MINUTES

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

November 25, 1997 -- Third Meeting of the 1997-1998 Biennium

MEMBERS PRESENT

MEETING IN BRIEF

Minutes prepared by John Pollak, Committee Services Administrator
Organizational staffing by John Pollak, Committee Services Administrator and Richard Johnson, Deputy Director

1. Administrative Business.
2. Funding Request From Commission on Urban Planning, Growth Management of Cities, and Protection of Farmland.
3. Deadline Extensions.
4. Medicaid Managed Care Work Groups.
5. Materials Received by the Committee and Filed With the Legislative Service Bureau.
6. Materials Attached. (not included in web site version)

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

1. Administrative Business.

Meeting Convened. The meeting was convened by Chairperson Representative Chuck Gipp at 1:10 p.m.

Minutes Approved. Upon motion of Senator Nancy Boettger, the minutes of the June 25, 1997, meeting were approved without objection.

Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 p.m.

2. Funding Request From Commission on Urban Planning, Growth Management of Cities, and Protection of Farmland.

Chairperson Gipp opened discussion of a written request from the Commission on Urban Planning, Growth Management of Cities, and Protection of Farmland for $50,000 in funding authority to carry out the purposes of House Concurrent Resolution 21. This resolution provided for the creation of the Commission and for areas of study.

Representative Van Maanen noted a land use study had been previously conducted as a result of legislative action. Mr. Doug Adkisson, Legislative Service Bureau, was recognized for a response. He stated that the Commission's research indicates this land use study was performed many years ago and the information has not been kept up-to-date.

Representative Ed Fallon was recognized to explain the Commission's request. He distributed a proposed budget prepared by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau which assumes an 18-month study with outside staffing and a cost of $120,000. Representative Fallon said that he and Commission Co-chairpersons Senator Mary Lundby and Representative Russell Teig and others serving on one of the Commission's subcommittees have been seeking contributions to support the Commission's work. They have identified potential contributors for this support which he believes will be provided to match the funding authorized by the Legislative Council.

Vice chairperson Stewart Iverson, Jr., described his recent conversations on this matter with Senator Lundby, Representative Teig, and Speaker Ron Corbett and expressed his support for funding. Chairperson Gipp requested and Senator Johnie Hammond moved that the Legislative Council authorize not more than $50,000 for Commission study expenses, to be paid as a joint expense under Iowa Code section 2.12, as requested by the Commission, provided that expenditure of the funding is subject to matching funding from private sources. The motion was approved by a voice vote.

3. Deadline Extensions.

Chairperson Gipp described the requests from interim study committees for an extension of the November 28 deadline established by the Legislative Council for committees to complete their deliberations. The following had submitted requests:

• Human Services Restructuring Task Force.
• Task Force to Study Iowa's System of State and Local Taxation.
• Privatizing Management of the Iowa Communications Network Study Committee.
• Public Retirement Systems Committee.

Upon Vice chairperson Iverson's motion, a recommendation for approval of the deadline extensions was adopted on a voice vote.

4. Medicaid Managed Care Work Groups.

Chairperson Gipp explained that member packets included a proposal for creation of two work groups concerning provision of managed care services under the Medicaid program. House Speaker Corbett and Senate President Mary Kramer had attended a meeting in early November to address concerns about recent Department of Human Services' proposals to administer mental health, substance abuse, and child welfare services under a single contract. In addition to these leaders, Senator Michael Gronstal and Representative David Schrader, as well as Senators Boettger and Hammond, had attended the early November meeting or later meetings on the same subject matter.

Discussion. Representative Schrader discussed his attendance at the earlier meetings. He noted that the child welfare work group held its first meeting November 18. He expressed concern that the minority party leaders may not have been provided an adequate opportunity to review member appointments to the work group. Senator Hammond expressed support for creation of the work group but noted her preference for the Studies Committee and Legislative Council to consider this sort of proposal prior to creation of a group.

A number of members, including Vice chairperson Iverson, expressed concern about paying expenses for government employees. It was noted that guidelines previously acted upon by the Studies Committee and the Legislative Council prescribe that expenses of public members are to be paid if they are not eligible for reimbursement from the public members' organization.

Several members commented on their desire to review a tentative listing of the members of the two work groups. Staff was requested to supply the lists to Studies Committee members as soon as possible. It was noted that while the creation of the two work groups is unusual, other bodies had been created with special memberships by past Legislative Councils. Senator Gronstal commented that there is a bipartisan interest in the topics to be studied. Vice chairperson Iverson explained that the original charge creating the Human Services Restructuring Task Force would allow that Task Force to create the two work groups but leaders wanted the full Legislative Council to discuss the creation of the work groups. The Studies Committee members agreed to a suggestion to move the proposal, without recommendation, to the full Legislative Council for consideration.

Historical Society Research. Chairperson Gipp recognized Mr. John Pollak, Legislative Service Bureau, to report on discussions with Mr. Tom Morain, Director, Iowa Historical Society, concerning research. Mr. Morain is interested in developing a process by which academic research on the history of a public policy question can be prepared and submitted to legislators. There was no objection to Mr. Pollak's request to continue discussions with Mr. Morain so that a proposal could be developed for the 1998 Legislative Interim.

5. Materials Received by the Committee and Filed With the Legislative Service Bureau.

• A memorandum requesting a funding authorization prepared by Doug Adkisson, Legislative Service Bureau, on behalf of Co-chairpersons Senator Lundby and Representative Teig of the Commission on Urban Planning, Growth Management of Cities, and Protection of Farmland.
• A proposed budget of $120,250 for that Commission, prepared by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau staff, and distributed by Representative Fallon.
• Memoranda requesting deadline extensions prepared by Legislative Service Bureau staff on behalf of the following interim committees:
  • Human Services Restructuring Task Force.
  • Task Force to Study Iowa's System of State and Local Taxation.
  • Privatizing Management of the Iowa Communications Network Study Committee.
  • Public Retirement Systems Committee.

6. Materials Attached.

• Report of the Studies Committee with a proposal for creating Medicaid Managed Care Work Groups attached.

OTHER INFORMATION FOR THIS COMMITTEE:

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