HF 411 (LSB 1814YH (5) 91)

HOUSE FILE 411

BY  EHLERT, AMOS JR., BAETH, GOSA, R. JOHNSON, WILSON, WICHTENDAHL, CROKEN, BAGNIEWSKI, JAMES, B. MEYER, MATSON, BROWN-POWERS, KURTH, SRINIVAS, OLSON, SCHOLTEN, WESSEL-KROESCHELL, and WILBURN

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to state child care assistance program copayments for unhoused persons.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 237A.1, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  16.  “Unhoused” means lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. “Unhoused” includes but is not limited to all of the following:
   a.  A person living in the housing of other persons due to the person’s loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason.
   b.  A person living in a motel, hotel, or campground due to the lack of a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.
   c.  A person living in an emergency or transitional shelter.
   d.  A person abandoned in a hospital.
   e.  A person living in a place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
   f.  A person living in a car, park, public space, abandoned building, substandard housing, bus or train station, or similar setting.
    Sec. 2.  Section 237A.13, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  2A.  A family the department has determined is unhoused shall not be required to make a copayment or similar payment to the state as a condition of participation in the state child care assistance program. The exemption created by this subsection shall continue for a family until six months from the date the department has determined the family is no longer unhoused.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to state child care assistance (CCA) program copayments for unhoused persons.
   The bill defines “unhoused” as lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and lists several circumstances in which a person is considered unhoused.
   To be eligible for the CCA program, a participating family is required to make copayments based on the number of the family’s children in a child care provider’s care and the family’s gross monthly income. The bill exempts a family the department of health and human services (HHS) has determined is unhoused from making a CCA copayment, or similar payment to the state, as a condition of CCA program participation. The exemption continues until six months from the date HHS determines the family is no longer unhoused.