House File 273 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 273 BY ANDERSON A BILL FOR An Act relating to income eligibility, waiting list guidelines, 1 and child care provider reimbursement rates under the state 2 child care assistance program and including effective date 3 provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1178YH (3) 87 hb/rh

H.F. 273 Section 1. Section 237A.13, subsection 3, Code 2017, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 3. The For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017, and 3 each fiscal year thereafter, the department shall set provider 4 reimbursement rates , as authorized by appropriations enacted 5 for payment of the reimbursements , at the seventy-fifth 6 percentile of the most recent statewide reimbursement rate 7 survey . The department shall conduct a statewide reimbursement 8 rate survey to compile information on each county and the 9 survey shall be conducted at least every two years. The 10 department shall set rates in a manner so as to provide 11 incentives for an unregistered provider to become registered. 12 Sec. 2. Section 237A.13, subsection 7, paragraph c, Code 13 2017, is amended to read as follows: 14 c. Families with an income of more than one hundred 15 percent but not more than one two hundred forty-five percent 16 of the federal poverty level whose members, for at least 17 twenty-eight hours per week in the aggregate, are employed 18 or are participating at a satisfactory level in an approved 19 training program or educational program. 20 Sec. 3. DIRECTIVE TO DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES —— CHILD 21 CARE ASSISTANCE INCOME ELIGIBILITY. 22 1. The department of human services shall amend its 23 administrative rules pursuant to chapter 17A to provide income 24 eligibility for state child care assistance, according to 25 family size for children needing basic care, to families whose 26 nonexempt gross monthly income does not exceed two hundred 27 percent of the federal poverty level. 28 2. The rules adopted pursuant to this section shall take 29 effect January 1, 2018. 30 Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect January 1, 31 2018. 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. 35 -1- LSB 1178YH (3) 87 hb/rh 1/ 2

H.F. 273 This bill relates to income eligibility, waiting list 1 guidelines, and child care provider reimbursement rates 2 under the state child care assistance program and includes an 3 effective date. 4 The bill requires the department of human services to set 5 child care provider reimbursement rates for the fiscal year 6 that begins July 1, 2017, and each fiscal year thereafter, at 7 the 75th percentile of the most recent statewide reimbursement 8 rate survey, which is conducted at least every two years. 9 The state child care assistance program is administered by 10 the department of human services. Based upon the availability 11 of the funding appropriated for state child care assistance 12 for a fiscal year, the department establishes waiting 13 lists for state child care assistance in descending order 14 of prioritization. Under current law, one of the waiting 15 list requirements relates to families with an income of 16 more than 100 percent but not more than 145 percent of the 17 federal poverty level whose members, for at least 28 hours 18 per week in the aggregate, are employed or are participating 19 at a satisfactory level in an approved training program or 20 educational program. The bill increases this waiting list 21 income eligibility limit from 145 percent to 200 percent. 22 The bill directs the department to amend its administrative 23 rules to provide income eligibility for state child care 24 assistance, according to family size for children needing basic 25 care, to families whose nonexempt gross monthly income does not 26 exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty level. 27 The bill takes effect January 1, 2018. 28 -2- LSB 1178YH (3) 87 hb/rh 2/ 2