Read the full stored bill text
House
File
948
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
948
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
HEALTH
AND
HUMAN
SERVICES
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
248)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
public
assistance
programs,
work
1
requirements
for
the
Iowa
health
and
wellness
plan,
2
an
information
technology
fund,
the
public
assistance
3
modernization
fund,
and
the
Medicaid
for
employed
people
4
with
disabilities
program
and
program
review
and
report.
5
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
6
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DIVISION
I
1
IOWA
HEALTH
AND
WELLNESS
PLAN
——
WORK
REQUIREMENTS
2
Section
1.
IOWA
HEALTH
AND
WELLNESS
PLAN
——
WORK
3
REQUIREMENTS.
4
1.
The
department
of
health
and
human
services
shall
request
5
any
federal
approval
necessary
to
include
work
requirements
as
6
a
condition
of
a
member
maintaining
eligibility
for
the
Iowa
7
health
and
wellness
plan.
8
2.
The
goal
of
including
work
requirements
is
to
reduce
the
9
dependence
of
low-income
Iowans
on
public
assistance
programs
10
through
efforts
that
advance
economic
stability
and
mobility.
11
3.
The
department
shall
require
as
a
condition
of
12
maintaining
eligibility
for
the
Iowa
health
and
wellness
13
plan
that
a
member
work
at
least
eighty
hours
each
month,
as
14
determined
by
the
department.
15
4.
The
department
may
exempt
an
individual
from
the
work
16
requirements
under
this
section
if
the
individual
meets
any
of
17
the
following
criteria:
18
a.
The
individual
is
under
nineteen
years
of
age.
19
b.
The
individual
is
sixty-five
years
of
age
or
older.
20
c.
The
individual
is
determined
to
be
disabled
by
the
United
21
States
social
security
administration.
22
d.
The
individual
is
identified
as
medically
frail
or
23
medically
exempt
under
the
Medicaid
program.
24
e.
The
individual
is
a
caretaker
of
a
dependent
child
under
25
six
years
of
age.
26
f.
The
individual
is
pregnant
and
the
pregnancy
is
high
27
risk.
28
g.
The
individual
is
receiving
unemployment
compensation
as
29
determined
by
the
department
of
workforce
development.
30
h.
The
individual
is
participating
in
substance
use
31
disorder
treatment,
not
to
exceed
a
consecutive
six-month
32
period.
33
i.
The
individual
is
otherwise
exempt
for
good
cause
as
34
determined
by
the
director
of
health
and
human
services.
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5.
To
maximize
fiscal
stability
and
administrative
1
efficiency,
any
exemption
applied
under
the
Iowa
health
and
2
wellness
plan
shall
be
substantially
similar
to
the
exemptions
3
applied
under
other
public
assistance
programs.
4
6.
Upon
the
department’s
receipt
of
federal
approval,
5
and
the
department’s
operationalizing
of
a
real-time
system
6
to
facilitate
evaluation
efforts
and
recipient
referrals
and
7
reporting,
the
department
shall
implement
work
requirements
as
8
a
condition
of
maintaining
eligibility
for
the
Iowa
health
and
9
wellness
plan.
The
department
shall
adopt
rules
pursuant
to
10
chapter
17A
as
necessary
to
administer
the
work
requirements
11
for
the
Iowa
health
and
wellness
plan.
12
7.
The
department
may
resubmit
a
request
for
federal
13
approval
submitted
under
subsection
1
if
the
initial
request
is
14
denied
or
withdrawn
for
any
reason.
15
Sec.
2.
ALTERNATE
PLAN.
If
federal
law
or
regulations
16
affecting
work
requirements
for
the
Iowa
health
and
wellness
17
plan
are
modified
to
exclude
work
requirements
as
a
basis
18
for
maintaining
eligibility
as
provided
in
this
division
of
19
this
Act,
the
department
of
health
and
human
services
shall
20
discontinue
the
Iowa
health
and
wellness
plan,
subject
to
21
federal
approval.
If,
under
federal
law,
the
department
is
not
22
allowed
to
discontinue
the
Iowa
health
and
wellness
plan,
the
23
department
may
implement
an
alternative
plan
as
specified
in
24
the
medical
assistance
state
plan
or
waiver
for
coverage
of
the
25
affected
population,
subject
to
prior
statutory
approval
of
26
implementation
of
the
alternative
plan.
27
Sec.
3.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
division
of
this
Act,
being
28
deemed
of
immediate
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
29
DIVISION
II
30
WORK
RULES
AND
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS
31
Sec.
