Governor Unveils Proposed FY 22 Budget

Governor Kim Reynolds laid out her plan for Iowa and it’s budget for the upcoming year in her Condition of the State Address.

Reynolds proposed spending $15 million each of the next two years on the children’s and adult mental health system. 

The Governor also proposed a 2.5% hike in state aid for schools.  She also backed legislation to give parents the choice to send their children to school full-time.

Music Therapy Credentialing Bills Introduce

Senate File 9 and House Study Bill 62 are bills that seek to establish a new occupational credentialing law for certified music therapists.   This bill is the same language contained in a House proposal offered in 2019 and 2020.

Unfortunately the bills, as again proposed, fail to spell out that licensed mental health professionals can continue to provide therapeutic music services, a therapy that has been utilized for many years, without being credentialed music therapists.

If the bills move forward we will be asking lawmakers to clarify that the use of therapeutic music by mental health professionals is not affected by the bills.

Bills of interest:

SF 80 - Student Pronouns (M) - This bill requires a school district, if a student will be asked by a school employee or in a school communication to identify the pronoun by which the student prefers to be called, or will be asked to take a survey on pronoun preference, to provide written notification of such action to the parent or guardian of the student at least one week before such action occurs. After the identification or survey has occurred, the bill requires the school district to provide the student’s identification or survey response to the student’s parent or guardian upon request.

Referred to Education

SF 58 - Human Growth and Development Curriculum (M) - This bill provides that the age-appropriate and research-based instruction in human growth and development, which each school board must provide, must include instruction regarding dating violence and affirmative, conscious, and voluntary consent to engage in sexual activity.

Referred to Education

SF 9 - Music Therapist Certification (A) - This bill requires any person claiming to be a music  therapist to hold a music therapist board-certified credential granted by the certification board for music therapists or a professional designation in good standing listed on the national music therapy registry. The bill as proposed would also likely impede the use of therapeutic music by non music therapists.

Subcommittee: Whiting, Giddens and Schultz

HSB 62 - Music Therapist Certification (A) - This bill requires any person claiming to be a music  therapist to hold a music therapist board-certified credential granted by the certification board for music therapists or a professional designation in good standing listed on the national music therapy registry. The bill as proposed would also likely impede the use of therapeutic music by non music therapists.

Subcommittee: Bacon, Konfrst and A Meyer.