Thompson Times

This past week was funnel week.  It is a self-imposed deadline for bills brought forward by individual legislators to get through a subcommittee and a full vote in its assigned committee. Roughly there were about 300 House Study Bills and 850 House File Bills.  After discussion in committee meetings and chairman, there were approximately 360 bills that will be eligible for debate in the House.  The next stage is for delving into the bills, discussing them in detail and deciding if the bill needs amendments or if it should come to the chamber for a floor vote.  Below are a few of the bills which have survived the funnel.

HSB 99 – Pharmacy Benefit Managers- This bill includes the following additional regulations of PBMs in Iowa:

•Prohibits a PBM or insurer from discriminating against a pharmacy if the pharmacy is acting within its license and all laws. 

•Prohibits the removal of pharmacy choice or imposing any monetary advantages or penalties that result in removing pharmacy choice (including unnecessary specialty drug designations and requiring use of mail order pharmacies)

•Prohibits additional cost-sharing on the insured based on where they choose to have their prescription filled

•Requires all rebates to benefit the insured

•Requires any amount paid by the insured for the prescription drug to be applied to their deductible

•Requires PBMs to reimburse pharmacies based on acquisition cost

•Prohibits spread pricing unless all cost differential is provided to the insured

•Requires pharmacies have an appeals process if not reimbursed at acquisition cost

HF 303 – Prior Authorization- This bill sets up timelines for response from health insurers on prior authorizations, requires insurers to review health care services that require prior auth, requires a prior auth exemption program with each health insurer and a report submitted to the Insurance Division on the effectiveness of their program.

HF 318 – Breast Imaging Cost Sharing- This bill requires insurers to provide the same cost-sharing requirements for supplemental breast examinations and diagnostic breast examinations as they do for mammograms.

House Study Bill 200- Age-Appropriate Firearms Safety Instruction

House Study Bill 200 mandates that by July 1, 2026, all Iowa school districts must implement age-appropriate firearm safety instruction for students in grades K-12. The program for younger students (K-6) will be based on the Eddie Eagle GunSafe program, while the curriculum for grades 7-12 will follow the National Rifle Association's hunter education course. School districts are required to offer this instruction to all students, including those in nonpublic schools, and can conduct classes off school property. The bill also specifies that instructors do not need to be licensed teachers. 

House Study Bill 266 -Cancer Screening Benefits for First Responders

This week the State Government Committee passed a monumental piece of legislation to further protect the first responders across Iowa who protect and rescue Iowans every day. HSB 266was reported out of State Government Committee unanimously. The bill would amend Iowa Code to ensure that all types of cancer are covered for Iowa’s firefighters. Currently there are only 14 types of cancer that are covered under the presumption that it was contracted while on active duty because of the job. There are over 200 types of diagnosable cancers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters. Research shows that due to the carcinogenic materials and the significantly greater exposure to chemicals, gases, vapors, and particles that firefighters are 9% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the general population and 14% higher risk of dying of cancer than the general population. If enacted this legislation would provide coverage to all cancers and alleviate concern when a firefighter gets a life altering diagnoses that they must wonder if their cancer treatment will be covered. 

Obviously with well over 300 pieces of legislation making it through funnel, it is not possible to list them all.  I put forward 5 separate bills.  Each of them has strong bipartisan support.  HF463 is to create an enhanced multidisciplinary force to combat human trafficking, prosecute the criminals and find care and protection for the victim. Because this proposal has a significant price, it is being combined with another bill I created to help with the funding.  HF601 is being combined with HF463 and moved to the Ways and Means committee.  HF669 is referred to as expungement.  Victims of trafficking are forced into behavior under force, fraud and coercion.  Often their credit and criminal record will not allow them to move on after being rescued. Iowa was one of only three remaining state that did not have laws regarding expungement. HF 458 is the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) bill.  It standardizes the process to do these exams.  There have been multiple times a criminal has been let go and are out walking the streets again due to the process of exam being found at fault and thereby not allowing the criminal prosecution to proceed.   My final bill is HF 751 – Restitution.  If you recall, there was a murder of one of our policemen, Mark Cram, in Algona in 2023.  Our state has no enforcement mechanism to pay restitution to a murder victim’s family. This bill will correct this significant deficiency.

The next big bill getting rolled out by Ways and Means is HSB 313.  It is a property tax reboot.  As of now, the drafters are looking for input from county, local governments, and citizens to help draft the best legislation possible to address property taxes.