Iowa Interim Committee Information

[Dome] OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Briefings Provided by the Legislative Service Bureau

Most recent briefings appear at the top

Wednesday, December 12, 2001

   Overview. The meeting was devoted to formulating recommendations for submission to the Legislative Council.
   Opening Remarks. Cochairperson Jenkins provided an update of a presentation he made with Cochairperson Lundby to the Legislative Council on December 11. He stated that they provided the Council with a summary of the Committee's activities during the 2001 Interim, indicating that the Committee reviewed 28 out of the 33 issues submitted by legislators for consideration. The Council requested that the Committee narrow the list down to the top three issues identified for having highest priority by Committee members out of the 28 which received consideration for possible legislative consideration. Recommendations for action regarding the top issues should also be submitted. Additionally, the Council requested that the Committee contact the legislators who submitted each issue, informing them of their disposition, and to repeat the process of surveying members of the General Assembly for issues they would like the Committee to investigate during the 2002 Interim.
   Recommendation Process. Committee members received a tally sheet listing the issues considered during the interim, and were asked to indicate their top three priorities for continued consideration by the Legislature. Issues which are likely to be addressed by other committees, through already proposed legislation, or be to subject to review by an outside organization, were noted. After caucusing, the votes were tallied and a list of four issues was unanimously approved (a tie for third place resulted in four issues being identified).
   Recommendations (in priority order based on number of votes):

Energy-related issues. Encompasses several individual energy-related issues considered by the Committee, including state energy policy and that of other states, energy transmission and generation issues, energy policy task force, and other energy sources.
Accountable government legislation.
National Conference of State Legislatures proposal to study Iowa legislative processes and agencies.
(Tied with)
Review of Iowa Department for the Blind operations, programs, services, and funding sources.

Interim Schedule for 2002. Tentative dates for meetings during the 2002 Interim were identified, and include May 8, June 12, July 10, August 28, September 25, and October 23, 2002. This schedule may be adjusted, or additional meetings called, as necessary.

Tuesday, November 14, 2001

   Overview. The primary focus of the meeting concerned issues relating to security at state health laboratories, Information Technology Department budget considerations, exclusive purchase agreements, janitorial services contracts, and Iowa Workforce Development technology implementation.
   Security Issues at State Laboratories. Ms. Mary Jones, Program Director, Office of Medical and Public Health Disaster Preparedness, discussed a review of safety guidelines and security initiatives at state laboratories. The review focused on biological safety measures for the protection of laboratory workers, and biological security issues relating to protection of the public. Ms. Jones summarized biosafety criteria and security guidelines developed by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and indicated that organisms present within a laboratory will be rated regarding degree of infectivity, virulence, and suitability for weaponization.
   Information Technology Department. Ms. Debbie O’Leary and Mr. Paul Carlson from the Information Technology Department provided an overview of the department’s budget for fiscal year 2001-2002. Ms. O’Leary indicated that the department’s appropriation has been cut by 33 percent, which is the largest percentage cut of any state agency, and that department revenue has also been reduced because of reduced purchase of services and slower payment for services rendered. She stated that the department is instituting a 15 percent rate increase for fiscal year 2001-2002, based primarily on increased costs associated with the provision of information technology, rather than stemming from the budget cuts. Mr. Carlson explained that only 10-15 percent of the department’s overall expenditures come from appropriated funds, with 85-90 percent derived from agency purchases. He listed various measures being taken by the department to compensate for the budget cuts, including staff reductions, renegotiated vendor contracts, delayed purchases, limiting overtime, reconstructed budgets for all divisions, and the institution of a 10-point plan to monitor and challenge expenditures.
   Prison Industries Exclusive Purchase Agreements. Several perspectives were offered regarding utilization of Prison Industries in providing products and services to state agencies. Mr. Roger Baysden, Deputy Director, Department of Corrections, provided a brief overview of the evolution and operation of Prison Industries, and described efforts by Prison Industries to refurbish office panels for reutilization in state offices. He also discussed provisions of the Iowa Code dealing with hard labor by prisoners and the existence of and noncompliance problems associated with provisions of the state purchasing code prescribing the utilization of Prison Industries by state agencies. Mr. Stan Kuhn, Purchasing Division Administrator, Department of General Services, indicated that the Department of General Services has been reviewing the need for service provision contract renewal, and stated that while the state is required by statute to purchase from Prison Industries when price and quality are comparable, a bidding process would yield insight into whether or not comparability of price and quality has been achieved. Mr. Kuhn stated that in the department’s opinion the targeted small business law would override the contractual rights of Prison Industries. He advocated a centralized procurement process among state agencies. Mr. Dennis Applegate, Jr., Office Systems Exchange Furniture, provided a private industry perspective, indicating that the failure of the Department of General Services to renew his company’s contract with the state confers upon Prison Industries an unfair monopoly in the provision of goods and services which, in his opinion, are of inferior quality to that provided by private industry, and will have a substantial impact upon his company’s profitability.
   Iowa Workforce Development – Discontinuation of Janitorial Services Contract. Mr. Steve Morris, Administrator, Iowa Workforce Development Administrative Services Division, described the various services which Iowa Workforce Development purchases from the Department of General Services, including janitorial services. Mr. Morris indicated that Iowa Workforce Development has renewed the janitorial services contract with the Department of General Services based upon the realization of an overall net savings and the benefits of consolidation of services.
   Iowa Workforce Development – Technology Implementation. Ms. Jane Barto, Deputy Director, Iowa Department of Workforce Development, accompanied by Iowa Workforce Development personnel, discussed the department’s digital readiness efforts. The department has developed an integrated customer service system infrastructure connecting all Workforce and Administrative Centers, which replaces separate networks and separate e-mail systems previously in place. Value-added electronic-commerce services have been identified and corresponding data-secure digital support applications created, capable of assisting with career development services, training, insurance services, job posting, e-mail access, and community resource information and referral. An Unemployment Insurance Tax Redesign Project involving creation of an integrated, accurate, and responsive unemployment insurance tax and benefit system was outlined. The project is anticipated to reconnect employers and employees to state government through the provision of single-contact inquiry and problem resolution, self-service customer options, integration of workflow, increased automation in document management, and utilization of a case management approach.
   Next Meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for December 12, 2001, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 19 of the State Capitol.

