Photo: Keegan Turnbough
(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds focuses on the state's workforce shortage, opioid crisis, and more in the latest round of bill signings.
Among the 21 new laws, House File 2081 removes a test Iowa's educators need to take to obtain a teaching license. Educators are still required to complete courses and training for the license. Another law creates incentivizes social workers, psychologists, and mental health professionals to stay in Iowa. House File 2549 creates a new loan repayment program for mental health workers who practice full-time in Iowa for five years or seven years in a part-time capacity.
This round of signings also addresses childcare. House File 2127 allows child care providers to charge families on Child Care Assistance the difference between state child care assistance rates and the private pay rate at the center. The additional payments must be consented to by the family and the childcare provider. The measure was one of several recommended by Reynolds' childcare task force.
House File 2573 targets Iowa's opioid crisis by requiring pharmaceutical companies to pay into a settlement fund, using money from the fund to combat opioid misuse, and equipping first responders and school employees with medication to save Iowans experiencing an opioid overdose.
Another new law makes all-terrain vehicles legal on nearly all Iowa highways, with a few exceptions. House File 2130 does allow cities and counties to override the measure in cases of unsafe intersections. The act also requires the ATV or UTV to have headlights and mirrors, and the driver must be at least 18-years-of-age.
The USS Iowa receives $150,000 in funds from House File 2147. The act supports the christening and commission of the USS Iowa, decorating the ship with memorabilia from across the state. $75,000 will come from the state general fund, with the other half coming from the Veterans License Fee Fund.
The full list of bills signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds can be found on her website here.