Rep. Josh Turek

Maddy summaryHF 738 establishes a state grant program to fund repairs for mobility devices and workplace accessibility improvements for people with disabilities and their employers. The program is funded by redirecting fines from parking violations involving disabled placards (specifically under Code sections 321L.2A, 321L.3, 321L.4, and 321L.7) into a dedicated state fund. The Department of Health and Human Services will administer the program, creating rules for eligibility, applications, and funding criteria. Moneys in the fund are specifically designated for these grants and cannot be used for other purposes.

Maddy summaryHF 739 requires Iowa's Medicaid dental plan contractors to set payment rates for dental providers equal to those paid under the Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa (Hawki) program for children. This change directly affects dental providers who treat Medicaid-eligible adults in Iowa, aiming to increase their participation in the Medicaid dental wellness plan. The bill mandates that reimbursement rates for adult dental services align with Hawki rates to improve access to dental care for Medicaid members. The goal is to address current low provider participation by making the Medicaid dental program more financially attractive.

Maddy summaryHF 745 allows Iowa cities to prohibit corporations or business entities using private equity funds, hedge funds, or real estate funds from purchasing single-family homes between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2030. This directly affects large investment firms and corporate landlords seeking to buy residential properties in local communities. Cities could implement this restriction through local ordinances during the five-year period, which automatically expires after 2030. The bill aims to limit corporate ownership of single-family homes to promote community welfare, without affecting individual homebuyers or non-corporate entities.

Maddy summaryHF 740 limits rent increases for current tenants in Iowa residential rentals and mobile home parks. Landlords cannot raise rents more than three times the Midwest consumer price index (CPI) increase over the past year or the assessed property value increase (whichever is higher), whichever is greater. Mobile home park tenants must receive written notice of any rent increase at least 90 days before it takes effect. The bill directly affects existing renters in these housing types by capping annual rent hikes based on economic or property value metrics.

Maddy summaryHF 671 removes gender restrictions from Iowa's marriage laws. It amends the statute to state that "a party who otherwise meets the requirements... is eligible to marry any other such party regardless of gender," replacing previous language specifying "a marriage between a male and a female." The bill also updates related provisions, including void marriage definitions and a new section stating marriage is the "legally recognized union of two eligible parties," requiring all future legal interpretations of marriage terms to align with this gender-neutral definition. This change directly affects any individuals seeking marriage in Iowa who meet other statutory requirements, regardless of gender.

Maddy summaryHF 661 creates a comprehensive child care package in Iowa. It expands the state's child and dependent care tax credit to match the federal credit amount (retroactive to 2025), establishes a state grant program to raise wages and provide health insurance/benefits for child care workers, and introduces a new small business tax credit for employers offering on-site or nearby child care (capping at $3,000 per employee annually, with a total $2 million annual limit). The bill also adjusts state child care assistance eligibility, raising required work hours for parents and increasing income thresholds to 265% (basic care) and 290% (special needs) of the federal poverty level, while requiring state reimbursement rates to match private-pay rates. These changes directly affect child care workers, small employers providing child care benefits, and low-income families seeking state assistance.

Maddy summaryHF 664 allows nursing home residents or their representatives (such as family members or legal guardians) to use electronic monitoring devices (like cameras) in their rooms, with strict consent requirements. Residents must provide written consent or have their representative consent if they lack capacity, and roommates in shared rooms must also consent in writing. If a roommate objects, the facility must try to move one resident to an available shared room (with the resident paying a private room rate if they choose a private space). The bill requires facilities to document consent and allows residents to withdraw consent or adjust monitoring conditions at any time.

Maddy summaryHF 662 allocates $2.5 million from Iowa's general fund to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for fiscal year 2024-2025 to support refugee resettlement services. The funds are specifically for nonprofit resettlement agencies partnering with the U.S. Department of State to assist refugees in Iowa, covering costs like housing, employment, and healthcare. HHS must distribute the money proportionally to each agency based on the number of refugees they sponsor, and all funds must be disbursed within seven days of the bill taking effect. This direct funding supports refugees and the nonprofits providing their resettlement services in Iowa.

Maddy summaryHF 677 designates correctional officers employed by the Iowa Department of Corrections as "public safety employees" under Iowa's Public Employment Relations Act (Chapter 20). This reclassifies them for collective bargaining purposes, placing them under the same procedures as police and firefighters rather than standard public employees. Key provisions include amending the law to explicitly include correctional officers in the definition of public safety employees, which applies to all collective bargaining negotiations starting after the bill's effective date. As a result, correctional officers will now access specific bargaining procedures related to negotiation scope, arbitration, and city civil service matters that were previously unavailable to them.

Maddy summaryHF 684 requires all Iowa state agencies to purchase only steel manufactured in the United States. This bill directly affects every state agency that buys steel for projects or operations, such as construction or manufacturing. The key provision mandates that agencies cannot purchase foreign-made steel, changing current procurement practices to prioritize domestically produced materials. The bill is currently in the early stages, having been introduced and referred to committee on February 28, 2025.