Thursday
August 2, 2001

Overview. The primary focus of the meeting concerned issues relating to child care facilities, and utility siting and energy transmission and generation.
Child Care Facilities.

Department of Human Services (DHS). Ms. Julie Ingersoll, DHS, provided an overview of DHS regulation of child care facilities in the state. Ms. Ingersoll clarified the distinction between the approximately 1,500 licensed child care facilities in the state and child care homes. Child care homes may, but are not required to, register with the state. Ms. Ingersoll stated that there are 32 staff members and five supervisors assigned to child care facility regulation at DHS, primarily on a part-time basis, and that there has been a recent change of focus emphasizing consultation as well as regulation on the part of DHS workers. Ms. Ingersoll added that licensing rules are being revised to reflect an outcomes-based orientation.
Private Center. Ms. Jennifer Todd, Appletree Children’s Centers, provided input from the perspective of a licensed child care facility regarding DHS regulation and consultation. Ms. Todd stated that relations with consultants have generally been positive, with a willingness on the part of DHS personnel to assist with a broader scope of issues than those which would primarily be characterized as regulatory or compliance related, such as referrals to outside agencies for specialized assistance and playground equipment safety issues and concerns.
Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA). Mr. Steve Young, DIA, discussed issues relating to the potential for increased involvement of DIA in the child care facility regulatory process. Mr. Young indicated that representatives of DHS and DIA have met to discuss increased interaction between the agencies, and that at present DIA has two dedicated investigators primarily concerned with investigating provider and facility fraud. Mr. Young stated that DIA could see potential merit in performing a "checks and balances" function regarding child care facility regulation, but that this benefit must be balanced with the recognition that such regulation, particularly with regard to consultation concerning formation and operation of facilities, is primarily the regulatory purview of DHS.
Resource and Referral. Ms. Karen Thelin, Child Care Resource and Referral of Central Iowa, discussed the role of her agency as an independent, neutral child care resource for families, care centers, and communities. Ms. Thelin indicated that a major concern is the misperception that child care regulation involves representations regarding quality of care, emphasizing that the licensing and regulation process focuses on safety issues and concerns, rather than quality of interaction and program content. Ms. Thelin characterized the current regulatory system, with the child care center vs. home distinction, as confusing and uneven in application.

Utility Siting.

