SF 452 – Standings Budget FY14 & FY15
HF 638 – Infrastructure Budget FY14 & FY15
FLOOR & COMMITTEE ACTION:
SF 452, which is referred to as the Standings bill, appropriates $2.988 billion in FY14 and $2.996 billion in FY15. The bill appropriates an additional $19.65 million in FY13. Highlights include:
Appropriations – Increases from Governor’s Bill
• Co Endowment, Dept. Cultural Affairs Grants: $103,298 increase; lift cap goes to $520,000
• Tourism Marketing: $353,694 increase; lift cap goes to $1.164 million
• Child Development: $1.87 million increase; lift cap goes to $12.606 million
• School Aid: $157.98 million increase – 4 percent allowable growth; eliminate $20 million cut to AEAs; $4.5 million increase to English Language Learners in FY14; ELL is extended from 4 to 7 years; additional costs in FY15 ($9.5 million) and FY16 ($14 million).
• Special Olympics: $50,000 increase – increase standing from $50,000 to $100,000 (every year)
• 411 Pension System: $5 million in FY14 & FY15 (not in Gov.’s budget)
• Judicial Branch Pension System: $5 million in FY14 & FY15 (not in Gov.’s budget)
• I-Green Learning Center/Worker Training: $150,000 in FY14 & FY15 (not in Gov.’s budget)
• Dubuque Airport Air Traffic Control: $150,000 (not in Gov.’s budget). City and Univ. of Dubuque contributing total of $150,000
• Regional Tourism: $1.164 million that used to go to Endow Iowa Supplemental if SF 300 enacted (not in Gov.’s budget). This is “repurposing” of funds that had been used.
• Individual Development Accounts – $250,000 to Dept. of Human Rights (not in Gov.’s budget)
• FY13 $5 million to PORS to fulfill last year’s commitment (not in Gov.’s budget)
• FY13 $5 million to Iowa Transit Systems vehicle purchase (not in Gov.’s budget)
• FY13 $50,000 to Public Safety Task Force (not in Gov.’s budget)
• FY13 $9.6 million to 411 Pension System (not in Gov.’s budget)
• Apportionment of Transportation Funds: Census Bureau language for Rockwell City and other qualifying cities. A city may apply to the State Treasurer by October 2013 for street construction funds that they would have received from the RUTF based upon the new estimated population as determined by the Census Bureau. The Treasurer determines amount owed, which will be reimbursed to a qualifying city in FY14 from the General Fund. Rockwell City would receive approximately $135,000. Beginning in FY14, the new Census Bureau estimate (if larger) is used to calculate funding from the Street Construction Fund of the RUTF.
Non Appropriations
• SF 345 – Iowa Creditors Association: addresses a mismatch between state and federal law. Iowa law requires creditors to provide consumers with a “Notice of Right to Cure” prior to filing a debt collection suit. The Notice is set out word for word in statute, and as relevant to the bill includes a statement that if you correct the default, “you may continue with the contract as though you did not default.” Federal law requires credit card companies to write off delinquent accounts 180 days after default. The accounts are closed and sometimes sold to third-party debt collectors. Either way, as a practical matter it is impossible to reinstate the account after 180 days if the consumer corrects the default because the debt has already been written off. Consumers are beginning to file fair debt collection act lawsuits/counterclaims against attorneys and law firms that are sending out the Notice of Right to Cure, arguing that it misadvises them that they have a right to reinstate their account as if no default had occurred, when reinstatement is impossible. This legislation relieves credit card companies from having to include the sentence about reinstatement in the Notice of Right to Cure for closed credit card accounts.
• SF 393 – Critical Congenital Heart Disease Screening: requires that each newborn in Iowa receive critical congenital heart disease screening by pulse oximetry or other means as determined by rule in conjunction with the metabolic screening currently required. This legislation provides exemption for parental objection and requires test reporting to the Department of Public Health contingent upon the provision of sufficient funding. This legislation directs critical congenital heart disease screening to be added to the state’s newborn screening panel.
• SF 416 – Bonding for County Courthouses: would allow county essential purpose bonds to be used for court building. It also set the bond for total prices of the bond and not the total cost of the project.
• Amend Contractor Registration: adds political subdivisions (91C.7). A contractor who is not registered with the labor commissioner as required by this chapter shall not be awarded a contract to perform work for the state, agency of the state or a political subdivision.
• IPERS Fix: Waives tuition for any student who is a child of a peace officer, fire fighter or sheriff that is killed in the line of duty who attends a state university, community college or private college in Iowa. Last year’s language included Chiefs of Police that are covered under 411; this language also includes Chiefs of Police covered under IPERS.
