Final legislative action completed

Last week, the work of the 2015 legislative session became final after Gov. Terry Branstad took action on 14 bills. Branstad chose to approve six, veto one in its entirety, and line-item veto seven. A brief breakdown of the vetoes are listed below:

Line item vetoes:
HF 666 - One Time Spending: Final compromise bill that appropriated nearly $135 million to many different areas. Several items were vetoed including $55.7 million to K-12 funding, $8.77 million to community colleges and regents, and $1.81 million for operating costs at the Clarinda State Mental Health Institute. Read more here.
HF 650 - Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund: Removed general fund appropriations for software relating to the licensure and regulation of the practice of polysomnography and funding for operation expenses for the Congenital and Inherited Disorders Registry. Read more here.
HF 651 - E911 Emergency Communications Fund: Removes policy provisions including language relating to selection of a provider for the statewide interoperable public safety communications system and adjusting the E911 pass-through rates. Read more here.
SF 497 - Justice Systems Appropriations: Removes policy provisions pertaining to the Department of Corrections including management and staffing requirements. Read more here.
SF 499 - Economic Development/Workforce Appropriations: Removes a policy provision that would have subjected certain administrators to the merit system rather than at-will designation. Read more here.
SF 505 - Health and Human Services Appropriations: Removes funding for Mount Pleasant and Clarinda Mental Health Institutes as well as several other policy provisions and appropriations. Read more here.
SF 510 - Standings Appropriations: Removes a provision that would have moved funding for the State Appeal Board from the General Fund to the Economic Emergency Fund, removed a provision that would have required health insurance carriers to provide certain disclosures regarding internal appeals processes and prescription drug coverage, and removed a provision that would have set aside a one-time funding source to fund possible raises for judges in future years. Read more here.

Vetoed in its entirety:
HF 652: Creates an underground storage tank cost share grant program and directs the Iowa comprehensive petroleum underground storage tank fund board to conduct a study on the status of underground storage tank cleanup efforts. Read more here. 

ABI's public policy team will have a conference call on Wednesday at 9 a.m. to discuss the outcome of the 2015 legislative session, including the veto actions taken by Branstad. Learn more about the line item vetoes listed above and how other changes could affect your business. To participate, RSVP to Michelle Vollstedt atmvollstedt@iowaabi.org or 515-235-0561.