Utilities Board. Mr. Allan Thoms, Chair, Iowa Utilities Board, provided an overview of House File 577, the utility siting bill from the 2001 special legislative session, highlighting changes in approach or regulatory intent contained within the enacted legislation. Specific aspects of the legislation summarized by Mr. Thoms included the filing of a plan and budget by rate-regulated utilities, alternate energy purchase programs, advance ratemaking principles for rate-regulated utilities, streamlining of the plant siting chapter, utility company projects or activities in the aftermath of House File 577, and restructuring activity in other states.
Industry Perspectives. Mr. Terry Harrmann, Alliant Energy; Mr. Brent Gale, MidAmerican Energy; Mr. Bob Haug, Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities; Mr. George Van Damme, Deere & Company; and Mr. Mike Heller, Iowa Retailers Federation, provided input from an industry perspective regarding the impact of House File 577. Mr. Harrmann indicated Alliant Energy is reviewing the legislation regarding impact on current and future projects and discussed proposals for new plant construction. Mr. Gale expressed appreciation for the bill’s enactment, indicating that while new incentives were not necessarily created, existing barriers were removed and a process established. Mr. Haug provided an overview of the Iowa Energy Project, stating that the three primary goals of the project are to acquire clean, reliable, affordable, energy generation in the state; to reduce energy consumption by an amount equal to 8 to 12 percent of the project’s generation; and to supply 10 to 15 percent of generation needs from renewable energy sources. Mr. Van Damme summarized Deere & Company’s operations in the state and the company’s energy management program. Mr. Van Damme and Mr. Heller cited increased reliability and stability as ramifications of the legislation.
Transmission and Generation Issues. Mr. Vladimir Chadliev, Missouri River Energy Services, addressed energy transmission practices, issues, and solutions. Mr. Chadliev identified regional transmission, transmission constraints limiting energy exports and imports and affecting renewable and thermal generation, and the financial incentive of generation owners to keep or create constraints as major transmission and generation issues. He discussed adequate transmission reducing the importance on generation location, the existence and location of nine major midwestern flowgate interfaces, and proposed new energy generation projects in Iowa.
Energy Policy Task Force Update. Mr. David Hurd, Cochairperson of the Governor’s Energy Policy Task Force, provided information concerning the formation, charge, and activities of the Task Force. Mr. Hurd described the charge of the Task Force as ensuring that the state has an adequate and affordable supply of energy and maximizing energy production and efficiency. He stated that the Task Force has broken down into four subcommittees dealing with supply, efficiency, transmission, and renewables. Mr. Hurd indicated that the targets of reducing energy consumption in all state-owned energy facilities by 10 percent by the year 2008, and statewide by 2010, have been identified, and that the Task Force anticipates completion of its work by October 2001.
Energy Centers. Project representatives from institutions under the administration of the State Board of Regents provided input regarding energy research activities and projects. Mr. Greg Carmichael and Mr. Jerry Schnoor, University of Iowa, described the operation and objectives of the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research (CGRER), stating that the CGRER promotes interdisciplinary efforts focusing on the multiple aspects of global environmental change, and currently has over 50 members. Mr. Schnoor discussed Iowa-focused research activities and the awarding of seed grants by the CGRER. Mr. Floyd Barwig, Iowa State University, summarized the activities of the Iowa Energy Center (IEC), which conducts and sponsors research on energy efficiency and alternative energy systems. Mr. Barwig indicated that the IEC partners with a number of other state regents institutions, community colleges, and private organizations in energy-related projects and education programs. Mr. William Stigliani, University of Northern Iowa (UNI), discussed energy-related projects involving public outreach aspects such as an "electrathon", the "greening of UNI", and an energy poster contest.

Next Meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for September 27 and 28, 2001.

Monday
July 16, 2001

Overview. The agenda for this meeting concentrated on human services issues.
Child Abuse Reporting and Intake. Child protection public policy has received significant public attention over the last two years, and during the 2001 Legislative Session there was strong interest in changing the system used for intake of child abuse reports. Presentations were made by Mr. Steve Scott, Prevent Child Abuse Iowa; Mr. Jim Krogman and Mr. Vern Armstrong, Department of Human Services (DHS); Ms. Jennifer Davis, Iowa Medical Society; Ms. Ruth Cooperrider, Citizens’ Aide/Ombudsman office; and Ms. Pat Cooper, Iowa State Education Association.

