Senate File 324 - Introduced
SENATE FILE 324
BY COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1139)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the health and well-being of children and
2 families including provisions for maternal support and
3 fatherhood initiatives, regional centers of excellence, a
4 state-funded family medicine obstetrics fellowship program,
5 state employee parental leave, adoption expenses under the
6 adoption subsidy program, and accessibility to the all Iowa
7 scholarship program; making appropriations; and including
8 effective date and applicability provisions.
9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 DIVISION I
2 MORE OPTIONS FOR MATERNAL SUPPORT (MOMS) PROGRAM —— FATHERHOOD
3 INITIATIVES
4 Section 1. Section 217.41C, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code
5 2023, is amended to read as follows:
6 c. For the purposes of this section, “pregnancy support
7 services” means those nonmedical services that promote
8 childbirth by providing information, counseling, and support
9 services that assist pregnant women or women who believe they
10 may be pregnant and men who are involved or who think they
11 might be involved in a pregnancy to choose childbirth and to
12 make informed decisions regarding the choice of adoption or
13 parenting with respect to their children.
14 Sec. 2. Section 217.41C, Code 2023, is amended by adding the
15 following new subsections:
16 NEW SUBSECTION. 8. The department shall develop and
17 maintain a virtual clearinghouse of pregnancy support
18 services and resources including but not limited to all of the
19 following:
20 a. Pregnancy resource center and maternity home information
21 including contact information, location, and services provided.
22 b. Assistance in accessing public assistance including but
23 not limited to the special supplemental nutrition program for
24 women, infants, and children and the supplemental nutrition
25 assistance program.
26 c. Educational resources.
27 d. Housing assistance.
28 e. Recovery and mental health services.
29 f. Family planning education.
30 g. Adoption and foster care information and services.
31 h. Healing and support services for abortion survivors and
32 their families.
33 NEW SUBSECTION. 9. Beginning July 1, 2023, and thereafter,
34 funding for the program may be used for all of the following
35 purposes:
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1 a. Fatherhood engagement grants. The department may
2 award grants to nonprofit, community-based organizations to
3 address the needs of fathers by assisting fathers in finding
4 employment, managing child support obligations, transitioning
5 from a period of incarceration, accessing health care,
6 understanding child development, and enhancing parenting skills
7 using evidence-based parenting education. Priority in the
8 awarding of grants shall be based on the demonstrated need
9 in a geographic area and the prevalence of the population to
10 be served as indicated by factors including but not limited
11 to the service area’s unemployment rate, incarceration rate,
12 number of public assistance recipients, number of single-parent
13 households, level of housing instability, and graduation rates.
14 b. Fatherhood communications initiative. The department
15 shall administer a communications initiative on responsible
16 fatherhood including but not limited to a public internet site
17 that provides access to resources on effective parenting and
18 assistance in receiving parenting support and services.
19 c. Mentoring school-aged males grant program. The
20 department may award three-year renewable grants to nonprofit
21 organizations that provide mentorship, social and academic
22 support, and life skills development to school-aged males.
23 Priority in the awarding of grants shall be based on the
24 demonstrated need in a geographic area and the prevalence of
25 the population to be served as indicated by factors including
26 but not limited to the service area’s unemployment rate,
27 incarceration rate, number of public assistance recipients,
28 number of single-parent households, level of housing
29 instability, and graduation rates. The department shall
30 provide technical assistance to grantees to ensure program
31 sustainability following the end of the three-year grant
32 period.
33 Sec. 3. MORE OPTIONS FOR MATERNAL SUPPORT PROGRAM ——
34 APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the general fund of
35 the state to the department of health and human services for
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1 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30,
2 2024, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary,
3 to be used for the purposes designated:
4 .................................................. $ 2,000,000
5 To be used for the purposes of the more options for maternal
6 support program created in section 217.41C, including for
7 program administration, the provision of services, and for
8 funding of fatherhood engagement grants, the fatherhood
9 communications initiative, and the mentoring school-aged males
10 grant program.
11 Sec. 4. 2022 Iowa Acts, chapter 1131, section 28, subsection
12 8, is amended to read as follows:
13 8. Of the funds appropriated under this section, $500,000
14 shall be used for the purposes of program administration and
15 provision of pregnancy support services through the more
16 options for maternal support program created in this Act.
