It’s the week before funnel!

It’s the week before the first legislative funnel deadline. Most House bills must pass a full committee by the end of next week in order to stay alive. This was a busy week full of subcommittee and committee meetings as we work to make sure our priorities advance. I look forward to reporting which of my bills survive the first funnel after next week!

Tobacco and Cancer

Iowans have been loud and clear that they expect the legislature to take action regarding cancer in our state. And as a healthcare professional who happens to be a legislator, I feel it is my responsibly to bring solutions for conversation. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Iowa – and in our nation. Smoking kills 5,100 Iowans EACH YEAR and sickens tens of thousands more.

It’s been nearly 20 years – since 2007 – since Iowa has increased its cigarette tax. But since that time healthcare costs have increased significantly. Smoking costs Iowa taxpayers nearly 1.5 Billion dollars each year in Medicaid and Medicare.

And while lawmakers, myself included, don’t like raising taxes, we have a responsibility to have this conversation when this specific tax is a proven way to significantly reduce tobacco-related illness and death and to protect our families. This is why I have introduced a bill to increase Iowa’s cigarette tax and to modernize the tax to cover new products that are marketed to Iowa’s children. Iowa taxpayers are on the hook for paying for tobacco related health care expenses through Medicaid and other programs. This bill will allow for tobacco money to cover public tobacco related expenses while also reducing Iowa’s cancer rates and protecting our children from lifetimes of tobacco addiction.

School SSA Funding

As a product of public schools and a parent of children in public, I strongly support ensuring our schools have funding necessary to provide excellent education to our children. The Iowa House continues to advocate for strong SSA funding and paraeducator funding for our public schools. As with anything, there are 150 legislators and the Governor who are part of making decisions.

The state allocates the majority of our state budget to education with significant annual increases.

As per pupil funding has increased, enrollment has decreased while the number of employees has risen dramatically. We should have conversations about ensuring that money spent achieves the best outcomes for our students in the classroom.

Republicans Focus Welfare Programs on True Safety-Net

This week, the House Health and Human Services Committee introduced House Study Bill 696, that focuses Iowa’s public assistance programs on caring for disabled Iowans and preparing able-bodied adults for life after welfare. This bill builds on the work of the legislature the last several years with work requirements for able-bodied adults, healthy food standards for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and asset testing for SNAP. These bills set reasonable expectations for taxpayer funds, ensure dignity in work and emphasize that safety-net programs for low-income Iowans are not intended to be lifelong government dependent programs.

House Study Bill 696 does the following:

Helping the Disabled:

Makes the following changes to the Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities Program: Expands eligibility from 250% FPL to 300% FPL. DHHS estimates this will cost $3 million in FY27, $5 million in FY28 and $9.7 million in FY29.

Excludes pension accounts from income eligibility determinations. DHHS estimates this will cost $1.275 million in FY27, $1.945 million in FY28 and $3.8 million in FY29.

Strikes limits on DHHS charging premiums

• Requires DHHS to maintain a website for individuals to pay premiums electronically

• Requires a study and annual reporting on Medicaid Exceptions to Policy

• Requires an increased base reimbursement rate for HCBS providers in rural areas to cover the travel time and expenses incurred

• Requires DHHS to amend rules regarding the rates of special population nursing facilities to allow for the transfer of high-needs individuals from ChildServe to On With Life.

• Requires DHHS to convene a work group to examine the unique service needs of high-acuity pediatric recipients of Medicaid and hawk-I with a report due to the legislature.

OBBB Implementation:

OBBB requires states to cost share in SNAP costs if payment error rate exceeds 6% beginning in FFY2028 and removes the ability for a state to waive erroneous excessive payments under Medicaid if they exceed 3% error rate.

This bill requires DHHS to submit quarterly reports to the legislature detailing SNAP and Medicaid error rates.

This bill seeks multiple waiver requests regarding the SNAP error rate including excluding individuals under 22 years of age from income, allow for automated sources to determine eligibility/benefits, require benefits to be used within 3 months, only attribute the errors of DHHS to the SNAP error rate and require all information at initial application for the applicant.

Requires full implementation of SF494 from 2023 by Jan. 1, 2027.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work hard on your behalf in Des Moines! Follow “Barker for Iowa” on social media channels to stay up to date on my work. Please reach out to me about any questions, concerns, or suggestions at brett.barker@legis.iowa.gov.