4.
PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE
PROGRAMS
——
WORK
RULES
AND
32
REQUIREMENTS
ALIGNMENT.
The
department
of
health
and
human
33
services
shall
work
with
the
United
State
department
of
34
health
and
human
services
and
the
United
States
department
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of
agriculture
to
align
the
requirements
and
rules
for
1
participants
of
public
assistance
programs
related
to
working,
2
including
but
not
limited
to
rules
and
requirements
related
3
to
employment
and
training
for
the
supplemental
nutrition
4
assistance
program.
5
DIVISION
III
6
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
7
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
217.25
Information
technology
fund.
8
1.
An
information
technology
fund
is
created
in
the
state
9
treasury
under
the
control
of
the
department
of
health
and
10
human
services.
The
fund
shall
consist
of
moneys
appropriated
11
or
transferred
to,
or
deposited
in,
the
fund
as
provided
12
by
law.
All
moneys
deposited
or
paid
into
the
fund
are
13
appropriated
to
the
department
of
health
and
human
services
14
to
be
used
for
information
technology
systems
and
related
15
modernization
initiatives.
16
2.
Notwithstanding
section
8.33,
moneys
appropriated
in
17
this
section
that
remain
unencumbered
or
unobligated
at
the
18
close
of
the
fiscal
year
shall
not
revert
but
shall
remain
19
available
for
expenditure
for
the
purposes
designated
until
the
20
close
of
the
succeeding
fiscal
year.
Notwithstanding
section
21
12C.7,
subsection
2,
interest
or
earnings
on
moneys
in
the
fund
22
shall
be
credited
to
the
fund.
23
Sec.
6.
TRANSFER
OF
MONEYS.
Any
unobligated
or
unencumbered
24
moneys
remaining
in
the
public
assistance
modernization
25
fund
created
in
section
239.11,
on
June
30,
2025,
shall
be
26
transferred
to
the
information
technology
fund
created
in
27
section
217.25,
as
enacted
in
this
division
of
this
Act.
28
Sec.
7.
REPEAL.
Section
239.11,
Code
2025,
is
repealed.
29
DIVISION
IV
30
MEDICAID
FOR
EMPLOYED
PEOPLE
WITH
DISABILITIES
PROGRAM
31
Sec.
8.
Section
249A.3,
subsection
2,
paragraph
a,
32
subparagraph
(1),
subparagraph
division
(a),
Code
2025,
is
33
amended
to
read
as
follows:
34
(a)
As
allowed
under
42
U.S.C.
§1396a(a)(10)(A)(ii)(XIII),
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individuals
with
disabilities,
who
are
less
than
sixty-five
1
years
of
age,
who
are
members
of
families
whose
income
is
2
less
than
two
hundred
fifty
percent
of
the
most
recently
3
revised
official
poverty
guidelines
published
by
the
United
4
States
department
of
health
and
human
services
for
the
family,
5
who
have
earned
income
and
who
are
eligible
for
mandatory
6
medical
assistance
or
optional
medical
assistance
under
this
7
section
if
earnings
are
disregarded.
As
allowed
by
42
U.S.C.
8
§1396a(r)(2),
unearned
income
shall
also
be
disregarded
in
9
determining
whether
an
individual
is
eligible
for
assistance
10
under
this
subparagraph.
For
the
purposes
of
determining
the
11
amount
of
an
individual’s
resources
under
this
subparagraph
and
12
as
allowed
by
42
U.S.C.
§1396a(r)(2),
a
maximum
of
ten
thousand
13
dollars
of
available
resources
for
an
individual
and
twenty-one
14
thousand
dollars
of
available
resources
for
a
couple
shall
be
15
disregarded,
and
any
additional
resources
held
in
a
retirement
16
account,
in
a
medical
savings
account,
or
in
any
other
account
17
approved
under
rules
adopted
by
the
department
shall
also
be
18
disregarded.
19
Sec.
9.
MEDICAID
FOR
EMPLOYED
PEOPLE
WITH
DISABILITIES
20
PROGRAM
REVIEW
AND
REPORT.
21
1.
During
the
2025
legislative
interim,
the
department
22
of
health
and
human
services
shall
review
the
Medicaid
for
23
employed
people
with
disabilities
program
in
other
states
24
for
eligibility
criteria,
asset
limits,
and
cost-sharing
25
requirements.
26
2.