Prevent Child Abuse Iowa. Mr. Scott described the child protection system evaluations performed following the death of Shelby Duis, reforms implemented by DHS, and legislation enacted in the 2001 Legislative Session, including HF 680 which is intended to improve training for mandatory reporters of child and dependent adult abuse. He distributed materials showing the relative advantages and disadvantages of implementing a centralized intake system for receiving reports of child abuse or of retaining the current decentralized system.
DHS. Mr. Armstrong described the current process in which reports may be made during regular business hours at local DHS offices or through the use of a toll-free telephone number answered in the DHS central office. During evenings and weekends reports may be made through use of a toll-free telephone number which is answered at the State Training School at Eldora and referred for response by DHS local offices. He and Mr. Krogman stressed the need to provide adequate resources in order to effectively implement the current or a changed approach and responded to questions about the current child protection system.
Iowa Medical Society. Ms. Davis described recent efforts to improve the child protection system. The Iowa Medical Society is working with the County Attorneys Association and the Office of the Attorney General on joint legal and medical continuing education sessions on child protection and on establishing local multidisciplinary teams for assessing reports of child abuse, and is developing new materials to educate physicians about child abuse reporting.
Citizen’s Aide/Ombudsman. Ms. Cooperrider described the 125-page report issued by the Citizens’ Aide concerning the Shelby Duis case and noted that DHS has addressed all but two of the more than 20 recommendations made in the report. Most of the discussion centered on the recommendation to implement a centralized system for intake of reports. She suggested that a centralized approach would eliminate the need for a reporter to repeat information, increase consistency and objectivity, and improve documentation. The Committee asked that the Office of the Citizens’ Aide, DHS, and the Legislative Fiscal Bureau work together to develop a cost estimate for implementing centralized intake and to report back.
Iowa State Education Association. Ms. Cooper, a veteran teacher and guidance counselor employed in the Indianola school system, described her approach to making child abuse reports and working with DHS child protection workers. She believes that the current approach allows her to work closely with DHS workers in the interests of children and she does not support moving to a centralized intake system. In discussion, Committee members were concerned that each school district may not have a strong, knowledgeable advocate who is able to work effectively with the child abuse assessment system and it was suggested that each district designating such an employee may be an effective strategy.

Visitation, Custody Mediation, and Child Support. The Committee received information from representatives of the Iowa Supreme Court, the Department of Human Services, the Iowa State Bar Association, the Office of the Attorney General, and Fathers for Equal Rights regarding visitation, custody mediation, and child support.

Iowa Supreme Court. Ms. Rebecca Colton noted that one of the problems that the Supreme Court is aware of is the absence of affordable legal representation for parties in modifying or enforcing decrees or custody orders. The court does not monitor or enforce visitation provisions, but only becomes involved if a party takes action through the court system to modify or enforce a decree or order. With regard to the payment of health insurance coverage under a child support order, Ms. Colton said that if the General Assembly wants to require parties to apply for the Healthy and Well Kids in Iowa program as an alternative to other health care coverage, legislation would be required. Ms. Colton noted that the child support guidelines which are used in determining the amount of a child support obligation are based on an income shares model meaning that the income of both parents is reviewed in determining the amount.
DHS. Ms. Jeanne Nesbit and Ms. Nancy Thoma, discussed the issues of visitation and child support. They noted that the child support recovery system was established to address the financial needs of children and that the Child Support Recovery Unit (CSRU) is not involved in establishing or enforcing visitation. They also noted that the CSRU is mandated by federal law and regulation to forward child support payments to the custodial parent within two business days of receipt. Therefore, withholding of child support payments from the custodial parent as an incentive to comply with visitation provisions is not an option. Ms. Nesbit and Ms. Thoma discussed the system for tracking payors of child support that has been established on a nationwide basis and noted the improvements in collections that have resulted from the number of tools in place for the CSRU to use in establishing and enforcing child support orders. They explained that the license revocation provision is helpful not only because of the ability to actually revoke a license but also because the provision acts as an incentive for child support obligors to pay support rather than have a license revoked. They stated that the CSRU uses the enforcement tool on a particular case that most effectively results in payment of support rather than a tool that results merely in punishment for noncompliance.
Iowa State Bar Association. Ms. Diane Dornberg noted that mediation is effective and results in a more efficient use of judicial time. Using mediation, in many cases, helps parties to address the majority of issues prior to their court time, thereby requiring court involvement only to resolve the most difficult issues. She noted that the postsecondary education subsidy allows the court discretion in determining if there is good cause to require the payment of postsecondary expenses by the parents and also allows the court to determine if the parents have the ability to pay these expenses. Ms. Dornberg noted that with regard to the payment under a child support order of uncovered medical expenses, which are expenses not covered by medical insurance, a new formula is in place under the child support guidelines that establishes an initial amount for the custodial parent to pay annually ($250, with a maximum of $500) with the remainder to be paid by both parents in proportion to their incomes. The determination of the proportion of payment of each payment can be complicated, and in many cases, instead of using the formula to determine each parent’s payment, the court orders each parent to pay 50 percent of these expenses. With regard to establishing a child support obligation to reflect a joint physical custody order (each parent has physical custody and care of the child for 50 percent of the time), Ms. Dornberg noted that the guidelines do not provide for this specific circumstance, but that the court could use its discretion in individual cases. She did note that the newly revised guidelines provide a "visitation credit" which allows the court to establish the amount of the child support obligation in a manner that reflects visitation that exceeds 127 days per year or more.
Attorney General. Mr. Gordon Allen and Ms. Patricia Hemphill, discussed the role of the Child Support Recovery Unit as being that of representing the child support order and not representing either of the parties per se. Ms. Hemphill noted that the child support guidelines are reviewed every four years and that the most recent review and revision was completed in May 2000. Mr. Allen noted that the Office of the Attorney General has recently updated a video that can be used in schools to provide information regarding the responsibility of parents to support their children. Mr. Allen also noted that the majority of parents comply with their child support obligation.
Fathers for Equal Rights. Mr. Richard Woods provided a video of a national news story regarding his organization’s access and visitation program. Mr. Woods noted that federal access and visitation grants are awarded by the Department of Human Services. However, he noted problems with the awarding of the grants to certain organizations and through the initiatives for decategorization of child welfare funding and community empowerment, which resulted in his program not receiving grant funding.