• HF 245 – Cig Safety Trust Fund: Per Senate version, balance goes to Fire Safety Training ($130,000)
• Electronic death certificates: all are required to participate
• Adds 3 FTEs to IGOV: technical correction, not new funding or positions
• SF 394 – Informal Conferences on Health Care Facilities: Directs Dept. of Inspections and Appeals to draft rules to require an annual assessment to each licensee (Nursing Homes) in an amount to cover the cost of any independent reviewers as required
• Dept. of Human Rights: clarifies a majority of voting members constitutes a quorum. In addition, 2/3 of the voting members present is necessary for substantive action taken by the board.
• Ignition/Interlock: Allows someone with a temporary restricted license and an ignition interlock device to go to meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. The amendment makes second offense driving restrictions the same as current first offenses by adding the following allowed driving restrictions when they have an ignition interlock device:
o Allows the person to drive for continuing health care of themselves or another who is dependent on them (e.g., doctor appointments)
o Allows the person to drive for court-ordered community service responsibilities
o Allows the person to drive for appointments with the person’s parole or probation officer
o Allows transporting to and from children’s daycare when necessary for the person’s employment
o Allows new first offense driving restrictions when they have an ignition interlock device to include:
a. Allows transporting to and from children’s daycare when necessary for the person’s employment
b. Allows transporting to and from children’s school when public school transportation is not available for the child
c. Allows driving within the scope of the person’s employment in a vehicle in which an ignition interlock device is installed.
• Notarial Acts: technical corrections to 2012 legislation
• SF 310 – Corn Growers Promotion Board Check-off, amended: makes changes to Iowa Corn Promotion Board in three ways: (1) Reduces size of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board to consist of one director elected from each crop district in the state. The Corn Promotion Board will also include a three-person executive committee to create a 12-person board. Current law generally allows for two directors per district; (2) Increases maximum check-off assessment amount (but does not increase actual check-off) and increases the assessment amount ceiling. Current law states “a state assessment shall not exceed one cent per bushel of corn marketed in this state.” The bill increases the maximum cap of corn check-off as follows: Sept. 2013-2018 – $.02; Sept. 2018-2023 – $.03; Sept. 2023-2028 – $.04; Sept. 2028 – $.05; and (3) Cleans up other details, including providing the Iowa Corn Promotion Board with more flexibility by increasing the number of days allowed to process paperwork (from 30 days to 30 business days); changing requirements to meet once every three months to a minimum of three meetings per year; and removing the Iowa Economic Development Authority director as an ex-officio board member. [Floor 4/29: 26-21, party-line (Behn, Houser, Sinclair absent); Committee 4/25: 13-8, party-line]
HF 638 appropriates a net total of $119 million from the following sources for FY14: $105.1 million from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund; $8.4 million from the Technology Reinvestment Fund; and $5.5 million from the General Fund. Highlights include:
• $30 million to the Department of Corrections for prison projects
• $10.3 million for the Bartlett Hall renovation at the UNI
• $9.8 million to the Dental Science Building at the U of I
• $21.75 million for the Ag/Bio-Science Complex at ISU
• $1 million for the University Hygienic Lab at U of I
• $27.8 million for tuition replacement for Regents institutions
• $5 million to the Department of Natural Resources for state park infrastructure
• $3 million to the Iowa Finance Authority for the Housing Trust Fund
• $2.5 million to the DNR for Lake Delhi dam restoration.
• $8.6 million for lake renovation
• $2 million for water trails and low head dams
• $500,000 for State Fair projects
• $1.06 for county fairs
• $30 million to Dept. of Administrative Services for major and preventive maintenance
• $12 million for CAT and river enhancement (RECAT) grants
• $1 million to Regional Sports Authorities
• $7 million for ACE and Community College infrastructure
• $500,000 for Nursing Home life and safety infrastructure projects
• $500,000 for Four Oaks PIMIC infrastructure
• $400,000 for Homestead Autism Clinics infrastructure
• $3 million for Mental Health Clinic infrastructure at Broadlawns hospital
• $4.5 million for Camp Dodge and statewide modernization for public defense
• $3 million for recreation trails
• $2.25 for aviation projects
• $1 million for the Railroad Revolving Loan Fund
• $2 million for Public Transit Infrastructure Grants
• $5.5 million to DOT for multi-modal projects
• $854,000 for projects at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery
Technology Reinvestment Fund:
• $3 million to the Judicial Branch for the Electronic Document Management System
• $2.5 million to the Department of Public Safety for radio communication upgrades
• $129,000 to the Grout Museum for the Veterans’ Oral History Project
• $2.7 million for ICN Part III leases
• $1.2 million for ICN equipment replacement
• $600,000 for education warehouse
• $960,000 to IPTV for equipment replacement
• $100,000 for voluntary radon testing in schools
• $250,000 for computer equipment at the State Library
• $3 million to the Judicial Branch for the Electronic Document Management System
• $200,000 for Emergency Generator County Grants [4/30: 26-23, party-line (Sorenson absent); Committee 4/29: 13-8, party-line]