Iowa School Social Workers Association
Legislative Session Update
2/18/22
First Legislative Procedural Deadline Arrives
The initial procedural hurdle of the 2022 Session of the Iowa Legislature arrived at the close of business today.
That first deadline is the so-called “First Funnel,” is the day by which bills must be approved by one committee in the bill’s chamber or origin to remain eligible for continued consideration this legislative session.
Please see in the “Bills of Interest” below, that proposals not approved by a committee, are noted by italic type.
There are three types of bill’s exempt from the procedural rules. Bills in the Appropriations Committee, Ways and Means Committee and Government Oversight Committee are not governed by procedural deadlines requiring committee approval by specific dates.
The next milestone comes on March 18th. That is the day by which a bill must be approved by at least one committee in the chamber not of its origin. So as an example, a House proposal needs to be given the go-ahead by a Senate committee to remain eligible for further consideration this year.
MH Practitioner Loan repayment Subcommittee To Meet This Upcoming Week
The five member subcommittee assigned to consider House File 2137 are set to meet this upcoming Thursday, February 24 at 8:30am.
The ISSWA-backed bill would establish a mental health practitioner and mental health professional loan repayment program to provide loan repayments for mental health practitioners who agree to practice in service commitment areas for at least five years and meet the requirements of the program.
A “mental health practitioner” means a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a mental health professional, a physician assistant practicing under the supervision of a psychiatrist, or a psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner.
A“ mental health professional” means an individual who holds at least a master’s degree from an eligible institution in a mental health field, including psychology, counseling and guidance, social work, marriage and family therapy, or mental health counseling.
We will keep you updated on this bill.
Bills of Interest:
(Those in italics failed to meet the first procedural deadline and are nolongert eligible for further consideration this Legislative Session.)
(Bills that show the status “Approved by Committee” will be renumbered in the upcoming week. They were approved by a committee late this week, but due to the volume of bills being processed, have yet to receive a new number.)
(HF - House File, HSB - House Study Bill, SF - Senate File, SSB - Senate Study Bill)
SF 2307 (formerly SSB 3114) - Licensing Board Transcripts (M) - The bill prohibits a licensing board, other than the board of medicine and board of nursing, from requiring an applicant to submit an official transcript or an official diploma in connection with an application for a license, registration, or certificate, and requires a licensing board, other than the board of medicine and board of nursing, to accept a copy of an applicant’s transcript or diploma.
On Senate debate calendar
SF 2197 (formerly SF 168) - Nonpublic School Special Services (M) - The bill requires the Department of Education to convene and provide administrative support to the task force. The bill requires the task force to study and make recommendations regarding how to better serve students enrolled in nonpublic schools who receive special education services. The bill requires the task force to submit a report that includes findings and recommendations for policy changes to the General Assembly by December 1, 2022.
On Senate debate calendar
SF 2195 (formerly SSB 3003) - Mental Health Professional Loan Program (M) - This bill establishes the mental health professional loan repayment program within the college student aid commission. The bill provides that the commission is to administer the mental health professional loan repayment program for purposes of providing loan repayments for mental health professionals who agree to practice in an eligible practice area.
The bill limits the annual amount of loan repayment a mental health professional may receive to $8,000 for an eligible loan. The bill provides that the total loan repayments from the commission to a mental health professional shall not exceed $40,000.
“Mental health professional” means a non prescribing individual who holds at least a master’s degree from an eligible institution in a mental health field, including psychology, counseling and guidance, social work, marriage and family therapy, or mental health counseling.
On Senate debate calendar
SF 2075 - Your Life Iowa Info on School IDs (F) - The bill directs the board of regents to require each institution of higher learning governed by the board that issues identification cards to students to include on each student identification card the three-digit number adopted by the department of human services that the student may call or text to obtain suicide prevention services. The bill makes a similar directive for school district boards of directors for students in grades 6 through 12. The bill strongly encourages the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school to display on each identification card the school issues.
Subcommittee: Sinclair, Rozenboom and J Smith
SF 2025 - School Bathrooms (M) - This bill requires elementary and secondary public and nonpublic schools to designate and allow the use of multiple occupancy toilet facilities only by persons of the same biological sex. The bill prohibits a person from entering a school single and multiple occupancy toilet facility that does not correspond with the person’s biological sex. The bill provides that such designations and prohibitions do not 6 constitute unfair or discriminatory practices in violation of the Iowa civil rights Act.
Subcommittee; Sinclair, Quirmbach and Rozenboom
SF 2024 - Gender Identity Curriculum (M) - This bill establishes that the curriculum utilized by a school district or accredited nonpublic school in accordance with the state’s educational standards for elementary students shall not include instruction relating to gender identity. However, the prohibition does not apply to the curriculum provided to a student enrolled in grades one through six if the school district or accredited nonpublic school obtains the prior written consent of the student’s parent or guardian. If a school does not obtain a parent’s or guardian’s written consent, the student may opt out of instruction relating to gender identity. Gender identity, for purposes of the bill, means a gender-related identity of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth.
