Maddy summaryHJR 5 proposes a constitutional amendment to establish new rules for Iowa citizens to directly propose constitutional changes or new laws through petitions, and to refer bills passed by the legislature to voter approval. It requires petition signatures equal to 8% of the previous gubernatorial vote in at least three-fourths of congressional districts for constitutional amendments, and 5% for proposed laws or referendums on bills. Petitions must be submitted 6 months before elections for initiatives or within 90 days of a legislative session for referendums, and initiatives cannot create new spending without new revenue. The amendment also excludes emergency bills, current spending, and school funding from referendum, and states that referendum-approved bills take effect without governor approval. This is a proposed constitutional change, not yet enacted, requiring voter ratification after legislative approval.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHF 152 directs Iowa to apply for and participate in the federal Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) for Children program, which provides food assistance to children during summer months when school meals are unavailable. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (with Education) to submit an application to the USDA by February 2025 and appropriates state funds to cover administrative costs for the summer 2025 program. It directly affects approximately 240,000 Iowa children eligible for the program, which is funded by an estimated $29 million in federal resources. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment but applies retroactively to July 1, 2024, ensuring state funding covers costs from that date.
Maddy summaryThis bill allows Iowa pharmacists to order, administer, and dispense point-of-care HIV tests and HIV preventive drugs (pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis) under statewide protocols developed with the health department. It directly affects pharmacists, patients seeking rapid HIV testing or prevention services, and health insurance plans. The key mechanism requires health insurance plans to cover these pharmacist-provided services, even if their standard policies exclude pharmacists, as long as the services follow the approved protocols. The bill defines key terms like "HIV-related test" and "health benefit plan" to clarify implementation.