HF 303 – Statewide welcome center program technical changes
HF 485 – Purchasing for targeted small business procurement goals
HF 486 – Community catalyst building remediation grants for emergency projects
SF 549 Utility service disclosure requirements for rental properties
SF 572 Pharmacy board prescription monitoring program
SF 576 EMS and Iowa Department of Public Health data collection
SF 581 New requirements for state auditor
COMMITTEE ACTION:
HF 303 – Statewide welcome center program technical changes
HF 303 updates Code references relating to the statewide welcome center program. The bill also changes references from “agency” to “authority” to reflect that the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IDEA) is no longer an agency. The bill removes references to a pilot project because welcome centers are no longer in a pilot phase. The bill requires the IDEA to collaborate with other state agencies as necessary to operate the welcome centers and provide information to travelers.
[3/27: Short Form (Excused: Feenstra)]
HF 485 – Purchasing for targeted small business procurement goals
HF 486 allows an emergency project to be eligible for a grant from the Community Catalyst Building Remediation Program Fund (without regard for application deadlines and the required percentage that is set aside for cities with small populations). An emergency project is defined as a remediation of an underused building that may present a unique and immediate opportunity or threat. This bill is codifying what currently is in the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Administrative Rules. The tornado damage to Marshalltown this summer was the impetus for the bill.
[3/27: Short Form (Excused: Feenstra)]
HF 486 – Community catalyst building remediation grants for emergency projects
HF 486 allows an emergency project to be eligible for a grant from the Community Catalyst Building Remediation Program Fund (without regard for application deadlines, etc). An emergency project is defined as a remediation of an underutilized building that may present a unique and immediate opportunity or threat.
[3/27: Short Form (Excused: Feenstra)]
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 549 Utility service disclosure requirements for rental properties
SF 549 relates to utility service cost disclosure requirements for certain rental properties. The bill defines “rental property” as a residential rental building in Iowa with 12 or more dwelling units. “Utility service” is defined as electric, gas, water and sewer service.
The bill requires a landlord to disclose to a prospective tenant an annual utility service cost statement for the property. If the rental property was acquired by the landlord within the previous year, disclosure statements will be provided by the landlord beginning 90 days after the date of closing. A landlord will retain all records relating to cost information for at least one year. A landlord will obtain the cost information from the utility and be given the information at no charge within 30 days of receiving such request. The bill exempts REC and municipal utilities that don’t provide budget billing. A landlord who enters into a rental agreement with a tenant without providing a utility service cost disclosure statement in violation of the bill will pay the tenant damages in the sum of $100. The bill takes effect January 1, 2020.
[3/27: 47-1 (No: R. Taylor; Excused: Breitbach, Nunn)]
SF 572 Pharmacy board prescription monitoring program
SF 572 seeks to expand reporting to the Iowa Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) to include those controlled substances in schedule V of the Iowa Uniform Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that are dispensed to patients in Iowa. The reporting requirement would include all schedule V controlled substances, including those that do not require a prescription to be dispensed by a pharmacist. The reporting requirement would also include other prescription substances that the PMP advisory council and board determine could be addictive or fatal if not taken under the proper care and direction of a prescribing practitioner.
Division II of this bill conforms to the federal government drug schedule. The bill also includes any FDA-approved products containing cannabidiol (CBD) that contain no more than 0.1 percent tetrahydrocannabinols (THC). These scheduling actions follow similar scheduling action taken by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and make permanent the temporary scheduling action taken by the board via rulemaking throughout 2018. Finally, this bill seeks to remove language referring to “rules of the board” relating to medical marijuana programs since it has no such programs.
[3/21: 46-0 (Excused: Bisignano, Celsi, R. Taylor; Vacant: Danielson)]
SF 576 EMS and Iowa Department of Public Health data collection
SF 576 relates to patient health data and information under the purview of the Department of Public Health (DPH). Division I of the bill says that unless otherwise authorized or required by state or federal law, the name (as well as the Social Security Number) of an individual will not be included in data collected from hospitals.
Division II of the bill says that unless otherwise authorized or required by state or federal law, data collected in emergency medical care, including patient care reports, that contain a patient’s medical information will not include the Social Security Number or name of the patient who is the subject of the data. A “patient care report” is a written report in and out of a hospital setting; and “patient’s medical information” is any information in an emergency medical services ambulance or transport document or report.
[3/21: 34-13 (Yes: Kinney, Quirmbach, Republicans; Excused: Bisignano, R. Taylor; Vacant: Danielson)]
SF 581 New requirements for state auditor
SF 581 requires the state auditor to appoint a certified public accountant (CPA) to serve as deputy auditor of a division that engages in audit work. The Office of State Auditor will qualify as a certified public accounting firm, if the Auditor of State is a CPA or a majority of all divisions of the office performing attest services are headed by a deputy director who is a CPA. The bill says client confidentiality does not apply to the Office of State Auditor if the office is issued a permit as a certified public accounting firm. Under the bill, an applicant must register their office as a firm with the Iowa Accountancy Examining Board and show that all attest and compilation services are under the charge of a CPA. The bill takes effect upon enactment and applies retroactively to January 1, 2019.
[3/21: 46-0 (Excused: Bisignano, R. Taylor; Vacant: Danielson)]