In the tenth week of session, we focused on a number of issues, such as improving access to healthcare, easing regulations, and cutting red tape. During debate this week, I floor-managed my first bill in the Iowa Senate. SF 399 was a regulatory bill addressing spray pads, swimming pools, and spas owned or operated by local/state governments, commercial interests, or certain private entities. It passed on a 48-0 vote. Senate Republicans released our target budget for this year. Our budget target for the next fiscal year is $8.486 billion, the same target Governor Reynolds put forward.
There were several identified regulations that Iowa would be better without. Here is how we helped eliminate those unnecessary regulations in the Iowa Senate this week. SF 455 provided relief on over-regulation of stormwater by local governments. This issue rarely makes the news or is high profile, but it is another in a long line of regulations at every level of government, making the cost of living too high. SF 455 says local governments cannot regulate topsoil beyond the standards set by the DNR. This language provides clarity for small businesses working to build affordable housing and avoid the added costs inherent in excessive regulation.
SF 219 also passed the Iowa Senate this week. SF 219 would eliminate the requirement for a tattoo artist to have a high school diploma or GED. Iowa was one of the four states left to have this regulation in place. If this legislation passes the House and is signed by the Governor, it will be enacted. Healthcare has been a large focus for this session. We recognize the demand for healthcare professionals, especially in rural Iowa. SF 477 is another step in the right direction for Iowa’s healthcare community. International doctors in countries with well-developed healthcare educational systems will find fewer hurdles to employment and licensing in Iowa with the passage of SF 477. This bill removes requirements for doctors in a handful of countries like Ireland, Israel, and New Zealand to practice in Iowa without repetitive and duplicative training delaying their ability to work here. All three bills passed this week had the same goal: to address the overregulation in areas of the Iowa economy and improve the quality of life in this state.
Senate File 251 expands the definition of administrative costs within the Iowa code. Currently, the code states administrative expenditures must not exceed five percent of a district’s general fund. The bill defines administrative expenditures as those which do not relate directly to students and their instruction. This definition includes salaries for administrators and office staff, school administration, general administration, and data processing and collection services. The bill exempts schools with less than 1,000 students so we are not inhibiting schools that rely on sharing agreements or rural and small schools from being able to provide essential services. SF 251 passed in the Senate.
I encourage my constituents to contact me using my legislative email ([email protected]) with any comments, questions, or concerns. I look forward to another great week of representing the people of District 42.