SF 452 – Standings Budget FY14 & FY15
FLOOR 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, Department 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 (ELL) 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 Governor’s budget)
• Judicial Branch Pension System: $5 million in FY14 & FY15 (not in Governor’s budget)
• I-Green Learning Center/Worker Training: $150,000 in FY14 & FY15 (not in Governor’s budget)
• Dubuque Airport Air Traffic Control: $150,000 (not in Governor’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 Governor’s budget). This is “repurposing” of funds that had been used.
• Individual Development Accounts – $250,000 to Department of Human Rights (not in Governor’s budget)
• FY13: $5 million to PORS to fulfill last year’s commitment (not in Governor’s budget)
• FY13: $5 million to Iowa Transit Systems vehicle purchase (not in Governor’s budget)
• FY13: $50,000 to Public Safety Task Force (not in Governor’s budget)
• FY13: $9.6 million to 411 Pension System (not in Governor’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.
• Historic Tax Credits: SF 436 as passed by Senate
• Department of Revenue: Policy Language – cost for FY14 is $7.4 million, cost for FY15 is $8 million
• Salaries: $41.4 million from General Fund ($22.9 is allocated to Regents and $18.5 million to Executive/Judicial/Legislative Branches). Contract and noncontract are treated the same.
• Food Bank: $2 million and tax credits worth $40,000 (SF 439)
• Work Study: $500,000 in FY14
• Newton Speedway: FY13 – $8 million to IEDA. Appropriate $2 million per year for four years. Use to help develop/promote a national sports event at the Iowa location. May be used for infrastructure and marketing. May not be used for salaries.
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 – Cigarette 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 Department 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
• Department 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.
• Additional language for IOWACARE supplemental
• Department of Aging fix: They will designate Area Agencies on Aging for the coordinated system
• Education Background Check – SF 338
• Technical correction to HF 472, the operational sharing bill recently signed into law. Strike “mental health therapist” and replace with “social workers.” This term is not a defined term in Iowa Code and does not correctly refer to positions that school districts and AEAs hire.
• City Franchise Fees: This provision is only in effect if a city has a referendum that is approved by a simple majority vote of the people. Beginning July 1, 2013, a city that is subject of a judgment or court-approved settlement, which includes a payment, may set a franchise fee of not more than 7.5 percent. The amount collected in excess of 5 percent shall be used to pay the restitution/settlement. A city may assess and collect a franchise fee in excess of 5 percent for a period not to exceed seven consecutive fiscal years. This division is repealed on July 1, 2030.
• Sex Offenders: Prohibited employment – A business that operates a motor vehicle primarily marketing the sale and dispensing of ice cream or other food products from or near the motor vehicle to minors.
• Scenic Highways Advertising: If an advertising device was lawfully erected along an interstate within a city limits prior to designating the highway as a scenic byway, and the advertising devise is displaced due to the road construction improvement, then the advertising device may be erected at the same location or at a location as close to the original location as possible, that is visible from the main highway. This advertising devise shall not be considered a new advertising devise if the location is in compliance with other DOT rules and the location is approved by the city.
• Earmark $200,000 of Medicaid Funds to be used for the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium to bring best practices to Iowa health care, including Medicaid.
• Direct IDALS and DNR to jointly develop a plan eradicate chronic wasting disease in Iowa.
• Increase the cap for Iowa Tuition Grants from $4,000 to $5,000
• SF 364 – Ensure equity in vehicle registration fees
• Directs the Department of Education to conduct a personal financial task force. [5/7: 26-24, party-line]