17 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in this
18 subsection that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close
19 of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available
20 for the purposes designated until the close of the succeeding
21 fiscal year.
22 Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. The following, being deemed of
23 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment:
24 The section of this division of this Act amending 2022 Iowa
25 Acts, chapter 1131, section 28, subsection 8.
26 DIVISION II
27 REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE GRANT PROGRAM
28 Sec. 6. REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAM —— GRANTS ——
29 APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the general fund of
30 the state to the department of health and human services for
31 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30,
32 2024, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary,
33 to be used for the purposes designated:
34 .................................................. $ 1,000,000
35 The funds appropriated in this section shall be used for
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1 the continuation of a center of excellence program to award
2 four grants to encourage innovation and collaboration among
3 regional health care providers in a rural area based upon the
4 results of a regional community needs assessment to transform
5 health care delivery in order to provide quality, sustainable
6 care that meets the needs of the local communities. An
7 applicant for the grant funds shall specify how the funds will
8 be expended to accomplish the goals of the program and shall
9 provide a detailed five-year sustainability plan prior to being
10 awarded any funding. Following the receipt of grant funding,
11 a recipient shall submit periodic reports as specified by the
12 department to the governor and the general assembly regarding
13 the recipient’s expenditure of the funds and progress in
14 accomplishing the program’s goals.
15 DIVISION III
16 STATE-FUNDED FAMILY MEDICINE OBSTETRICS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
17 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION. 135.182 State-funded family medicine
18 obstetrics fellowship program —— fund.
19 1. The department shall establish a family medicine
20 obstetrics fellowship program to increase access to family
21 medicine obstetrics practitioners in rural and underserved
22 areas of the state. A person who has completed an
23 accreditation council for graduate medical education residency
24 program in family medicine is eligible for participation
25 in the fellowship program. Participating fellows shall
26 enter into a program agreement with a participating teaching
27 hospital which, at a minimum, requires the fellow to complete a
28 one-year fellowship and to engage in full-time family medicine
29 obstetrics practice in a rural or underserved area of the
30 state for a period of at least five years within nine months
31 following completion of the fellowship and receipt of a license
32 to practice medicine in the state.
33 2. Each fellow participating in the program shall be
34 eligible for a salary and benefits including a stipend as
35 determined by the participating teaching hospital which shall
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1 be funded through the family medicine obstetrics fellowship
2 program fund.
3 3. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter
4 17A to administer the program, including defining rural and
5 underserved areas for the purpose of the required full-time
6 practice of a person following completion of the fellowship.
7 4. a. A family medicine obstetrics fellowship program
8 fund is created in the state treasury consisting of the moneys
9 appropriated or credited to the fund by law. Notwithstanding
10 section 8.33, moneys in the fund at the end of each fiscal year
11 shall not revert to any other fund but shall remain in the fund
12 for use in subsequent fiscal years. Moneys in the fund are
13 appropriated to the department to be used to fund fellowship
14 positions as provided in this section.
15 b. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and each
16 fiscal year beginning July 1 thereafter, there is appropriated
17 from the general fund of the state to the family medicine
18 obstetrics fellowship program fund an amount sufficient to
19 support the creation of four fellowship positions as provided
20 in this section.
21 5. The department and the participating teaching hospitals
22 shall regularly evaluate and document their experiences
23 including identifying ways the program may be modified or
24 expanded to facilitate increased access to family medicine
25 obstetrics practitioners in rural and underserved areas of the
26 state. The department shall submit an annual report to the
27 general assembly by January 1. The report shall include the
28 number of fellowships funded to date and any other information
29 identified by the department and the participating teaching
30 hospitals as indicators of outcomes and the effectiveness of
31 the program.
32 6. For the purposes of this section, “teaching hospital”
33 means a hospital or medical center that provides medical
34 education to prospective and current health professionals.
