Iowa 2023-2024 Regular Session

Iowa House Bill HF724

Introduced
5/1/23  

Caption

A bill for an act relating to appropriations for veterans and health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations including health policy oversight, public assistance program provisions and a public assistance modernization fund, sprinkler systems for home and community-based services waiver recipient residences, a state-funded family medicine obstetrics fellowship program and fund, adoption subsidy program nonrecurring adoption expenses, real estate transactions involving departmental institutions, providing penalties, and including effective date and other applicability date provisions.(Formerly HSB 248.)

Impact

The bill's provisions also include appropriations for various programs related to mental health, child welfare, and public assistance, allowing the Department of Health and Human Services to better address the needs of vulnerable populations. For instance, funds are allocated for the Adoption Subsidy Program, which has raised the reimbursement cap for nonrecurring adoption expenses to $1,000. This aligns with the bill’s goal to enhance support for families and children during adoption processes.

Summary

House File 724 serves as an appropriations bill aimed at funding various health and human services initiatives, including a family medicine obstetrics fellowship program designed to improve access to healthcare in rural and underserved areas in Iowa. The bill establishes a fellowship that requires participants to commit to practicing full-time in designated areas for at least five years post-completion. This initiative aims to address the shortage of healthcare providers in these regions and is supported by a dedicated fund sourced from the state treasury.

Contention

A significant point of contention within the bill is its approach to managing state healthcare expenditures, particularly concerning the allocation of funds to areas like mental health services and substance abuse disorder management. Critics have raised concerns about whether the proposed funding levels are sufficient to meet the growing needs of these programs, especially given the rising demand for mental health services following recent public health challenges. Additionally, some advocate for broader measures to ensure equitable healthcare access beyond what the fellowship program addresses.

Companion Bills

IA SSB1213

Related A bill for an act relating to appropriations for veterans and health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations, providing penalties, and including effective date and retroactive and other applicability date provisions.(See SF 561.)

IA SF561

Similar To A bill for an act relating to appropriations for veterans and health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations including health policy oversight, public assistance program provisions and a public assistance modernization fund, sprinkler systems for home and community-based services waiver recipient residences, a state-funded family medicine obstetrics fellowship program and fund, adoption subsidy program nonrecurring adoption expenses, real estate transactions involving departmental institutions, providing penalties, and including effective date and other applicability date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1213.) Effective date: 06/01/2023, 07/01/2023.

IA HSB248

Related A bill for an act relating to appropriations for veterans and health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations including health policy oversight, public assistance program provisions and a public assistance modernization fund, sprinkler systems for home and community-based services waiver recipient residences, a state-funded family medicine obstetrics fellowship program and fund, adoption subsidy program nonrecurring adoption expenses, real estate transactions involving departmental institutions, providing penalties, and including effective date and other applicability date provisions.(See HF 724.)

Similar Bills

IA HSB248

A bill for an act relating to appropriations for veterans and health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations including health policy oversight, public assistance program provisions and a public assistance modernization fund, sprinkler systems for home and community-based services waiver recipient residences, a state-funded family medicine obstetrics fellowship program and fund, adoption subsidy program nonrecurring adoption expenses, real estate transactions involving departmental institutions, providing penalties, and including effective date and other applicability date provisions.(See HF 724.)

IA SF561

A bill for an act relating to appropriations for veterans and health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations including health policy oversight, public assistance program provisions and a public assistance modernization fund, sprinkler systems for home and community-based services waiver recipient residences, a state-funded family medicine obstetrics fellowship program and fund, adoption subsidy program nonrecurring adoption expenses, real estate transactions involving departmental institutions, providing penalties, and including effective date and other applicability date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1213.) Effective date: 06/01/2023, 07/01/2023.

IA HF2698

A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations for veterans and health and human services, including other related provisions and appropriations including but not limited to the personal needs allowance for certain persons under Medicaid and the state supplementary assistance programs, replacement generation tax revenues, the Medicaid fraud and health care trust funds, the retention of certain revenues by the mental health institutes, the retention of Medicaid eligibility by residents of mental health institutes, the scope of services of the state resource centers, the appropriation of moneys in the juvenile detention home fund, the family investment program account and diversion program, the child support collection services center refund account, the quality assurance assessment payment period, the centers of excellence grant program, an assisted living program revised payment model study, funding for county commissions of veteran affairs, foster care provisions including those relating to a relative or fictive kin, health care employment agencies and health care technology platforms, medical cannabidiol practitioner requirements, nursing facility oversight, and state-funded psychiatry residency and fellowship positions, providing penalties, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions. Effective date: 05/09/2024, 07/01/2024. Applicability date: 07/01/2022, 07/01/2023.

IA SSB1213

A bill for an act relating to appropriations for veterans and health and human services and including other related provisions and appropriations, providing penalties, and including effective date and retroactive and other applicability date provisions.(See SF 561.)

IA HSB342

A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the department of veterans affairs and the department of health and human services, and related provisions and appropriations, including aging and disability services; behavioral health, public health, community access and eligibility; the medical assistance program, state supplementary assistance, Hawki, and other health-related programs; reimbursement rates; family well-being and protection; state-operated specialty care, administration and compliance; transfers, cash flows, and nonreversions; prior appropriations; the beer and liquor control fund, and the behavioral health fund; report on nonreversion of moneys; emergency rules; autism spectrum disorder; involuntary commitment hearing testimony; discharge of involuntarily committed persons; medical residency and fellowships; maintenance and costs of juvenile homes; and a hospital directed payment program; and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.(See HF 1049.)

IA SF2437

A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations for veterans and health and human services, including other related provisions and appropriations, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.(Formerly SSB 3205.)

IA SSB3205

A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations for veterans and health and human services, including other related provisions and appropriations, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.(See SF 2437.)

IA HF1049

A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the department of veterans affairs and the department of health and human services, and related provisions and appropriations, including aging and disability services; behavioral health, public health, community access and eligibility; the medical assistance program, state supplementary assistance, Hawki, and other health-related programs; sex reassignment surgeries or associated procedures; family well-being and protection; state-operated specialty care, administration and compliance; transfers, cash flows, and nonreversions; prior appropriations; the beer and liquor control fund, and the behavioral health fund; report on nonreversion of moneys; emergency rules; and a hospital directed payment program; and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions. (Formerly HSB 342.) Effective date: Enactment, 07/01/2025 Applicability date: 07/01/2024