Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Governor Culver Takes Action On 25 Bills
(Des Moines) – Today, Governor Chet Culver signed the following bills:
House File 830: This bill makes some corrective changes to the process and requirements for the letting of public improvement projects.
House File 896: This Bill creates a Disaster Aid Individual Assistance Grant Fund.
Senate File 421: This bill makes some corrective changes to workers compensation law insurance policy and debt collection. It clarifies the coverage that employers must get by stating that they must have a workers compensation insurance policy that does not specifically exclude domestic and farm workers. It also changes the law to provide that health insurance providers cannot seek funds, including through debt collection, while a case is pending before the workers’ compensation commissioner, they must wait until there is a ruling.
House File 368: This bill which cleans up Code sections dealing with inspection of boilers and steam pressure vessels.
House File 397: This bill establishes the same standards for inspection reports and issuance of certificates regardless of whether the inspection was performed by a special inspector or an inspector who is a state employee. It also creates the same authority for the commissioner to limit use of equipment pending repairs or replacement regardless of whether the inspection was performed by a special inspector or an inspector who is a state employee.
House File 499: This bill is the Insurance Division’s miscellaneous (omnibus) department bill. It makes technical and clean up corrections to the Code addressing release of posted security in formerly self-funded workers compensation plans, consistency in premium tax computation and dates of hearings, subpoena and company examination authority, reporting and filing requirements, the external review process for medical claims, and continuing education requirements for agents.
House File 546: This bill changes the procedures regarding membership of election boards. It is designed to provide county auditors with more options when it comes to finding election-day workers because finding workers on election day has become more difficult, especially in smaller towns.
House File 608: This bill changes the public notice requirements for meetings of the board of township trustees.
House File 651: This bill makes changes to corporate law based on Model Business Corporation Act.
House File 742: This bill changes and streamlines DNR procedures in regulating and registering snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles.
House File 767: This bill extends eligibility for certain benefits including the Injured Veterans Grant program to injured veterans who are not residents of Iowa, but were attached to an Iowa National Guard or Reserve unit at the time of their post-9/11/01 deployment and were injured in the line of duty.
House File 793: HF 793 proposes miscellaneous changes to the duties and responsibilities of the Department of Transportation.
House File 906: This bill requires children to show proof that they have had a dental screening between the ages of 3 and 6 and prior to enrolling in elementary school, and again in high school. It does not bar initial enrollment into elementary school or high school. The local school districts will be responsible for enforcing the requiremements of the bill.
House File 910: This bill directs the Department of Health to convene a task force on postnatal tissue and fluid banking.
Senate File 212: This bill protects certain identity information contained in documents recorded with the county recorder and increases salary limits for certain deputy officers.
Senate File 254: This bill makes technical corrections to the Family Investment Program (FIP) administered by the Department of Human Services that bring the program into compliance with the federal Deficit Reduction Act requirements. It also changes the income disregard from 50 percent to 58 percent, allowing indigent family members to keep more of what they earn as they work their way out of poverty.
Senate File 265: This bill redefines an asbestos project as an asbestos removal or encapsulation activity that affects a building or structure, and includes removing materials containing asbestos from the site of a demolition or collapse.
Senate File 333: This bill corrects outdated references in the Code and fixes errors made when legislation was originally drafted.
Senate File 336: The legislation lowers the population limits to cities with populations over 8,000 but not exceeding 70,000. Cities over 70,000 may establish the number of commissioners by ordinance at not less than three.
Senate File 435: This bill provides additional flexibility regarding the use of youth deer hunting licenses.
Senate File 447: This bill reinstates incentives for school district reorganizations, and provides new incentives for school district sharing of operational functions and area education agency sharing of operational functions.
Senate File 469: This bill allows a manufacturer of motor homes that is licensed in this state to display and sell its motor homes at a camping rally sponsored and conducted by the manufacturer for members of a club composed of owners of motor homes manufactured by the manufacturer.
Senate File 538: This bill deals with a parent’s cause of action for the recovery of expenses and actual loss of services, companionship, and society resulting from the injury to or death of a child.
Senate File 539: This bill creates standard financing language, which can be inserted into future legislation authorizing the issuance of obligations by the state, state authorities, and state agencies.
Senate File 540: This bill deals with trusts and estates including fiduciaries and beneficiaries. Applicability dates are also included.