DES MOINES – Several new laws take effect on July 1 in Iowa, the start of the state’s new fiscal year.
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed well over 130 bills in the legislative session that ended this spring. The following are some highlights as submitted by Representative Sharon Steckman of Mason City:
Investing in Iowa’s Future and Rural Iowa
- Revamped our career and job training programs starting in high school to help close Iowa’s skilled workforce gap (HF 2392)
- Incentivized biofuels to help our rural economies grow (SF 2309)
- Expanded the use of tele-pharmacy in “pharmacy deserts” in rural areas of Iowa (SF 453)
Protecting Iowans
- Created new oversight to ensure no Iowan falls through the cracks during the transition to Medicaid privatization (HF 2460)
- Formed a new office to combat Human Trafficking and expanded the definition of child abuse to include sex trafficking to keep more children safe (SF 2258 & HF 2191)
- Prevented additional types of synthetic drugs from getting into the hands of kids (SF 2116)
Supporting Iowa’s Veterans
- Created one place for employers to get Veterans preference information to make it easier for Veterans to land a job after serving our country (HF 2415)
- Ensured that unclaimed cremated remains that belong to a Veteran get a proper burial at a state or federal Veteran’s cemetery (HF 2266)
- Made it easier for a Veteran to receive a Veterans designation on their driver’s license (SF 2187)
For a full list of bills that become law on July 1, log on to www.iowahouse.org.