   Child Support Recovery Process. The portion of the agenda regarding the child support recovery process was postponed until the August meeting.
   Child Care Facilities. The length of other Committee testimony limited the time available for this topic and it will be addressed again at the August meeting. Ms. Sara Patterson, Grandview Child Development Center in Des Moines, explained that a center working closely with the assigned DHS child care consultant is very important. She expressed concern that the consultants should be consistent in interpreting rules and statutes. She noted that the consultant she works with does a good job but carries a very heavy load of assignments and consequently is limited in the amount of time that can be spent helping an individual center. Senator Tinsman discussed with DHS program manager, Ms. Julie Ingersoll, a proposal to require child care registration or licensing.
   Next Meeting. The next meeting of the Oversight Committee of the Legislative Council is scheduled for August 2, 2001, at 9:00 a.m. in Room 19 of the State Capitol.

Friday
May 25, 2001
Joint Meeting with Fiscal Committee of the Legislative Council

   Overview. A joint meeting of the Legislative Oversight Committee and the Legislative Fiscal Committee was held based upon an agenda containing discussion items and presentations common to the interests of both committees.
   Revenue Update. Mr. Dennis Prouty, Director of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB), provided the committees with recent state revenue receipts in comparison to previous revenue estimates, indicating that receipts and estimates are substantially in conformity at this point. Mr. Prouty also indicated that the ending balance after the Governor’s item vetoes for FY 2001-2002 is estimated to be $50.9 million.
   Appropriations Transfers. Ms. Holly Lyons, LFB, distributed and summarized memorandums detailing proposed transfers of funds between divisions of the Department of Revenue and Finance and between divisions of the Department of Transportation.
   Status of Multipurpose Laboratories Facility. Mr. Dick Haines, Director, Department of General Services, and Mr. Dave Adamson, Project Director, Department of General Services, provided an update regarding the status of the construction of the multipurpose laboratories facility on the campus of Des Moines Area Community College. A handout was distributed establishing a timeline for the schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding and construction, and commissioning and building occupancy stages of the project. The schematic design phase is commencing the week of June 22, with an anticipated occupancy date of late 2004.
   Review of Accountable Government Legislation: Ms. Cynthia Eisenhauer, Director, Department of Management (DOM), provided an overview of House File 687, the Accountable Government Act, and addressed implementation, organization review, and budgeting aspects of the legislation. Ms. Eisenhauer indicated that the Act builds upon the efforts of Governor Branstad’s administration to achieve a sound governance system that is accountable to taxpayers, and represents a new approach to governing using date-based decisions. Implementation of the Act will involve the development of overall executive branch and agency strategic plans, performance measures for every state department and program, a results-oriented budgeting system, regular performance audits, performance measures contained within all state contracts, and the creation and adaptation of return on investment models for government use. The ultimate objective of the legislation is to create short and long-term solutions to make Iowa government more efficient and effective, involving the reduction of spending to structurally align spending with revenue and the reengineering and reenergizing of state government to improve customer service and streamline business processes.
   Review of Proposed Enterprise Resouce Planning System. Ms. Mollie Anderson, Director, Department of Personnel, discussed the proposed enterprise resource planning system (ERP). Ms. Anderson indicated that ERP would comprise the organizing and implementation of government functions in a more systematic way across areas of state government to improve processes and ultimately improve the information and services delivered to citizens. The system would replace outmoded and fragmented systems and tools with an integrated solution sharing a centralized database across agencies, permitting service provision through a single point of entry. Mr. Randy Bauer, DOM, addressed budgeting and implementation aspects of ERP. An investment of $42.4 million in system costs is projected to result in increased staff productivity and savings in purchasing costs, yielding a multi million dollar savings on an annual basis. Mr. Bauer also distributed information summarizing the alternative budgeting practices of incremental budgeting, zero-based budgeting, program budgeting, and performance budgeting, and addressing budgeting practices utilized by other states. Ms. Nickie Whitaker, DOM, provided a status report of progress being made on the budget redesign.
   Legislature and Staff Agency Review. Mr. Brian Weberg, Group Director of Legislative Management, National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), discussed a proposal for conducting a review of the Iowa Legislature and its staff agencies by the NCSL. The proposal would assess the Legislature’s organization, committee system, and the operation of its staff agencies, with a projected final report submission in February 2002. Mr. Weberg indicated that the proposal would entail six primary areas of assessment:

