HF 531 – Unemployment Insurance Changes
SF 334—Public assistance and eligibility
COMMITTEE ACTION:
HF 531 – Unemployment Insurance Changes
HF 531 makes changes to Iowa’s Unemployment Insurance Program. The bill reduces the benefits available to a claimant when their employer goes out of business, makes changes to the Voluntary Shared Work Plan, and provides that landscaping employers will contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund at the same rate as construction employers.
[4/3: 7-3 (Absent: Bisignano)]
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 334—Public assistance and eligibility
SF 334 requires “real-time verification” of public assistance eligibility. Public assistance is defined as Medicaid, Family Investment Program and SNAP. The Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) may contract with a third-party vendor to do verification and monitoring of public assistance enrollees. The bill lists nine items that must be verified, all of which DHS currently reviews. Currently, DHS reviews eligibility at either six months or one year. The enrollee has 30 days to respond to any discrepancy. If the discrepancy is not resolved, the enrollee will be terminated and will not be reinstated until it is resolved. If fraud is discovered, DHS must report it to the Department of Inspections and Appeals (which happens already). DHS is directed to request approval from CMS and implement the initiative on January 1, 2021. The FY20 cost of this bill is $17.5 million; the state’s share is $7.4 million. DHS must submit a report to the Governor and Legislature on January 1, 2022.
[4/1: 30-18, party-line (Excused: Breitbach, Zaun)]