Legislative Update – WEEK 13

April 7, 2021 – Week 13: IMHCA

1. Bills that have passed this week – THIRD FUNNEL WEEK

SF 587 – MH tax funding bill (Passed through Senate after Amendment!)

Amendment fixes several issues:
- It gives regions a 5% ending balance for cash flow issues
- It clarifies transfer of funds language to allow Polk and Broadlawns to continue working together
- It adds “one member of the children’s behavioral health system state board who is not a governing board member or child operating officer of a MHDS region” to the risk pool
- It adds the report to the Children’s behavioral health system state board
- We appreciate fixing the ending balance issues, having a growth mechanism an additional funding
- We might want to use this as the highlight for the newsletter this week

2. Need to know

SSB 1257 – Block Grants

Sections important to us:
- Section 1: Substance Abuse
  - Prevention and treatment of substance abuse block grant
  - $13,094,055 each year
- Section 2: Community Mental Health Services
  - For eligible community mental health services approved by the federal substance abuse and mental health services administration
  - $5,641,385 each year
- Section 12: Social Services
- Break down by item (dollars are per year)
  - General administration $910,649
  - Field Operations $5,446,690
  - Child and Family Services $8,324,784
  - Local Admin. And Programs $577,636
  - Volunteers $63,241
  - $15,323,000 per year total
- Section 13: Social Services Block Grant Plan
  - Details what must be included in the pain
- Section 14: Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness
  - Creates stipulations for what must be included in projects that receive money from the substance abuse and mental health service administration
  - Outlines what services will qualify for money

Bills & Rules Watch
Note	Name	Title
Audio only telehealth-support*	HF 431	A bill for an act relating to the provision of audio-only telehealth or telemedicine by health care professionals.(Formerly HF 88.)
Supervision Requirements-support*	HF 485	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.(Formerly HF 107.)
Amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa – support* Fiscal Note: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/FN/1215310.pdf	HJR 11	A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the qualifications of electors.(Formerly HSB 143.)
Continuing Education Requirements -support*	SF 354	A bill for an act relating to continuing education requirements for persons holding certain professional and occupational licenses. (Formerly SF 163.)
Governing Board-undecided*	SF 461	A bill for an act relating to the voting members of a governing board of a mental health and disability services region.(Formerly SSB 1158.)
Operation of State Government-undecided*	SF 487	A bill for an act relating to the operation of state government, including the review of state boards and the regulation of professions and occupations, and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1046.)
New BH Telehealth and Psychiatric Bed Tracking – support*	SF 524	A bill for an act establishing an inpatient psychiatric bed tracking system study committee.(Formerly SSB 1227.)
Professional Recognition-undecided* Amendment filed 4/6	SF 532	A bill for an act providing for statements of professional recognition for licensed behavior analysts and mental health counselors by the board of educational examiners and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1231.)
Mental Health Financing-undecided* Passed senate and immediate message on 4/6	SF 587	A bill for an act relating to state and local government financing, programs, and operations, by modifying provisions relating to mental health and disability services funding, school district funding, commercial and industrial property tax replacement payments, and other specified tax provisions, making appropriations, providing penalties, and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1253.)
Block Grants-undecided*	SSB 1257	A bill for an act appropriating federal moneys made available from federal block grants and other nonstate sources, allocating portions of federal block grants, and providing procedures if federal moneys or federal block grants are more or less than anticipated, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.