party line (Houser, Zaun excused)]
HF 602 appropriates a total of $352.8 million to the Department of Transportation (DOT). This includes $47.6 million from the Road Use Tax Fund (RUTF), $305.3 million from the Primary Road Fund (PRF) and 2,870 FTE positions. The Senate adopted an amendment that removes any appropriations for FY15. Highlights include:
• Appropriates a total of $45.6 million to the Operations Division. This is a net decrease of $1.6 million from the Operations budget unit to the newly created Performance and Technology Division.
• Appropriates a total of $8.3 million for the Planning, Programming and Modal Division. This is a net decrease of $876,000 due to a reallocation of funding from the Planning Division to the newly created Performance and Technology Division.
• Appropriates a total of $3.3 million for the creation a new Performance and Technology Division through the reallocation of funding and FTE positions from existing divisions.
• Appropriates a total of $232 million to the Highways Division. This is a net decrease of $641,000.
• Appropriates a total of $160,000 for transportation maps. This is an increase of $79,000.
• Appropriates a total of $500,000 for roofing projects at field facilities. This is an increase of $300,000.
• Appropriates a total of $500,000 for heating, cooling and exhaust system improvements at DOT facilities across the state. This is an increase of $300,000.
• Appropriates a total of $1.5 million for deferred maintenance at DOT field facilities across the state. This is an increase of $500,000.
• Appropriates a total of $6.5 million for the construction of a new combined facility at Mason City.
The Senate accepted the House amendment which funds FY15 at 50 percent. [4/24: 46-3 (Feenstra, Sorenson, Zaun “no”; Johnson excused)]
HF 604, as amended by the Senate Appropriations Committee, appropriates a total of $964.16 million to the College Aid Commission, Department of Education and the Board of Regents. Highlights include:
College Aid Commission
• $5 million increase for Teacher Shortage Forgivable Loan Program
• $2 million for a new Rural Primary Care Loan Repayment Program – 20 percent is earmarked for Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners
• $2 million increase in the Tuition Grant program for student attending Iowa Private Colleges
Department of Education
• $500,000 increase for the State Library
• $750,000 increase for the State Library Enrich Iowa Program
• $800,000 for Early Head Start – new program
• $1 million increase for Core Curriculum
• $1.98 million increase to Student Achievement/Teacher Quality
• $260,000 increase for Jobs for America’s Grads (JAG)
• $8.5 million for Education Reform
• $12 million for Early Literacy
• $825,000 for Competency-Based Education
• $16 million increase for Community Colleges – General Aid
• $3 million for Work based Learning Intermediary Network
• $7.5 million for Workforce Training
• $5 million for PACE
• $5 million for Adult Literacy for the Workface – $210,000 is earmarked to assist legal refugee
• $2 million decrease for the Iowa Reading Research Center
Board of Regents
• $10 million for Student Financial Aid
• $5.6 million increase to the U of Iowa
• 865,899 increase for the U of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory
• $4.4 million increase to ISU
• $6.10 million increase to UNI (includes the additional $4 million)
• $1 million increase to UNI Math and Science Collaborative (STEM)
• $354,142 increase to the Iowa School for the Deaf
• $147,652 increase to the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School [4/18: 26-22, party-line (Houser, Zaun excused)]
HF 613 eliminates the War Orphans Educational Assistance Fund under the control of the Department of Veterans Affairs and transfers all unencumbered and unobligated moneys in the War Orphans Educational Assistance Fund ($129,000) to a separate account of the Veterans Trust Fund under the control of the Commission of Veterans Affairs. Interest or earnings on moneys deposited in the War Orphans Educational Assistance account shall be credited to the account. The bill also transfers to the Commission of Veterans Affairs current Code duties regarding educational assistance to orphaned children of veterans. The bill states that it is the intent of the Legislature that appropriations be made as necessary to the War Orphans Educational Assistance account to pay all claims beginning with FY 2013-14. The War Orphans Educational Assistance Fund was created to provide educational assistance for the children of service members who died during active federal military service. This fund was intended to defray expenses for the child or children attending an educational or training institution of college grade, or in a business or vocational training school in this state. Action by the U.S. Congress creating the Post 9/11 GI Bill included a provision providing for full post-secondary tuition coverage for the dependent children of military personnel killed in action. Because of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the Iowa War Orphans Educational Assistance Fund has been little used; it is the payer of last resort and the federal government is already covering the needs of these war orphans. [4/22: 50-0]