Updates as session end is near

Hearing Protection Act
Last week the Iowa Legislature sent HF 2279 to the governor’s desk for approval. HF 2279 legalizes the sale and use of gun suppressors which muffle the sound of various firearms. Individuals wishing to purchase a suppressor will be required to pass a federal background check. Suppressors benefit hunters and shooting range sportsmen by pushing the sound farther out the barrel of the firearm away from the individual, which provides additional hearing protection. The legalization of suppressors is one of many ways House Republicans are working to support second amendment rights in the state of Iowa.
Telepharmacy Legislation
SF 453 is a bill that passed the Senate in 2015 but was not discussed in the House before the legal deadline. This year, the House is in the process of considering SF 453 which deals with the operations of the board of pharmacy. One interesting piece of this bill allows for the establishment of telepharmacies. A telepharmacy is defined as the practice of pharmacy via telecommunications. SF 453 has been amended to lay some ground rules for when a telepharmacy can be established. The amendment states in particular that the managing pharmacy must demonstrate that there is limited access to pharmacy services in the community where the telepharmacy site is located, and that a telepharmacy site can only be established in locations that are at least ten miles from a licensed pharmacy. I think SF 453 will be a big help in rural areas including those in the 7th district where pharmacies are not located in every small town.
Opioid Antagonists    SF 2218 is a bill that authorizes first responders to obtain a supply of opioid antagonists such as naloxone hydrochloride for the purpose of treating drug overdose victims. This bill also allows immediate family members to be prescribed an opioid antagonist and to administer it if they act reasonably and believe in good faith that the administration of the drug is necessary. This bill will help to reduce the number of people in our state who die as the result of a drug overdose. SF 2218 has passed both houses of the legislature, and was sent to the governor’s desk.
HF 2422
HF 2422 changes the requirements for teacher preparation programs by requiring that they include preparation in reading theory and strategies, addressing all students and specifically students with dyslexia. The purpose of this bill is to make sure our teachers are prepared to address reading challenges such as dyslexia.
Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Program
HF 2438 creates a renewable chemical production tax credit program for ethanol producers who use the ethanol byproducts for renewable purposes. The byproducts of ethanol are known as biomass feedstock, which is defined as a sugar, glycerin, fat, grease, or oil derived from a plant or animal, or a protein capable of being converted to a building block chemical by means of a biological or chemical conversion process. Iowa is an ideal state for such a tax incentive due to our massive ethanol, biodiesel and other bio-processing infrastructure. The tax credit would be equal to 5 cents per pound for qualified chemicals produced. It would apply to individual and corporate income tax and would be refundable.
In order to be eligible for the tax credit, the business must be physically located in Iowa. It cannot provide professional, health or medical services or be primarily engaged in a retail operation. The maximum tax credit is limited to $1 million per year for a business operating within Iowa for five years or fewer at the time of the application and $500,000 for a business operating within Iowa for longer than five years. Businesses that receive a tax credit for the production of a chemical as a first product are ineligible for this tax credit. The tax credit becomes unavailable after the year 2025. It is estimated that the total cost for this tax credit from now until 2025 will be approximately $100 million.
HF 2438 creates an incentive for ethanol producers to move Iowa forward in the emerging industry of renewable chemical manufacturing and advanced biorefining. I believe this legislation will be a benefit to the businesses and economy of our state. HF 2438 passed the House with bipartisan support.