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NEWSLETTER

infoNET NEWSLETTER


The infoNET Newsletter helps advocates with disabilities stay up to date on current issues in the Legislature, the governor’s office, and U.S. Congress. It also provides information on how to be a more effective advocate, how to connect with other advocates, and when there are opportunities to bring your issue to the attention of lawmakers and opinion leaders.

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Winter Issue | January 16, 2024

This newsletter is published quarterly. For more current information, check out our weekly reports during the legislative session and break news.

Special Education, Behavioral Health Top Governor's List for 2024

Legislators are back in session, and Governor Kim Reynolds gave her annual Condition of the State speech on Tuesday, January 9.   Her top policy goals for 2024 include two major changes that will be important to Iowans with disabilities.


Governor Reynolds says that Iowa’s students with disabilities are performing below the national average, even though spending for special education is $5,331 more per student than the national average.  She also said that students with disabilities ranked 30th or worse in national assessments.  Governor Reynolds outlined a plan to overhaul the state’s Area Education Agencies (AEAs). AEAs provide special education and other services to Iowa schools.  The bill to do this is House Study Bill 542. 


  • There are currently nine AEAs that offer special education, media services, and professional development for teachers.  Under the Governor’s plan, AEAs would no longer provide media service and professional development. They would only be allowed to provide special education services, which would reduce property tax funding by $69.7 million. 

  • The state would receive $20.1 million in current AEA funding to support the new Special Education Division in the Iowa Department of Education.  Funds currently dedicated to AEAs for professional development ($2.1 million) and mental health training ($3.38 million) would be used to help the Department support local schools in these areas.


  • AEAs would no longer be governed by local boards (but would still have local advisory boards).  Oversight of AEAs would come from the Department of Education (which will hire 139 employees charged with improving and overseeing the new special education system). 


  • Schools would no longer have to pass their special education funds on to their local AEA.  They will keep funding for special education and will individually decide how to use these funds. They can continue to contract with their local AEA or another AEA. They can also decide to contract directly with professionals or provide the service on their own.  AEAs would not be guaranteed funds for special education services.


  • The Department of Administrative Services would take over ownership of all AEA property, media services equipment, and leases.  It will develop a plan to sell the property.


  • The Iowa Department for the Blind will take over all responsibility for accessible media materials for students who are blind or visually impaired, and support school districts in creating new materials as needed. 


The Governor is also asking legislators to take the next step in reorganizing state government by making changes in how mental health, disability, substance use, and other addiction treatment is delivered.  You can read this plan and look at proposed maps here.


  • The 13 existing MH/DS regions would be eliminated and replaced with 7 Behavioral Health Districts that coordinate mental health services, substance use and gambling treatment, and tobacco (anti-smoking) partnerships.   A lead agency would coordinate these services, through a contract with Iowa HHS.  Each district would have an advisory council (not governing board) that includes equal membership of elected officials, persons with lived experience, and providers.


  • Regional disability services would be moved to the Aging & Disability network, which would be built out to include more Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) that have expertise in disability services. Currently the state’s only ADRCs are housed in Area Agencies on Aging, which never received funding to expand beyond aging programs.


Tax cuts, setting up families for success, and government efficiency remain themes for the Governor in 2024. Governor Reynolds wants to cut income taxes faster than was planned in when the Legislature passed its tax reform in 2022.  She wants to move Iowa’s current 3.9% income tax rate to 3.65% in 2024 and 3.5% in 2025. She also wants to cut the number of state boards and commissions in half, as recommended by the Boards & Commissions Review Committee.  She also wants to:


  • Create a new Thrive Iowa effort to connect Iowans in need to non-profit and private resources, using a system of navigators. The focus is on helping Iowans achieve long-term independence by connecting them with non-government resources. 