Subcommittee; Sinclair, Quirmbach and Rozenboom
SF 2003 - At Risk Student Funding (M) - This bill modifies the maximum modified supplemental amount calculation (funds for a school district’s program for at-risk students, secondary students who attend alternative programs and alternative schools, or returning dropouts and dropout prevention) for fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2022, but before July 1, 2026, by increasing the 2.5 percent ratio figure by .5 percent each fiscal year until the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and each fiscal year thereafter, when the maximum ratio percentage is set at 5 percent for all school districts.
Approved by subcommittee
SSB 3080 - Governor’s School Omnibus (M) - Included in this 20-page bill are provision that establish a student first scholarship program and a student first enrollment supplement fund; require the boards of directors of school districts to publish certain specified information regarding curriculum; as well as modifying provisions related to required social studies instruction, open enrollment, teacher librarian endorsements, competent private instruction, and special education.
Approved by committee
HF 2398 (formerly HSB 656) - Doctors or Masters BOEE One Time License (M) - Current law authorizes the board of educational examiners (BOEE) to establish renewal requirements for licensed practitioners. The bill provides that there shall be no renewal requirement for a practitioner who possesses a master’s or doctoral degree. The bill makes conforming changes, including changes to authorize permanent licensure for practitioners who possess a master’s or doctoral degree.
On House debate calendar
HF 2385 (formerly HSB 527) - Counselor, Therapist or School Employee Exploitation (F) - The bill adds a person employed by, performing volunteer services for, or providing contract services to a nonpublic elementary or secondary school or charter school to the definition of “school employee”.
On House debate calendar
HF 2298 (formerly HF 2040) - Covid Vaccination Not Required For School (A) - This bill prohibits requiring an immunization against COVID-19 for a person to be enrolled in any licensed child care center, elementary or secondary school, or postsecondary school in Iowa prior to July 1, 2029, notwithstanding whether a person’s attendance is in person or virtual.
On House debate calendar
HF 2294 (formerly HF 2109) - Your Life Iowa Info on School IDs (F) - This bill requires public schools to include on either side of identification cards issued to students in grades seven through twelve the your life Iowa crisis telephone and text numbers. The bill authorizes a public school that issues identification cards to students in grades five and six to do so as well.
On House debate calendar
HF 2225 - Board of Social Work and Behavior Science Merger (M) - This bill merges the boards of social work and behavioral science into the board of social work and behavioral science.
Subcommittee: Fry, Bacon and Mascher
HF 2151 - BOEE Fingerprint Submission (M) - Current law requires all initial applicants for BOEE licensure to submit a completed fingerprint packet and requires the BOEE to use the packet to facilitate a national criminal history background check. The bill requires the BOEE to allow all initial applicants to submit the completed fingerprint packet electronically.
Referred to State Government
HF 2146 - BOEE Makeup (M) - Current law provides that the BOEE consists of members. This bill adds two ex officio, non voting members to the BOEE. The bill requires the President of the Senate to appoint one of the ex officio, non voting members from the Senate education Committee. The bill also requires the Speaker of the House to appoint the other ex officio, non voting member from the House Education Committee. The bill provides that the ex officio, non voting members serve a one-year term.
Referred to Education
HF 2137 - MH Professional Loan Repayment Program (F) - This bill establishes a mental health practitioner and mental health professional loan repayment program, and provides an appropriation. The bill requires the Iowa Student Aid Commission to establish a mental health practitioner loan repayment program for the purposes of providing loan repayments for mental health practitioners who agree to practice in service commitment areas for at least five years and meet the requirements of the program. “Mental health practitioner” means a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a mental health professional, a physician assistant practicing under the supervision of a psychiatrist, or a psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner. “Mental health professional” means an individual who holds at least a master’s degree from an eligible institution in a mental health field, including psychology, counseling and guidance, social work, marriage and family therapy, or mental health counseling.
Passed committee and referred to Appropriations subcommittee: Fry, Brown-Powers, Forbes, Kerr and A Meyer
HF 2008 - At Risk Student Funding (M) - This bill modifies the maximum modified supplemental amount calculation (funds for a school district’s program for at-risk students, secondary students who attend alternative programs and alternative schools, or returning dropouts and dropout prevention) for fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2022, but before July 1, 2026, by increasing the 2.5 percent ratio figure by .5 percent each fiscal year until the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and each fiscal year thereafter, when the maximum ratio percentage is set at 5 percent for all school districts.
Approved by subcommittee
HSB 702 - School Employee Investigations (M) - The bill requires the Department of Education to develop and implement a process for the reporting and investigation of any incident that arises which may reasonably lead to the conclusion that a licensed practitioner employed by the board of directors of a school district or the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school has violated any law. The bill establishes that the process requires the creation of a committee to investigate these incidents. The bill requires the committee to meet to evaluate the incident and determine whether the licensed practitioner should be placed on administrative leave during the investigation.
Approved by committee
HSB 531 - MH Bed Expansion (M) - This bill appropriates to the Department of Human Services for FY 2022-2023 an amount necessary to expand the bed capacity of the Mental Health Institute at Cherokee by an additional 12 adult beds and 6 adolescent beds, and to expand the bed capacity of the Mental Health Institute at Independence by an additional 20 adult beds and 8 adolescent beds.
Subcommittee: Fry, A Meyers and Brown-Powers
