Sen. Kevin Lundberg

Joint Budget Committee. On July 1, 2017, the bill requires the state treasurer to transfer money from the general fund as follows: $2,272,727 million to the forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation grant program cash fund; $4,090,909 million to the species conservation trust fund; $2,452,193 million to the division of parks and outdoor recreation aquatic nuisance species fund; and $1,184,171 million to the division of wildlife aquatic nuisance species fund.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Joint Budget Committee. The bill creates the open educational resources council (council) in the department of higher education (department). The council includes persons appointed by the executive director of the department from public institutions of higher education, the executive director of the department, the commissioner of education, and the state librarian. The bill directs the department to contract with an entity to evaluate the existing use of open educational resources by public institutions of higher education. The council must facilitate the work of the contracting entity, and, taking into account the findings of the contracting entity, recommend initiatives to expand the use of open educational resources. The council must report the findings of the contracting entity and its recommended initiatives to the joint budget committee and the education committees of the general assembly by November 20, 2017. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Joint Budget Committee. The bill creates the 2013 flood recovery account in the disaster emergency fund. On July 1, 2017, the state treasurer is required to transfer $12.5 million from the general fund to the account. The account consists of money from this transfer and any money that the general assembly appropriates to the account in the future. Money in the account is only available for the governor to use for the costs associated with the response and recovery from the flood that occurred in the state in 2013. The account is repealed on June 30, 2021, at which time the state treasurer will transfer any remaining balance back to the general fund.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill establishes a private school tuition income tax credit for income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2018, that allows any taxpayer to claim a credit when the taxpayer enrolls a dependent qualified child in a private school or the taxpayer provides a scholarship to a qualified child for enrollment in a private school and the private school issues the taxpayer a credit certificate for either enrolling a dependent qualified child in the private school or providing a scholarship to a qualified child for enrollment in the private school. The credit may be carried forward for 3 years but may not be refunded, and the department of revenue is granted rule-making authority. In addition, the credit may be transferred, subject to certain limitations. The amount of the credit is: For any qualified child attending a private school on a full-time basis as described in the state board of education rules, an amount equal to either the tuition paid or the scholarship provided to a qualified child, as applicable, or 50% of the previous year's state average per pupil revenues, whichever is less; and For any qualified child attending a private school on a half-time basis as described in the state board of education rules, an amount equal to either the tuition paid or the scholarship provided to a qualified child, as applicable, or 25% of the previous year's state average per pupil revenues, whichever is less. The bill also establishes an income tax credit for income tax years commencing on or after January 1, 2018, that allows any taxpayer who uses home-based education for a qualified child to claim an income tax credit in an amount equal to: $1,000 for a taxpayer who uses home-based education for a qualified child who was enrolled on a full-time basis as described in the state board of education rules in a public school in the state prior to being taught at home; and $500 for a taxpayer who uses home-based education for a qualified child who was enrolled on a half-time basis as described in the state board of education rules in a public school in the state prior to being taught at home. The credit may be carried forward for 3 years but may not be refunded. In addition, the credit may be transferred, subject to certain limitations. The bill decreases the general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2017-18 state fiscal year to the department of education for the state share of districts' total program funding by $50,000,000. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

The bill specifies that it is not a discriminatory practice for a private business to decline to contract to provide goods or services: That convey a message with which the business chooses not to associate itself or with which the business owner disagrees; or For an event that conveys a message with which the business chooses not to associate itself or with which the business owner disagrees.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill ensures that women are fully and accurately informed about their personal medical conditions regarding their pregnancies and health care options. Current medical procedures already use ultrasound technology to provide information regarding the gestational age of a child in utero. The bill ensures that a woman has the opportunity to see or forego seeing her ultrasound. The bill gives the woman a choice between an abdominal or vaginal ultrasound. The bill allows a woman the opportunity to find a provider of ultrasound technology that will provide the service free of charge. The bill requires that a woman be given full and accurate information regarding her abortion. The bill describes the information that the physician performing the abortion provides to the woman, and gives the woman an opportunity to sign or refuse to sign a receipt of information. The bill requires the abortion provider to provide certain information to the woman at least 24 hours prior to performing an abortion. The bill creates a civil right of action for noncompliance with the requirements, making a physician's noncompliance with the requirements unprofessional conduct and making a violation of the requirements a crime. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

The bill creates the 'Transparency in Health Care Prices Act', which requires health care professionals and health care facilities to make available to the public the health care prices they assess directly for common health care services they provide. Health care professionals and facilities are not required to submit their health care prices to any government agency for review or approval. Additionally, the act prohibits health insurers, government agencies, or other persons or entities from penalizing a health care recipient, provider, facility, employer, or other person or entity who pays directly for health care services or otherwise exercises rights under or complies with the act. The bill takes effect January 1, 2018. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)