House File 692 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 692 BY ISENHART , GAINES , KRESSIG , KURTH , CAHILL , STAED , LEVIN , STECKMAN , MADISON , CROKEN , EHLERT , BAETH , FORBES , BAGNIEWSKI , BUCK , WILSON , SRINIVAS , TUREK , BROWN-POWERS , SCHEETZ , AMOS JR. , WILBURN , COOLING , MATSON , JAMES , and KONFRST A BILL FOR An Act relating to the staffing of brain health professionals 1 in primary and secondary schools and making appropriations. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1112YH (4) 90 dg/jh

H.F. 692 Section 1. Section 135.1, Code 2023, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 01. “Brain health” means the same as in 3 section 225C.2, and incorporates the findings and purposes 4 stated in section 225C.1, subsection 3. 5 Sec. 2. Section 135.11, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 6 following new subsection: 7 NEW SUBSECTION . 22A. Adopt rules which allow mental health 8 providers to use the term “brain health” synonymously with the 9 terms “mental health” or “mental illness” and promote the usage 10 of the term “brain health” for the purpose of reducing stigma 11 related to mental health disease and illness. 12 Sec. 3. Section 225C.1, subsection 1, Code 2023, is amended 13 to read as follows: 14 1. The general assembly finds that services to persons 15 with mental illness, an intellectual disability disabilities , 16 developmental disabilities, or brain injury injuries or other 17 brain health issues are provided in many parts of the state by 18 highly autonomous community-based service providers working 19 cooperatively with state and county officials. However, the 20 general assembly recognizes that heavy reliance on property tax 21 funding for mental brain health and intellectual disability 22 services has enabled many counties to exceed minimum state 23 standards for the services resulting in an uneven level of 24 services around the state. Consequently, greater efforts 25 should be made to ensure close coordination and continuity 26 of care for those persons receiving publicly supported 27 disability services in Iowa. It is the purpose of this chapter 28 to continue and to strengthen the services to persons with 29 disabilities now available in the state of Iowa, to make 30 disability services conveniently available to all persons in 31 this state upon a reasonably uniform financial basis, and to 32 assure the continued high quality of these services. 33 Sec. 4. Section 225C.1, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 34 following new subsection: 35 -1- LSB 1112YH (4) 90 dg/jh 1/ 4

H.F. 692 NEW SUBSECTION . 3. a. The general assembly finds that 1 to reduce the stigma associated with brain health disease 2 and illness and to assist Iowans in receiving brain health 3 diagnosis and treatment, the term “brain health” may be used 4 synonymously with the terms “mental health” and “mental illness” 5 to allow for more preventative and earlier treatments of those 6 Iowans with brain health issues. 7 b. The recognition of the term “brain health” does not 8 replace the terms “mental health” or “mental illness” as it 9 relates to medical billing or state professional licensure. 10 Sec. 5. Section 225C.2, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 11 following new subsection: 12 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. “Brain health” means all aspects of the 13 brain impacted by biological and physical characteristics of 14 the brain affecting mood and behavior. 15 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 280.33 Brain health professionals —— 16 appropriation. 17 1. As used in this section, “brain health” means the same as 18 in section 225C.2, and incorporates the findings and purposes 19 stated in section 225C.1, subsection 3. 20 2. Each public school and nonpublic school shall have a 21 minimum of one health care professional with brain health 22 credentials available on site daily to assist students during 23 normal hours of instruction. 24 3. There is appropriated annually from the general fund of 25 the state to the department of education an amount sufficient 26 to meet the requirements of subsection 1. 27 4. The department of health and human services shall assist 28 the department of education in determining the annual amount 29 necessary to meet the requirements of subsection 1. 30 EXPLANATION 31 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 32 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 33 This bill relates to the staffing of brain health 34 professionals in primary and secondary schools. 35 -2- LSB 1112YH (4) 90 dg/jh 2/ 4

H.F. 692 The bill includes brain health issues in the legislative 1 findings relating to services to persons with mental illness, 2 an intellectual disability, developmental disabilities, or 3 brain injury in Code chapter 225C (mental health and disability 4 services). The bill provides that the general assembly 5 finds that to reduce the stigma associated with brain health 6 disease and illness and to assist Iowans in receiving brain 7 health diagnosis and treatment, the term “brain health” may be 8 used synonymously with the terms “mental health” and “mental 9 illness” to allow for more preventative and earlier treatments 10 of those Iowans with brain health issues. 11 The bill defines “brain health” as all aspects of the brain 12 impacted by biological and physical characteristics of the 13 brain affecting mood and behavior. 14 The bill adopts the same intent and meaning of “brain health” 15 for Code chapters 135 (department of public health) and 280 16 (uniform school requirements) as established in Code chapter 17 225C. 18 The bill creates a duty for the department of public health 19 to adopt rules which allow mental health providers to use 20 the term “brain health” synonymously with the terms “mental 21 health” or “mental illness” and promote the usage of the term 22 “brain health” for the purpose of reducing stigma related to 23 mental health disease and illness. This recognition of the 24 term “brain health” does not replace the terms “mental health” 25 or “mental illness” as it relates to medical billing or state 26 processional licensure. 27 The bill makes it a requirement for all charter schools, 28 public schools, and accredited nonpublic schools to have a 29 minimum of one health care professional with brain health 30 credentials available on site to assist students during normal 31 hours of instruction. 32 The bill annually appropriates to the department of 33 education an amount sufficient to provide this staffing, and 34 requires the department of health and human services to assist 35 -3- LSB 1112YH (4) 90 dg/jh 3/ 4