  • Give new moms earning up to 215% of the federal poverty level Medicaid coverage for 12 months after birth.  Currently Medicaid only continues for 30 days if they earn less than 380% of the federal poverty level. Iowa is one of three states that have not yet done this (Idaho, Iowa, Arkansas).  Rep. Ann Meyer has introduced a bill (HSB 500) to extend coverage for 12 months without changing the income eligibility. 


Legislative Leaders Outline Their Priorities


Legislative leaders laid out their priorities during the first week of the 2024 legislative session.  Common themes from Republican leaders include:


  • Lowering taxes for Iowans.
  • Making government work better for Iowans.
  • Moving Iowa up in education rankings.
  • Helping universities fill state workforce gaps.
  • Fixing the backlog in nursing home inspections.


Democrats, who are in the minority in both the House and Senate, had a different set of priorities for the year:


  • Protecting public education.
  • Defending reproductive rights.
  • Legalizing marijuana for adult use.
  • Lowering costs for Iowa families.


You can watch the opening day speeches in the Senate here, and in the House here.

Session Timeline graphic. Jan. 8 (opening day), Jan. 19 (last day to sponsor bills), Feb. 16 (first funnel), Mar. 15 (second funnel), April 16 (100th day of session - expenses run out).

Governor Releases 2025 Budget


The Iowa Legislature has one thing it absolutely must do each year – pass a budget.  This session, legislators will be deciding how much to spend during the fiscal year 2025 (which begins on July 1, 2024). Governor Kim Reynolds outlined her top budget priorities during her session-opening speech:


  • $96.1 million to increase teacher salaries, $62.3 million to increase local school aid, and $51.3 million increase for private school tuition (called “educational savings accounts”).


  • $20.1 million for the new Special Education Division within the Iowa Department of Education. This is not new money; it is taken from the AEAs.


  • $75 million more for Medicaid, including $34.9 million for MCOs, $5 million to improve case management, $16.5 million to replace federal funds used to increase HCBS provider rates, $14.6 million to increase access to HCBS providers, and $3.9 million for various provider rate increases. These rate increases are for home health providers ($3 million), physical therapists ($418,121), community mental health centers ($276,947), medical supply providers ($144,014), occupational therapists ($64,692), physician assistants (29,691), and certified nurse midwives ($3,122).


  • Increasing MH/DS regions by $6.7 million (for a total of $134.4 million). This raises the per capita rate from $40 in 2024 to $42 in 2025.  These amounts will need to be adjusted in the 2025 session as the state implements the new Behavioral Health District plan over the next year.


  • $11 million cut to Glenwood State Resource Center to reflect the planned closure on July 1, 2024.  Some of these cuts ($5.7 million) will be invested in other HHS facilities.


  • $69.5 million in new funding from the state’s infrastructure account to expand the Medical Examiner’s office ($36.3 million), fix tunnels at Woodward State Resource Center ($21.7 million), and renovate the Lucas State Office Building to house the newly combined HHS ($10 million).


  • $120,000 increase for vocational rehabilitation, small increases for the Iowa School for the Deaf ($285,543) and Education Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired ($119,851), and $5.6 million increase for the state’s two mental health institutes (MHIs).



Pie chart showing general fund appropriations in governor's budget - 57% education, 26% HHS, 9% corrections/justice/judicial branch, and 8% other.
A bar chart showing the increasing appropriations over last five years to HHS.

Legislative Session Begins with 190 New Bills


The Iowa Legislative Session started on Monday, January 8 with a flurry of activity both inside and outside the State Capitol.  As snow piled up outside, bills started to pile up inside.  Legislators introduced 191 new bills during the first week.  Here are a few bills that may interest you:


  • House File 2003 (Rep. Chad Ingels):  Allows public and private school students with disabilities to participate in school sports and competitions while they are enrolled in the school (right now they are not allowed to participate after they turn 20).  In the House Education Committee.







