The pace at the Capitol definitely picked up this week with many bills swiftly passing out of subcommittee and Committee. The first funnel is on March 3 and we typically see this pace closer to this first important deadline. This is in part a reflection of Leadership telling Committee Chairs to keep bills moving and so many new members anxious to do the work for which they were elected.
After lengthy and late debates on Monday, both the House and Senate passed House File 68, the Governor’s bill relating to education savings accounts. On Tuesday, amidst a cheering crowd at the Capitol, Governor Reynolds signed the bill into law. The Governor’s signature comes just two weeks after the proposal was introduced as a top priority in her Condition of the State Address. The new law creates an educational savings account of $7,598 per student to use toward private school tuition and other educational expenses. The savings account program is phased in over three years before it is available to all families.
A multi-year issue and priority of Governor Reynolds is capping noneconomic damage awards in medical malpractice lawsuits. This week a flurry of activity on this issue took place in both the Senate and House. Senate Study Bill 1063, now Senate File 148, caps non-economic damages at $1 million. The bill moved swiftly through the subcommittee and Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Senate File 148 was amended in Committee to conform to the language in the House version (House File 102) and add an inflation adjustment of 2.1% beginning on Jan. 1, 2028 and continuing thereafter. It is now eligible for Floor Debate in the Senate.
The House version of the bill, House File 102 was introduced on Tuesday. The bill is individually sponsored by Representatives Ann Meyer and Joel Fry, who have long been advocates on this issue. Meyer is the Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee and Floor Manager of the bill. House File 102 passed through subcommittee on Thursday afternoon and is scheduled for consideration in the House Health and Human Services Committee on Monday.
A bill proposed by Attorney General Brenna Bird relating to increased penalties for selling drugs resulting in death, has made progress throughout the week, as well. Both chambers’ versions of the bill, Senate Study Bill 1018 and House Study Bill 44, passed through the respective Senate and House subcommittees on Wednesday. The bill would make the sale of a drug resulting in death a Class B felony, a change from the current Class C felony that is available for such a crime. A Class B felony is punishable by up to 25 years in prison, and would make the punishment of the sale of a drug resulting in a death on the same level as attempted murder and killing a person while driving intoxicated.
In contrast to the higher punishment, the bill would create an exemption for Iowa’s “Good Samaritan” Law, which provides protections for an individual who calls emergency services when they experience an overdose.
In the Know
Insurance is a mainstay of Iowa’s economy and representatives from across the state made the trip to Des Moines to participate in the annual Day on the Hill event. The industry employs more than 46,000 people with an annual payroll of over $4 billion. Iowa’s insurance GDP as a percent of total state leads the nation at 10.7%. Iowa has over 25,000 agents and brokers and 214 insurance companies are headquartered here. For the 2022 fiscal year, the Iowa Insurance Division collected approximately $154 million in insurance premium taxes and other fees, significantly contributing to the state’s general fund. In recognition of this important industry, Governor Reynolds signed a Proclamation proclaiming January 26th, 2023 as Iowa Insurance Day.
BrownWinick Government Relations
To view additional summaries from the 2023 Iowa Legislative Session or to learn more about BrownWinick’s Government Relations Team, visit our Lobbying and Public Policy team page.