Legislative Update – WEEK 10

Week 10: IMHCA

1. Bills that have passed this week

HF 431 – Audio Only Telehealth

• A bill for an act relating to the provision of audio-only telehealth or telemedicine by health care professionals
• The rules amended or adopted by the appropriate licensure board shall ensure that the provision of the health care services through the use of interactive audio-only communication is clinically appropriate and that the patient has been provided the opportunity to receive such health care services via in-person or real-time interactive video, unless such opportunity is not reasonably available

SF 524 – Psychiatric Bed Tracking

• A bill for an act establishing an inpatient psychiatric bed tracking system study committee
  • The bill directs the DHS to convene a study committee during the 2021 interim to examine issues and develop policy recommendations relating to improvements of the inpatient psychiatric bed tracking system including but not limited to expanding the acuity of disabilities a hospital or facility is able to accept in its program to include but not be limited to persons with certain mental disabilities, behavioral disabilities, and sexually or physically aggressive behaviors; increasing reimbursement rates based on the level of care provided; and implementing enhancements to the inpatient psychiatric bed tracking system to accept and report real-time electronic data from the state mental health institutes, hospitals, and subacute mental health care facilities participating in the system

1. Upcoming bill meetings

SF 461 – Voting Members of Governing Board

• Upcoming Meeting on 3/22/21 at 12:30
  • A bill for an act relating to the voting members of a governing board of a mental health and disability services region
  • Relates to the voting members of a governing board of a mental health and disability service region. The bill limits the voting rights of the voting members of a governing board so that only a county supervisor or a county supervisor’s designee shall have the authority to vote on matters involving a mental health and disability services region’s expenditures

Hf 485 – Supervision Requirements

• A bill for an act relating to supervision requirements for licensed marital and family therapists, mental health counselors, and social workers, and including effective date provisions

1. Fiscal Notes

HJR 11: Fiscal Note: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/FN/1215310.pdf

HF 736: Fiscal Note: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/FN/1216499.pdf

1. Call to action-Moving slowly & could use assistance

   1. If you care about these call your senators because it’s still not moving

HF 294- Mental Health Telehealth Parity

1. Leadership Members

Jake Chapman: [email protected]

Jack Whitver: [email protected]

Zach Wahls: [email protected]

1. Human Resources Leaders

Jeff Eldor: [email protected]   

Mark Costello: [email protected] 

Liz Matthis: [email protected]