Committee structure used by the General Assembly regarding the number of and scope of the committees presently in existence
Quantity and quality of space available to the General Assembly
Extent to which the General Assembly is using electronic means to conduct business
Role of the Legislative Council, to determine whether it provides effective governance during the interim
Effectiveness and efficiency of the legislative staff agencies. A list of agencies, including the Legislative Service Bureau, Legislative Fiscal Bureau, Legislative Computer Support Bureau, Office of Citizens’ Aide/Ombudsman, Secretary of Senate’s Office, Chief Clerk of the House’s Office, and Caucus Staff, would be reviewed with regard to organizational structure, staffing levels, products and services provided during session and interim periods, and the potential for privatization of functions.
Comparison of legislative operations with legislatures in comparable states

The projected budget for the project was estimated to result in a total cost of $79,247 to the Iowa General Assembly. Motions in support of the project did not receive a majority vote, with the privatization of functions aspect of the legislative staff agency review portion of the project generating discussion.
Next Meeting. The next meeting of the Legislative Oversight Committee is scheduled for July 16, 2001. The next meeting of the Legislative Fiscal Committee is scheduled for July 24, 2001.

Wednesday
May 16, 2001

   Overview. The Oversight Committee of the Legislative Council met at the State Capitol. The meeting was primarily organizational in nature.
   Election of Cochairs and Adoption of Rules. Temporary cochairpersons Senator Lundby and Representative Jenkins were elected permanent cochairpersons, and proposed rules were adopted by the Committee.
   Interim Topics. A comprehensive listing of potential topics submitted for consideration by the Committee during the 2001 Legislative Interim was distributed to Committee members. It was determined that the topics could be assigned to one of the four basic categories of children, health care, state contracting, and efficiency. After Committee discussion regarding prioritization of the topics, the following tentative future meeting dates and subject areas were identified:

June 25 – Joint meeting with the Legislative Fiscal Committee in the morning for a presentation by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) regarding a proposed Legislative audit. Also, an examination of state agency budgeting approaches and procedures.
July 16 – Review of intake process for child abuse reporting, issues relating to visitation and child support, child support recovery process by the Department of Human Services and possible alternative approaches, and the process for licensure and inspection of child care facilities.
August 2 – Emphasis on energy deregulation.
September 27 and 28 – Emphasis on health care, including issues relating to the blind and deaf, a projected nursing shortage, the Iowa Veterans Home, and a review of the Rx Cooperative Plan being organized by the Iowa Department of Public Health.
October 17 – Emphasis on lease-purchasing and contracting practices.
November 14 – Emphasis on workforce development and housing.
December 12 and 13 – Review and recommendations.

Next Meeting. The next meeting of the Legislative Oversight Committee is scheduled for June 25, 2001, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 116 of the State Capitol.

Comments about this site or page? webmaster@legis.iowa.gov

Please remember that the person listed above does not vote on bills. Direct all comments concerning legislation to State Legislators.

Last update: 29-Jan-2002 04:47 PM
rc/sw