There are also some bills from 2023 that may be important to you. Here are a few you might want to watch (and they've already made enough progress to be safe from the first legislative "funnel" deadline):




  • House File 608: Requires schools train at least one employee on helping administer seizure medication and train all staff on how to recognize and respond to seizures. This bill passed the House (96-1) and is in the Senate Education Committee.





There are a few other bills from 2023 that face a tougher road. They must move out of their assigned committees by February 16 to stay alive:





  • House File 562 (Rep. Brian Best):  Requires manufacturers of complex rehabilitation technology wheelchairs to perform annual service on the and offer repair service as needed, and does not allow insurers to require prior authorization and documentation for ongoing need before paying such claims.  This bill is in the House Commerce Committee. 



Important Session Reminders


Bills that didn’t pass last year are alive again.

Legislators have until Friday, January 19 to request new bills.

To stay alive, bills need to have been voted out of their first committee by Friday, February 16. 

You can take action on a bill and find out who your legislators are here.


Senate Committee Changes, Legislative Retirements


After Sen. Pam Jochum replaced Sen. Zach Wahls as the Senate Minority Leader in late 2023, there were a few changes to Senate committees.


  • Sen. Pam Jochum will no longer serve on the Senate Commerce, Ethics, and Admin/Reg Budget.
  • Sen. Zach Wahls is added to Senate Commerce, Government Oversight, Health & Human Services, Technology, Veteran’s Affairs, and Admin/Reg Budget.
  • Sen. Cindy Winckler will no longer serve on Senate Veteran’s Affairs and is added to Senate State Government.
  • Sen. Kerry Gruenhagen replaces Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink on Senate Technology and Senate Workforce.
  • Sen. Janet Weiner is added to Senate Ethics and taken off Senate Technology.
  • Sen. Janet Petersen is taken off Senate Government Oversight.
  • Sen. Jesse Green is added to Senate Education.
  • Sen. Waylon Brown is added to Health & Human Services.
  • Sen. Carrie Koelker becomes the new Vice Chair of Senate Technology.


Legislators have until Friday, March 15 to decide if they want to run for office again.  We are already hearing about some retirements, and a couple big ones for Iowans with disabilities.


  • Sen. Pam Jochum (D-Dubuque) is the current Senate Minority Leader and a parent of a child with a disability.  She announced she will retire after this year. She served in the House for 16 years and the Senate another 16 years.


  • Sen. Jeff Edler (R-State Center) is the current Chair of the House Health & Human Services Committee.  He was first elected to the Senate in 2016 and was a key player the children's mental health redesign.


  • Rep. Brian Best (R-Glidden) is the Chair of the House Transportation Committee and serves on the House Health & Human Services Committee.  He has been an advocate for rural health care.


  • Rep. John Forbes (D-Urbandale) is the Ranking Member of the House Health & Human Services Budget Subcommittee and is a pharmacist.  He has been an advocate for disability rights and health care (particularly access to affordable medication).


Others retiring include Rep. Stan Gustafson (R-Norwalk), Rep. Dave Deyoe (R-Nevada) and Rep. Phil Thompson (R-Boone).  There are lots of rumors, but we’ll be tracking those that actually make the announcements!


REFRESHER: Boards & Commissions Review


The Boards & Commissions Review Committee met this summer and heard from hundreds of Iowans about changes to the state’s citizen-led boards and commissions.  The committee recommended eliminating almost half (111) boards and commissions.  This means 450 fewer Iowans would serve on a board or commission.  That also means fewer opportunities for Iowans with disabilities to serve. 


The Governor wants to follow the recommendations of this group: 


  • No changes to the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, Iowa Dyslexia Board, Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Council, Statewide Independent Living Council, Mental Health Planning & Advisory Council, Commission for Deaf Services, and the Commission for the Blind.


  • Eliminate the Dual Party Relay Council. The Commission for Deaf Services would take over dual party relay oversight but the Iowa Utility Board would continue to collect fees for this service. Dual Party Relay assists individuals who are hearing- or speech-impaired to communicate over the phone. 


