House Republican newsletter

Budget Priorities for FY2020

Children’s Mental Health

     Last session, with complete bipartisan support, the legislature passed a comprehensive mental health bill to fill gaps in Iowa’s adult mental health system. House File 2456 increased access to mental health services and created new services for urban and rural communities in Iowa. By removing the statewide sub-acute bed cap and adding new services to the core list required by Iowa’s 14 Mental Health and Disability Service (MHDS) Regions, this bill helps deescalate mental health patients before crisis and wraps services around them when they are prepared to return home.

     Building off of last year’s comprehensive mental health bill for adults, the legislature is now focusing on building the foundation for a children’s mental health system. This week, the House Human Resources unanimously passed House Study Bill 206. This bill develops Iowa’s first coordinated children’s mental health system. This bill ensures that there is local access and coordination to mental health services for children, and that parents have a place to turn when seeking treatment for their child.

Future Ready Iowa

     Ensuring that Iowans have the job skills needed by Iowa’s employers is one of the biggest issues facing this state. The House Majority has committed to fund implementation of the Future Ready Iowa program that was created last year. This will include $15 million for assisting community college students with the Last Dollar Scholar program and $1 million for helping those who started four-year degrees in certain fields to go back to college and finish them.

Additional Medicaid Funding for Nursing Homes

     With the growing number of nursing home residents whose care is covered by Medicaid, nursing homes are facing tighter operating budgets. To help ensure Iowans have access to this important level of care in their local communities, the House Majority is planning to provide an additional $19 million of General Fund dollars to Iowa’s Medicaid program to increase the daily nursing home payment rate. These funds will also help control the growth of private pay rates in nursing homes.

Protecting Iowan’s Safety

     Iowa’s safe communities are a big drawing card for this state. The House Majority budget will build on this by providing an additional $3.8 million for the Department of Public Safety in FY 2020. These commitments will allow DPS to bring on additional troopers and DCI agents in the next year.

Expanding Access to Health Care in Rural Iowa

     Having trained health care providers is necessary to having functioning hospitals and nursing homes across Iowa. And to attract health care providers to rural communities sometimes requires additional steps to make this appealing to new practitioners. To help more communities attract doctors, the House Majority will be taking two steps. First, we will provide an additional $400,000 for medical residency programs and dedicating these funds to those who will practice in rural Iowa. Also, the House Majority will increase funding for the Rural Primary Loan Repayment program by $300,000. This program helps communities attract and retain newly licensed doctors.

Continuing Iowa’s Investment in Higher Education

     Increasing support for Iowans seeking higher education will be part of the FY 2020 budget beyond what is included in Future Ready Iowa. Increases for all three legs of Iowa’s higher education system will be part of the House Majority budget. Community Colleges will receive an additional $7 million in FY 2020 under the House Majority plan.