IAA Policy Update
February 14, 2020
During the state legislative session, the IAA sends out a bi-weekly legislative update. In these emails you'll get an update on what's going on at the State Capitol, and in Congress, as well as actions you can take to advocate for afterschool!
Federal Policy Update
President Trump's Budget Proposal
This week, President Trump released his budget proposal for FY21 that called for the total elimination of 21st Century Community Learning Centers for the fourth year in a row, which would impact 1.7 million children and families across the country. Also zeroed out was the Corporation for National and Community Service, the agency that provides funds for AmeriCorps, VISTA, and SeniorCorps volunteers.
 
The President's budget is just a suggestion, and next it goes to the House and Senate for their proposals before the two chambers come to agreement on a final appropriations bill. The IAA will be following these negotiations closely and providing updates throughout the process. For guidance on how to take action, you can visit the Afterschool Alliance's  website .
State Policy Update
First Funnel
The first funnel will be Friday, February 21st, and it is one of a few deadlines set in place to keep the legislative process moving. By this date, bills must be passed out of committee from their respective chamber (Ex. Senate files must be passed out of their Senate committee and House files must be passed out of their House committee) in order to continue in the legislative process. 

If bills are not passed out, they are considered "dead" and cannot be debated or voted on. Exceptions to this rule are Appropriations bills, Ways and Means bills, government oversight bills, and bills from leadership.

Helpful Links
Click  here  to find your legislator. You can search by address, city, school district, county, or zip code.

To find bios, contact information, and photos of all the legislators, go to the  Legislators page  on the Iowa Legislature website. Select either " Senators " or " Representatives " on the left-side menu to see a complete list of all members, including links to their information page and district map. 

For a complete list of Senate and House committees and members, click  here .

For a full list of Senate and House leadership, click  here .
IAA Action Center
IAA Day at the Capitol
Thank you to all of the youth, afterschool advocates, and legislators who were able to join us for our Afterschool Snack at the Capitol this week. We enjoyed some delicious cocoa and cookies, fun activities, and great conversations about the importance of afterschool in communities across Iowa!
Above: Senator Bisignano works with students from Willkie House in Des Moines to complete Play-Doh challenges.
Above: Representative Abdul-Samad meets with youth from Willkie House in Des Moines.
Legislation
Education
Relates to classroom management and related practitioner preparation procedures for reporting alleged classroom violence and assaults, to corporal punishment, and establishing a grant program and fund for creation of therapeutic classrooms.   Passed House Education subcommittee. A similar bill ( SF 2190 ) is in a Senate Appropriations subcommittee with Sinclair, Celsi, and Lofgren.
Requires school employee training and protocols relating to children's mental health, requiring that suicide prevention information be included on secondary student identification cards.   In House Education subcommittee with T. Moore, Gassman, and Mascher.
Relates to seizure disorders and establishes certain requirements for school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and the department of education.  Passed House Education subcommittee with amendment. A similar bill ( SF 2056 ) is in a Senate Education subcommittee with Cournoyer, Edler, and Wahls.
Relates to protocols and school employee training relating to suicide prevention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response.  In House Education subcommittee with T. Moore, Gassman, and Mascher.
Relating to the education of kindergarten through grade twelve students with characteristics of dyslexia and the preparation and licensure of practitioners who provide instruction to such students.  Introduced to the House Education Committee.
Establishes a policy prohibiting public school teachers from engaging in political or ideological advocacy while carrying out student instruction or otherwise acting within the scope of employment by a school district.  Introduced to House Education Committee.  
Relates to best practices for student engagement and expectations for student behavior.  Introduced to House Education Committee.  
Relates to sexual orientation or gender identity instruction or related materials provided by school districts to pupils.  Passed House Education subcommittee with amendment.  
Relates to public school funding by establishing a state percent of growth.  Passed House Education Committee. Amendments filed.
Requires the director of the department of education to establish a low-income student and poverty weighting work group.  Referred to House Education Committee.
Relates to a mental health service providers competitive grant program for school districts and area education agencies, reducing state aid to area education agencies, and making an appropriation.  In Senate Education subcommittee with Sinclair, Kraayenbrink, and Mathis.
Relates to the inclusion of the telephone and text numbers for the Your Life Iowa program on public school student identification cards.  Passed by the Senate Education Committee.
Establishes authority for school districts to impose additional property taxes and income surtaxes for certain school resource officer expenses under the instructional support program.  In Senate Ways and Means subcommittee with Chapman, Quirmbach, and R. Smith.
Relates to public school funding by modifying provisions relating to the regular program state cost per pupil and to appropriations to the transportation equity fund.  Passed Senate on 2/10 and passed House on 2/11. The bill will now be sent to the Governor.
Child Care
Permits businesses' new onsite daycare facilities or businesses' expansion of existing onsite daycare facilities to qualify as projects under the high quality jobs program.   Passed House Ways and Means subcommittee.
Provides businesses with income, franchise, moneys and credits, and gross premiums tax credits for providing child care benefits to employees of the business.  In House Ways and Means subcommittee with Osmundson, Bloomingdale, and James.  
Establishes a child care future zones program and fund within the economic development authority to award financial assistance to eligible persons involved in child care.  In House Economic Growth subcommittee with Wheeler, Gustafson, and Jacoby.  
Establishes a child care workforce state matching grants program and fund administered by the early childhood Iowa state board to award matching state grants to eligible communities.  Passed House Human Resources subcommittee.
Relates to the construction of child care facilities by providing developers with sales and use tax refunds and income, franchise, moneys and credits, and gross premiums tax credits.  Passed House Ways and Means subcommittee.  
Establishes a graduated eligibility phase-out program for state child care assistance.  Passed House Human Resources Committee.  
Exempts from the individual income tax the amount of pay received by a taxpayer for providing certain child care services.  In House Ways and Means subcommittee with Bloomingdale, James, and Jones.
Relates to the family income eligibility requirement for state child care assistance. In Senate Human Resources subcommittee with Costello, Edler, and Jochum.  
Relates to child care reimbursement rates under the state child care assistance program.   Passed House Human Resources Committee.
Relates to state child care assistance, including income eligibility and waiting list guidelines and copayment requirements.  Referred to House Human Resources Committee.  
Relates to the Future Ready Iowa Act and other efforts to strengthen Iowa's workforce, including a child care challenge program for working Iowans, a workforce diploma pilot program, computer science instruction, work-based learning coordinators, and the senior year plus program.  Referred to House Appropriations Committee. A similar bill ( SSB 3077 ) is in a Senate Commerce subcommittee with Sinclair, Breitbach, Koelker, Mathis, and Quirmbach.
Important Dates
February 21: First Funnel
Final date for House bills to be passed out of House committees, and Senate bills out of Senate committees.
March 20: Second Funnel
Final date for Senate bills to be passed out of House committees and House bills to be passed out of Senate committees.
April 21: Target Adjournment Date