  • Allow “students with other disorders that may affect learning" to be appointed to the Iowa Autism Council.  That means a student with a diagnosis other than autism may be appointed to the council, instead of a student with autism.


  • Eliminate the Advisory Council on Brain Injuries, Children’s Behavioral Health System Board, Mental Health/Disability Services Commission, and Congenital and Inherited Disorders Advisory Committee. The duties of these commissions would be divided up amongst other HHS committees and councils.


  • Eliminate the children’s health insurance (HAWK-I) board and move duties to the Medicaid Advisory Council.


  • Reduce number of members on Iowa Civil Rights Commission from 7 to 5. The Commission hears about 1,300 complaints each year about civil rights violations.


  • Eliminate the Status Commissions for Persons with Disabilities, African Americans, Asian & Pacific Islanders, Native American Affairs, Latino Affairs, and Women. Instead, a new seven-member Human Rights Board would assume their work and include one representative from each of these populations.


  • Merge the Boards of Psychology, Social Work, and Behavioral Health. The new seven-member Board of Mental Health would regulate 9,500 mental health professionals. 


  • Merge the Boards of Physical & Occupational Therapy, Athletic Trainers, Massage Therapists, and Chiropractic into a newly created seven-member Board of Health & Rehabilitative Practices.


  • Reduce Board of Medicine from 10 to 7 members and move the following boards under it as standing advisory committees: Board of Physician Assistants, Board of Podiatry, Board of Respiratory Care & Polysomnography, and Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology.


  • Reduce members on Board of Education from 10 to 7. Area Education Agency (AEA) advisory groups would be eliminated, but the Governor’s proposal on AEAs retains local advisory groups.  With special education moving to the Department of Education, advocates may want to make sure the Board of Education has the voices needed to create a strong special education network.


  • Pay members of the Council on Health & Human Services, Board of Regents, and Board of Education $10,000/year for their service. Currently only three other boards are paid this amount to serve.


  • Eliminate the need to have boards and commissions approve agency budgets. The report states that budgeting is a responsibility of the agency director and Governor.


  • Eliminate the requirement for gender balance on state boards and commissions. If this is changed, boards and commissions would no longer have to have an equal number of men and women.


  • Change Iowa’s Open Meetings Laws to allow virtual and hybrid meetings to increase public participation on boards and commissions, as well as public input for those wishing to make comment during meetings.


  • Require ongoing review of all boards and commissions and require boards to automatically end (“sunset”) after two or four years (unless they are required to exist by federal rule or law, like the DD Council).




Welcome to my “corner” of infoNET. 


The Iowa DD Council is working on new ways to keep you informed and ready to take actionon issues that are important to you.   This year we grouped our public policy priorities around education, employment and community living. We added a special area of focus on voting. Our message to lawmakers is that we need to WORK TOGETHER to create an Iowa where people with disabilities learn, work, and THRIVE!    If you haven’t seen our priorities yet, you can find them here. 


Each week during the session, I am working with Amy Campbell and her new intern Chloe Gayer, to bring you information on a “Bill of the Week,” which will be a one-page overview and an accompanying video.  Our first one is on House File 252, the bill that gives scholarships to help young adults with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities pay for comprehensive post-secondary transition programs on college campuses.  We are also working on Policy Briefs and Issue Briefs that will give you more information about the issues that could or should get attention.


Most importantly, we want to hear from you about what you think about bills, issues and priorities so that we know that we are best representing you and your ideas to Iowa legislators and members of Congress.  Please stay in touch and join us for Capitol Chats, Capitol Days, town halls, or just give me a call!


Speaking of virtual events, our open house was held Jan. 4 to inform legislators about our priorities and get their input. You can watch that recording here.  Thank you to our Council members, Public Policy Committee members and guests who hosted this event, and the legislators who attended (Senators Adrian Dickey, Pam Jochum, Sandy Salmon, Jeff Taylor, and Janice Weiner; and Representatives Austin Baeth, Mike Bergan, Chad Ingels, Chuck Isenhart, Lindsay James, Mary Madison, and Art Staed).


