This bill requires Iowa's Medicaid program to cover doula care as part of maternity services for eligible recipients. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish rules for doula certification, enrollment as providers, and fair reimbursement rates that support a livable income for doulas. The policy aims to improve birth outcomes, reduce stillbirths and infant deaths, and lower maternal mortality by expanding access to continuous physical, emotional, and informational support during pregnancy and childbirth. The bill applies specifically to Medicaid-covered maternity care under both fee-for-service and managed care models.
SF 185 establishes a state-run retirement savings trust for Iowa workers, automatically enrolling employees (with a 5% default contribution rate) through payroll deductions unless they opt out. It applies to workers in Iowa who are subject to state wage withholding, with employers of 5+ employees required to facilitate payroll deductions but not to contribute. The trust operates under federal guidelines, prohibits employer ownership of contributions, and includes provisions for annual account reports, confidentiality of participant data, and explicit disclaimers that the state does not guarantee returns or cover losses.
SSB 1068 updates Iowa's workforce development laws to align with federal requirements. It revises definitions for national service programs (like AmeriCorps and RefugeeRISE), requires local workforce boards to develop federally compliant plans, and mandates new reporting on education and job training outcomes. The bill affects the Department of Workforce Development, local workforce boards, and job seekers accessing training programs. Key changes include repealing outdated sections (84A.7-84A.11) and adding requirements for annual reports on scholarship program participation and employment outcomes.
HF 216 requires Iowa child care centers that employ workers under 18 years old to provide unsupervised care for school-age children to maintain professional liability insurance coverage for those employees. The bill directs the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to create rules mandating centers provide proof of this insurance coverage. It specifically applies to centers using teen employees (under 18) for direct child care without additional adult supervision. The law aims to protect children by ensuring insurance coverage for incidents involving minor caregivers, using existing definitions of "child care" from Iowa Code section 237A.1.
This bill exempts cash tips reported to employers via IRS Form 6053(a) from Iowa's individual income tax. It directly affects workers who receive cash tips (like servers or bartenders) and report them to employers as required by federal law. The key provision allows taxpayers to subtract these reported cash tips from their taxable income when filing state taxes. The exemption applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
HF 346 expands Iowa's state child care assistance program to cover children of parents working in child care. To qualify, parents must work at least 32 hours weekly providing direct child care at a registered facility or home (with HHS agreement), be counted in required staff ratios, and not care for their own child in home settings. Administrative staff like directors may qualify if they meet the staffing ratio requirement. Participants would pay income-based copayments, and the Department of Health and Human Services must implement the change without waiting lists for these applicants.
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Children
HF 361 exempts cash tips reported to employers via IRS Form 6053(a) from Iowa's individual income tax. It directly affects workers who receive cash tips (such as servers or bartenders) by reducing their taxable income for state tax purposes. The bill adds a provision allowing taxpayers to subtract these reported cash tips when calculating their Iowa tax liability. This change applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
HF 345 would raise Iowa's income eligibility limits for state child care assistance. It increases the monthly income cap for families needing basic care from 145% to 185% of the federal poverty level (FPL), and for special-needs care from 200% to 240% of the FPL. This change directly affects low-income families with children who require child care, allowing more households to qualify for assistance. The bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to update its administrative rules to implement these new thresholds. The change would expand access to child care support for families currently earning above the current income limits.
HF 342 expands Iowa's state child care assistance program to include children of child care workers. It creates new eligibility for children whose parent, guardian, or custodian works at least 32 hours weekly in direct child care at a registered or HHS-agreed unregistered facility, meets staffing ratios, and does not provide care for their own child at home. The bill requires eligible families to make income-based copayments and prohibits HHS from applying waiting lists to these new applicants. It also specifies that directors or administrative staff qualify if regularly counted in staffing ratios. The Department of Health and Human Services must adopt rules to implement these changes.
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Children
HF 412 modifies Iowa's child care assistance program to better support unhoused parents. It defines "unhoused" as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (including living in motels, shelters, cars, or transitional housing) and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to extend the 30-day employment-based eligibility limit for parents of children under six years old who are unhoused. The bill also exempts unhoused children from program waiting lists and mandates an expedited process for approving assistance and extensions for unhoused applicants. These changes directly affect low-income parents experiencing housing instability who are seeking work.
