Rep. Aime Wichtendahl

Maddy summaryHF 333 requires Iowa public school districts to provide free feminine hygiene products (such as tampons and sanitary pads) in at least half of the restrooms serving students in grades 6-12, with regular refilling. The bill applies directly to all Iowa public schools educating middle and high school students. It appropriates state funds from 2025-2028 to reimburse school districts for the full cost of compliance, with the Department of Education managing the reimbursement process. The funding ends June 30, 2028, after which schools would use other state aid for ongoing costs.

Maddy summaryHF 324 requires Iowa law enforcement officers to conduct a threat evaluation for individuals identified as the primary physical aggressor in domestic abuse incidents *when no arrest is made*. This evaluation uses a department-adopted checklist considering factors like prior abuse convictions, violations of protective orders, felony convictions, and weapon possession. If two or more checklist factors apply, officers must provide the aggressor with resources like counseling, job programs, and housing assistance information. The bill also mandates that officers provide victims with materials about financial aid, mental health services, and legal support. These changes aim to address domestic abuse risks and provide support services without advocating for specific outcomes.

Maddy summaryHF 283 raises Iowa's minimum hourly wage to $10.00 starting July 1, 2025, then to $12.50 on July 1, 2026, and $15.00 on July 1, 2027. It establishes a lower starting wage of $9.10 for new employees during their first 90 days of employment, increasing to $11.60 and $14.10 in 2026 and 2027 respectively. After 2027, the minimum wage will automatically increase annually on July 1 by the same percentage as the federal Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. The bill ensures the wage never decreases and affects all hourly workers in Iowa, including new hires during their initial 90-day period.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes Iowa's unemployment benefits rules to protect workers who participate in strikes. It ensures that employees taking part in a strike or labor dispute at their workplace are not denied benefits if they otherwise qualify. Specifically, it removes the requirement for these workers to actively search for jobs or meet other standard eligibility conditions during the strike. Currently, such workers often face disqualification, but this bill explicitly exempts them from those restrictions under Iowa law.

Maddy summaryHF 275 modifies Iowa's statewide preschool program enrollment rules to prioritize homeless children. The bill requires local preschool programs (operated by school districts) to give priority on waiting lists to children meeting the federal definition of "homeless individual" under 42 U.S.C. §11302(a) and (c). This change applies to all local programs approved under Iowa Code chapter 256C, ensuring homeless children are prioritized when spaces are limited. The bill does not alter other program requirements like teacher ratios or learning standards. It directly affects preschool programs and homeless children seeking enrollment in Iowa's statewide preschool system.

Maddy summaryHF 266 requires landlords in Iowa to refund 50% of an application fee to prospective tenants if they are not selected to rent a unit. This directly affects renters who pay application fees and landlords who collect them. The key provision mandates that landlords must issue this partial refund within a specified timeframe after rejecting an applicant. The bill amends Iowa Code Section 562A.9 to establish this requirement, aiming to reduce financial burden on renters who don't secure housing.

Maddy summaryHF 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.

Maddy summaryHF 267 expands the definition of "cancer" in Iowa's public retirement systems to include all types of cancer, replacing specific references with a general medical definition. This change directly affects members of the Public Safety Peace Officers' Retirement System (PORS) and the Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System (411 System), making more cancer diagnoses eligible for accidental disability and death benefits. The bill also extends this broader definition to the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System for in-service disability retirement. As a result, retirees or their families in these systems will now qualify for benefits for a wider range of cancer diagnoses under existing policies.

Maddy summaryHF 217 prevents health insurance companies and utilization review organizations in Iowa from requiring prior approval for cancer treatments recommended by a patient's doctor using National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) protocols. This directly affects cancer patients and their healthcare providers by removing a common administrative barrier to timely care. The bill’s key provision mandates that insurers must cover these NCCN-recommended treatments without prior authorization. It changes the policy by requiring insurers to follow established clinical guidelines for cancer care, rather than imposing separate approval steps.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases hourly payment rates for court-appointed attorneys representing people who cannot afford legal help (indigent defendants) in Iowa. Starting July 1, 2025, attorneys will earn $126 per hour for class "A" felony cases (up from $86), $121 per hour for class "B" felonies (up from $81), and $116 per hour for all other cases (up from $76). The change directly affects public defenders and appointed lawyers handling these cases. The legislation aims to adjust compensation without altering the legal process or eligibility for indigent defense.