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FLOOR ACTION:
SF 336 – Blood, bone marrow, and living organ donation incentive program
SF 336 amends the provisions of the bone marrow and vascular organ donation incentive program to instead provide for a blood, bone marrow, and living organ donation incentive program. The bill allows a state employee requesting a leave of absence to serve as a vascular organ donor to instead serve as a living organ donor. Current law provides only for granting a leave of absence for a state employee to serve as a vascular organ donor. The bill also includes new provisions to allow a state employee to be granted a leave of absence of up to two consecutive hours in a workday if the employee requests a leave of absence to serve as a blood donor, and the employee provides written verification from the employee’s physician or the facility involved with the blood donation. An employee may submit a request for a leave of absence to serve as a blood donor no more than four times in a year.
[3/22: 48-0 (Absent: Kinney, Nunn)]
SF 569/HF 761 – Expanded uses for emergency medical service providers grant program
SF 569, as amended by the Senate, authorizes the state fire marshal to provide grants under the local fire protection and emergency medical service providers grant program to local volunteer fire protection service providers to purchase necessary equipment. This is in addition to the current authorization to provide grants for fireworks safety education programming and to purchase necessary equipment related to the sale and use of consumer fireworks.
[3/22: 48-0 (Absent: Kinney, Nunn)]
COMMITTEE ACTION:
HF 313 – Minor businesses exempt from permit, license or fee requirements
HF 313 would prevent any city or county from requiring a permit, license or fee for a business operated by a minor. The bill defines an “eligible” business as an on-site transactional business operated on an occasional basis for no more than 89 days in a year that is “traditionally” operated exclusively by a person under 18, and that they are not prohibited by law from operating.
During the 88th General Assembly, the Legislature passed HF 2238, which prevented a municipal corporation or regulatory authority from adopting or requiring any license, permit or fee to sell or otherwise distribute food at a stand operated by a minor. “Stand operated by a minor” means a stand or other facility operated by those under 13, at which food is sold directly to consumers that is not time/temperature controlled for safety or an alcoholic beverage, and that operates on a temporary and occasional basis on private property with the permission of the property owner.
[3/23: Short Form]
HF 357 – Mandatory report training and photo licenses for massage therapist
HF 357 requires a license certificate issued to a licensed massage therapist to include a photograph of the licensee. The bill also adds licensed massage therapists to the list of persons required to report child and dependent adult abuse. A person required to report a suspected case of child or dependent adult abuse who knowingly and willfully fails to do so is guilty of a simple misdemeanor. A person required to report suspected child or dependent adult abuse who knowingly fails to do so is civilly liable for the damages proximately caused by such a failure.
The bill was amended in committee to remove the requirement for a photo on a license certificate because the Iowa Department of Public Health doesn’t verify photos before issuing a license, and over concerns that this could go down a path of racial profiling. The amendment does prohibit the transfer or selling of a license certificate to another person. This prohibition is currently in administrative rules, but will now be in Code.
[3/23: Short Form]
HF 384 – Takeout alcohol for bars and restaurants
HF 384, as amended in committee, addresses liquor control licenses to clarify that bars and restaurants can sell “original unopened” alcohol containers for off-premises consumption; clarifies under miscellaneous prohibitions that mixed drinks or cocktails must be properly sealed to avoid being considered “opened containers” under Iowa law; and conforms selling hours starting at 6 a.m. for all days of the week. There is no Sunday difference in hours to sell, but there is still a Sunday selling special permit required if an establishment wants to sell on Sundays.
[3/23: Short Form]
HF 485 – Social worker supervision requirements
HF 485 requires the board of social work and the board of behavioral science to amend their administrative rules to remove any requirement for supervised clinical experience and/or supervised professional practice to be completed in person as a condition of licensure. This bill also allows for licensed independent social workers, marital and family therapists, and mental health counselors to supervise within these three professions. The bill is effective upon enactment.
[3/23: Short Form]
HF 546 – Architectural Licensure Examination
HF 546 strikes the Iowa Code section added in 2020 that eliminated the time limit for architects to pass all six divisions of the Architect Registration Examination. This is because Iowa is the only state that does not have a five year “rolling clock” for applicants to pass all six divisions of the exam. Iowa architects who take longer than five years will not be eligible for National Council of Architectural Registration Boards certification or reciprocity in jurisdictions outside of Iowa. The bill applies retroactively to those who applied to the architectural examining board and who have passed one or more divisions after June 25, 2020.
[3/23: Short Form]