By
December
15,
2025,
the
department
of
health
and
27
human
services
shall
submit
a
report
to
the
general
assembly
28
containing
the
results
of
the
review,
and
recommendations
to
29
expand
employment
opportunities
for
people
with
disabilities
30
under
the
Medicaid
for
employed
people
with
disabilities
31
program
and
the
fiscal
information
for
each
recommendation.
32
EXPLANATION
33
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
34
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
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This
bill
relates
to
work
requirements
for
the
Iowa
health
1
and
wellness
plan
(IHAWP),
public
assistance
programs,
2
an
information
technology
fund,
the
public
assistance
3
modernization
fund,
and
the
Medicaid
for
employed
people
with
4
disabilities
program
and
program
review
and
report.
5
DIVISION
I.
This
division
requires
the
department
of
health
6
and
human
services
(HHS)
to
request
any
federal
approval
7
necessary
to
include
work
requirements
as
a
condition
of
8
maintaining
eligibility
for
IHAWP.
9
HHS
shall
require
as
a
condition
of
eligibility
for
IHAWP
10
that
a
member
work
at
least
80
hours
each
month.
HHS
may
exempt
11
certain
individuals
from
the
work
requirement
who
are
under
12
19
years
of
age,
65
years
of
age
or
older,
medically
frail
or
13
medically
exempt
under
Medicaid,
a
caretaker
of
a
child
under
14
6
years
of
age,
experiencing
a
high-risk
pregnancy,
receiving
15
unemployment
compensation,
participating
in
substance
use
16
disorder
treatment,
or
exempt
for
good
cause
as
determined
by
17
the
director
of
HHS.
The
division
requires
that
any
exemption
18
applied
under
IHAWP
shall
be
substantially
similar
to
the
19
exemptions
applied
under
other
public
assistance
programs.
20
The
division
requires
that
upon
HHS’s
receipt
of
federal
21
approval
and
HHS’s
operationalizing
of
a
system
to
facilitate
22
evaluation,
and
recipient
referrals
and
reporting,
HHS
shall
23
implement
and
adopt
rules
to
administer
work
requirements
as
a
24
condition
of
maintaining
eligibility
for
IHAWP.
25
HHS
may
resubmit
a
request
for
federal
approval
under
the
26
division
if
the
initial
request
is
denied
or
withdrawn
for
any
27
reason.
28
If
federal
law
or
regulations
exclude
work
requirements
for
29
IHAWP,
HHS
shall
discontinue
IHAWP
or
implement
an
alternative
30
plan
as
described
in
the
bill.
31
The
division
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
32
DIVISION
II.
This
division
requires
HHS
to
work
with
the
33
United
States
department
of
health
and
human
services
and
34
the
United
States
department
of
agriculture
to
align
the
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department’s
work
rules
and
requirements
for
participants
of
1
public
assistance
programs,
including
but
not
limited
to
rules
2
and
requirements
related
to
employment
and
training
for
the
3
supplemental
nutrition
assistance
program.
4
DIVISION
III.
This
division
creates
a
information
5
technology
fund
in
the
state
treasury
under
the
control
of
HHS.
6
All
moneys
in
the
fund
shall
be
appropriated
to
HHS
to
be
used
7
for
information
technology
systems
and
related
modernization
8
initiatives.
9
The
division
repeals
the
public
assistance
modernization
10
fund,
and
transfers
any
unobligated
and
unencumbered
moneys
in
11
the
fund
on
June
30,
2025,
to
the
information
technology
fund
12
created
in
the
division.
13
DIVISION
IV.
Currently,
for
the
purposes
of
determining
the
14
resources
of
an
individual
to
meet
the
eligibility
requirements
15
for
the
Medicaid
for
employed
people
with
disabilities
program
16
(MEPD)
program,
a
maximum
of
$10,000
of
available
resources
is
17
disregarded,
in
addition
to
any
additional
resources
held
in
18
a
retirement
account,
in
a
medical
savings
account,
or
in
any
19
other
account
approved
under
rules
adopted
by
HHS.
The
bill
20
maintains
the
maximum
amount
of
$10,000
in
available
resources
21
disregarded
for
an
individual,
but
provides
that
for
the
22
purposes
of
determining
the
resources
of
a
couple,
a
maximum
23
amount
of
$21,000
of
available
resources
is
disregarded.
24
The
division
requires,
during
the
2025
interim,
that
HHS
25
review
the
MEPD
program
in
other
states
and
submit
a
report
26
to
the
general
assembly
by
December
15,
2025,
containing
the
27
results
of
the
review
and
recommendations
to
expand
employment
28
opportunities
for
people
with
disabilities
under
the
MEPD
29
program.
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