Moore on the Issues: 3/31/23

March 31st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – As we turn the calendar from March into April, Griswold District 18 Republican Representative Thomas Moore, Friday, issued a summary of bills that passed this week, and other matters discussed in the Iowa House. Moore said week 12 of the legislative session was the second and final funnel week. Friday March 31st is the final day for bills to pass through committee in order to advance. His higlighted bill of the week was SF228, which as amended, caps the amount each individual plaintiff can recover for non-economic damages in a case of personal injury or death in a civil action at $5 million dollars. Caps shall not apply if the trial court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the negligent act involved the following which are a few of the exceptions:

It also clarifies when an employer can be held liable for negligent hiring. Economic damages (medical costs, loss of wages, etc.) and punitive damages still apply and are not capped. It’s only non-economic damages which are those that can’t be calculated such as: pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional pain, etc. The bill was approved in the Iowa House as written.

Moore said the health and human services committee met Wednesday morning and passed two bills through committee, SF219 and SF326. Moore served on the subcommittee for SF219.

He said SF326 adds Epi pens and contraceptives to the list of allowed pharmacist statewide protocols for those 18-years and older. Moore said also, the education committee met Thursday morning and passed four bills. SF250 changes the date to September 30 of the following year for a recipient of a Computer Science PD Fund grant. SF484 deals with the School Finance Review Committee being approved. SF252 requires the regent institutions to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant persons or those who recently gave birth.

Lastly, Moore said the Medicaid Public Health Emergency is finally set to end.

He said “The law requires states to publish monthly reports on those individuals disenrolled and if they were connected with alternative health insurance. Now, till the end of the year, Iowa will continue to receive some enhanced federal funding as those ineligible members are gradually taken off the program.” Moore reports Iowa Medicaid is prioritizing work on redeterminations for those who have not had a successful renewal completed in the past 12 months.

Also included in his weekly report, Representative Thomas Moore mentioned Adam Bierbaum of the Cass County Corn Growers Association visited the Capitol Wednesday afternoon. He said “We had a great discussion about the Grain Indemnity Fund and the bill from the Senate that scoops money from the Corn Growers Fund. We also discussed the CO2 pipeline bill which has died in the Senate and its effects on Iowa’s farmers.”