Carlyn Crowe

Public Policy Manager, Iowa DD Council

Use our resources to help with your advocacy!
Find where legislators are holding public forums

Review the Guide to the Iowa Legislature (also in Spanish)

Prepare with our Advocacy Toolkit

Check out our new "Bill of the Week" feature

Get inspired with our weekly "snapshot" video shorts of advocates & legislators

Watch the DD Council's legislative open house & review their policy priorities

Sign up (and attend) our monthly virtual check-ins (Capitol Chats) - January 26, February 23, March 29, April 26 at 11 a.m.

 Find more information about "trending topics" like AEA changes and HHS service delivery changes


News Roundup


A new national survey of disability service providers shows they are turning away new clients, struggling to maintain quality services, cutting back on what they can offer, and things are not getting better.  Read more here.


A new national settlement may help more than 2 million Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients who had their benefits reduced or discontinued during the pandemic.  More here.


The IRS just raised ABLE account limits at the beginning of 2024.  Individuals with disabilities will now be allowed to set aside more money into their accounts without losing their government benefits.  The new limit is $18,000 (up from $17,000).  Find out more here.


On November 16th, President Biden signed a continuing resolution to continue funding government until the beginning of 2024.  On January 7th, the President and leaders in Congress came to an agreement on the federal budget for the rest of the year.  The new budget plan will need to be passed before February 2nd, or the government may shut down.  If this is important to you, call your members of Congress and let them know the importance of funding for disability programs.  You can reach your members of Congress by calling the US Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or using our Take Action Center.


Iowa HHS wants Iowans with disabilities to know they may be eligible for a partial reimbursement of rent.  You can learn more about how to qualify here.


Amerigroup, one of the state’s Medicaid managed care organizations, has changed its name to Wellpoint Iowa.  For a while Wellpoint will be referred to as “Wellpoint, formerly Amerigroup.”  If you have questions about this change, you can contact provider services (833-731-2143) or member services (833-731-2140, TTY 711).  New ID cards with the Wellpoint brand will be mailed in early 2024. Members can continue using their current card to access all existing services until their new card arrives. Member ID numbers will not change. The HHS website and materials have now all been updated.


Iowa’s Department of Management has been working on a Digital Equity Plan and is asking for public comment.  This plan will help close the “digital divide” by helping remove barriers and allowing all Iowans to fully participate in society.  The report finds: 

  • Iowans do a lot online, but rural Iowans find it hard to get fast Internet.
  • Many struggle to fit an Internet subscription into their budgets.
  • Most Iowans have a smartphone, but not all have computers.
  • Iowans do not all have confidence in doing things online.
  • Many Iowans are concerned about protecting personal information.
  • Not all Iowans are comfortable with their Internet skills.
  • These concerns can be divided into accessibility, affordability, digital skills, digital devices, and reliability of services.


You can read and comment on the plan here.  Comments will be accepted now through 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 2, 2024.

News

Budget Bill Tracker

13 Apr, 2024
Budget Bill Tracker: Links to State Budget Bills & Spreadsheets Updated Daily

Legislative Leaders Release Budget Targets

29 Mar, 2024
Legislative Leaders Release Budget Targets, All Spend Less Than 99% Allowed

Check Out our Bills of the Week

26 Jan, 2024
Each week during the Iowa legislative session, we will be focusing on one bill that could impact the lives of Iowans with disabilities. You can check them out here. We've already done them on the Governor's AEA proposal (House Study Bill 511 and Senate Study Bill 3011), Rep. Chad Ingel's comprehensive post-secondary transition scholarships bill (House File 252), and Sen. Brad Zaun's bill to make prescriptions accessible to people who are visually impaired or blind (Senate file 2022). There are more to come each week, so watch for them on Mondays here .
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