Iowa 2023-2024 Regular Session

Iowa House Bill HF78

Introduced
1/20/23  
Introduced
1/20/23  

Caption

A bill for an act relating to fees charged to a prisoner in the custody of a county sheriff or municipality for administrative costs, room and board, and medical aid.(See HF 249.)

Impact

The proposed changes in HF78 may significantly influence how counties and municipalities manage the financial responsibilities associated with incarceration. By permitting claims for reimbursement to be approved without regard to a prisoner's ability to pay, the legislation could ease the financial burden on county budgets. However, it raises concerns about potential financial implications for low-income prisoners, who might face additional challenges due to these mandatory fees.

Summary

House File 78, introduced by Representative Wheeler, is focused on the regulations surrounding fees charged to prisoners in the custody of county sheriffs or municipalities. Specifically, the bill addresses the administrative costs, room and board, and medical aid provided to these individuals. It seeks to amend existing laws to streamline the reimbursement process for sheriffs and municipalities when they charge prisoners for these costs, necessitating court approval for claims without considering the prisoners' ability to pay.

Contention

One notable point of contention surrounding HF78 ties to the ethical implications of charging prisoners for their incarceration costs. Critics argue that enforcing such fees could exacerbate the struggles of vulnerable populations by further entrenching them in cycles of poverty and criminality. Advocates for reform and prisoner rights view the bill as a continuation of punitive measures that ignore the systemic issues connected to incarceration.

Companion Bills

IA HF249

Similar To A bill for an act relating to fees charged to a prisoner in the custody of a county sheriff or municipality for administrative costs, room and board, and medical aid.(Formerly HF 78.)

Previously Filed As

IA HF249

A bill for an act relating to fees charged to a prisoner in the custody of a county sheriff or municipality for administrative costs, room and board, and medical aid.(Formerly HF 78.)

IA HSB177

A bill for an act relating to the Medicaid program including third-party recovery and taxation of Medicaid managed care organization premiums.(See HF 525, HF 685.)

IA HF525

A bill for an act relating to the Medicaid program including third-party recovery and taxation of Medicaid managed care organization premiums.(Formerly HSB 177; See HF 685.)

IA SB228

Requiring the secretary for aging and disability services to reimburse counties for certain costs when a person is in a county jail awaiting examination, evaluation or treatment for competency, modernizing statutes concerning county jails, removing the requirement that every county shall have a jail, modifying procedures used when district courts commit prisoners to jail in another county and when counties contract with city jails to keep prisoners and requiring a medical examination before certain United States prisoners or city prisoners are taken into custody of a county jail.

IA SSB1167

A bill for an act relating to the Medicaid program including third-party recovery and taxation of Medicaid managed care organization premiums.(See SF 462, SF 567.)

IA SB303

Relative to the reimbursement of sheriffs offices for prisoner custody and control.

IA HSB136

A bill for an act relating to the release of custody of a newborn infant under the newborn safe haven Act.(See HF 425.)

IA HSB202

A bill for an act relating to the practice of pharmacy, and providing for administrative penalties.(See HF 555.)

IA HF685

A bill for an act relating to health care services and financing, including nursing facility licensing and financing and the Medicaid program including third-party recovery and taxation of Medicaid managed care organization premiums. (Formerly HF 525, HSB 177.) Effective date: 07/01/2023.

IA HSB634

A bill for an act relating to the forfeiture of property for criminal offenses and repealing civil forfeiture.(See HF 2560.)

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.