Happy first day of March! Session is now half-way over (we think), and our two biggest priorities remain in motion. The funding formula bill was approved in Senate Appropriations subcommittee and the College and Career Transition bill was approved (unanimously!) on the House floor. The second funnel is quickly approaching, however; we will provide more information about what that means in next week's issue!
Head's up that on Tuesday, March 5th, we will be making a presentation to the House Education Appropriations Committee on our priorities. Anyone can watch online.
Because last week was funnel week, the House and Senate have focused much of their time and attention on floor work, which means that any surviving bills are being voted on by an entire Chamber of the legislature. Here are the bills you will want to pay the most attention to in the next week.
HF 2558 requires community colleges to establish a program to allow students to complete an associate degree program while working part-time for registered employers. It also requires CCs to adopt policies and procedures that prioritizes state law over accreditation agencies, requires adoption of policies and procedures that require the prioritization of degree programs that lead to high-demand fields, and requires adoption of policies and procedures that prohibit faculty senate committees or subcommittees from having governance authority.
SF 2373 is our funding formula bill that has been reassigned to the Appropriations Committee to be revoted on by another group of individuals. This week it passed out of the new Subcommittee, and we hope that it will move on through the Committee. Because the bill has been reassigned to Appropriations, the second funnel deadline will not apply to this bill.
HF 2550 is the clean-up bill regarding the Governor's Reorganization bill from last session. We are continuing to monitor this bill and the significant change it would make to Adult Literacy. This bill was referred to Ways and Means, so it is also safe from the second funnel. A fiscal note was released on this bill.
HF 2539 increases the penalty for violation by a member of a governmental body of open records laws to no more than $2,500 and no less than $500 in damages. A fiscal note was released on this bill.
HF 2613 establishes the state percent of growth of 3 percent for K-12 schools. It has now passed the House on a 60-36 vote, largely split on party lines, and has now been attached to its counterpart in the Senate SF 2258.
HF 2299 authorizes a government body to provide a requested public record in a reasonable format. It passed the House on a 91-6 vote and has now been assigned to the State Government committee in the Senate.
HF 2453 covers the offense of a public employee or public official taking money from a public employer. A fiscal note was released on this bill.
HF 2539 changes the punishment of violating an open meetings law by increasing the fine amounts. It has now passed the House on a 92-2 vote, has been assigned to the State Government committee in the Senate and is awaiting a Subcommittee on the issue.
HF 2586 allows school employees to obtain a permit to carry weapons. A fiscal note has been released.
SF 108 prohibits employers from knowingly employing unauthorized aliens. A fiscal note has been released. The bill passed the Senate on a 30-17 vote, largely divided on party lines.
SF 2391 requires community colleges to establish policies that prohibit the purchase of a food product that is misbranded as a meat product or that is a cultivated-protein food product. A fiscal note has been released. This passed the Senate on a 49-0 vote and has been assigned to the House Agriculture committee. It now awaits a subcommittee meeting.
HF 2615 exempts CCTCs from the cap on shared operational functioning for supplementary weighting purposes. As our second priority, it has now passed the House on a 95-0 vote, which brings it one step closer to surviving the second funnel!
For more info, our Bill Tracker is up-and-running and more details will be available here: 2024 Bill Tracker | Community Colleges for Iowa (ccforiowa.org)