35 Sec. 8. STATE-FUNDED FAMILY MEDICINE OBSTETRICS FELLOWSHIP
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1 PROGRAM AND FUND —— APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from
2 the general fund of the state to the department of health and
3 human services for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and
4 ending June 30, 2024, the following amount, or so much thereof
5 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated:
6 .................................................. $ 560,000
7 For deposit in the family medicine obstetrics fellowship
8 program fund to be utilized in creating and providing for four
9 family medicine obstetrics fellowship positions during the
10 fiscal year in accordance with the family medicine obstetrics
11 fellowship program created in this division of this Act.
12 DIVISION IV
13 STATE EMPLOYEE PAID PARENTAL LEAVE BENEFIT
14 Sec. 9. NEW SECTION. 70A.31 Paid parental leave.
15 1. A state employee entitled to leave under the federal
16 Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 shall be provided paid
17 leave for such time as specified in this section for the birth
18 or placement for adoption with the employee of a child if the
19 leave is taken within twelve months following any such birth
20 or adoption.
21 2. a. For the birth of a child, a state employee parent who
22 gave birth shall be entitled to up to four weeks of paid leave
23 and a state employee parent who did not give birth shall be
24 entitled to up to one week of paid leave.
25 b. For the placement for adoption of a child, a state
26 employee parent shall be entitled to up to four weeks of paid
27 leave.
28 3. The department of administrative services shall adopt
29 rules to implement this section.
30 DIVISION V
31 NONRECURRING ADOPTION EXPENSES —— ADOPTION SUBSIDY PROGRAM
32 Sec. 10. NEW SECTION. 234.48 Adoption subsidy ——
33 nonrecurring adoption expenses.
34 Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, the maximum
35 reimbursement provided to an adoptive parent under the
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1 adoption subsidy program for nonrecurring adoption expenses
2 is one thousand dollars. For the purposes of this section,
3 “nonrecurring adoption expenses” means the same as defined in 45
4 C.F.R. §1356.41. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to
5 chapter 17A to administer this section.
6 Sec. 11. REPEAL. 2010 Iowa Acts, chapter 1031, section 408,
7 is repealed.
8 DIVISION VI
9 ALL IOWA OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
10 Sec. 12. Section 261.87, subsection 1, paragraph b,
11 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2023, is amended to read as
12 follows:
13 “Eligible foster care student” means a person under
14 twenty-six years of age who has a high school diploma or a high
15 school equivalency diploma under chapter 259A and is described
16 by any of the following:
17 Sec. 13. Section 261.87, subsection 2, paragraph f, Code
18 2023, is amended to read as follows:
19 f. (1) Begins Except as provided in subparagraph (2),
20 begins enrollment at an eligible institution within two
21 academic years of graduation from high school or receipt of
22 a high school equivalency diploma under chapter 259A and
23 continuously receives awards as a full-time or part-time
24 student to maintain eligibility. However, the student may
25 defer or suspend participation in the program for up to two
26 years in order to pursue obligations that meet conditions
27 established by the commission by rule or to fulfill military
28 obligations.
29 (2) The requirements of subparagraph (1) do not apply to an
30 eligible foster care student.
31 Sec. 14. APPLICABILITY. This division of this Act applies
32 to applications submitted under the all Iowa opportunity
33 scholarship program established pursuant to section 261.87
34 before, on, or after the effective date of this division of
35 this Act.
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1 EXPLANATION
2 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
3 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
4 This bill relates to the health and well-being of children
5 and families. The bill is constructed in divisions.
6 DIVISION I —— MORE OPTIONS FOR MATERNAL SUPPORT (MOMS)
7 PROGRAM —— FATHERHOOD INITIATIVES. This division relates to
8 the more options for maternal support (MOMS) program. The
9 bill adds as part of the definition of “pregnancy support
10 services” services to men who are involved or think they might
11 be involved in a pregnancy. As part of the MOMS program,
12 the division requires HHS to develop and maintain a virtual
13 clearinghouse of pregnancy support services and resources. The
14 services and resources include but are not limited to pregnancy
15 resource center and maternity home information; assistance in
16 accessing public assistance including but not limited to the
17 special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and
18 children program and the supplemental nutrition assistance
19 program; educational resources; housing assistance; recovery
20 and mental health services; family planning education; adoption
21 and foster care information and services; and healing and
22 support services for abortion survivors and their families.
23 As pa