House
File
412
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
412
BY
EHLERT
,
AMOS
JR.
,
BAETH
,
GOSA
,
R.
JOHNSON
,
WILSON
,
WICHTENDAHL
,
CROKEN
,
BAGNIEWSKI
,
KRESSIG
,
B.
MEYER
,
LEVIN
,
JAMES
,
MATSON
,
BROWN-POWERS
,
KURTH
,
SRINIVAS
,
OLSON
,
SCHOLTEN
,
WESSEL-KROESCHELL
,
and
WILBURN
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
unhoused
persons
participating
in
the
state
1
child
care
assistance
program.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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412
Section
1.
Section
237A.1,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
16.
“Unhoused”
means
lacking
a
fixed,
3
regular,
and
adequate
nighttime
residence.
“Unhoused”
includes
4
but
is
not
limited
to
all
of
the
following:
5
a.
A
person
living
in
the
housing
of
other
persons
due
to
6
the
person’s
loss
of
housing,
economic
hardship,
or
similar
7
reason.
8
b.
A
person
living
in
a
motel,
hotel,
or
campground
due
to
9
the
lack
of
a
fixed,
regular,
and
adequate
nighttime
residence.
10
c.
A
person
living
in
an
emergency
or
transitional
shelter.
11
d.
A
person
abandoned
in
a
hospital.
12
e.
A
person
living
in
a
place
not
designed
for,
or
13
ordinarily
used
as,
a
regular
sleeping
accommodation
for
human
14
beings.
15
f.
A
person
living
in
a
car,
park,
public
space,
abandoned
16
building,
substandard
housing,
bus
or
train
station,
or
similar
17
setting.
18
Sec.
2.
Section
237A.13,
subsection
1,
paragraph
b,
Code
19
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
20
b.
The
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
custodian
is
21
seeking
employment.
Eligibility
for
assistance
while
22
seeking
employment
shall
be
limited
to
thirty
days
during
a
23
twelve-month
period.
The
department
shall
extend
the
time
24
limit
under
this
paragraph
if
the
child
is
under
six
years
25
of
age
and
the
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
custodian
who
is
26
seeking
employment
is
unhoused.
27
Sec.
3.
Section
237A.13,
subsection
8,
Code
2025,
is
amended
28
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
29
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
e.
An
unhoused
child.
30
Sec.
4.
Section
237A.13,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
31
following
new
subsection:
32
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
9A.
The
department
shall
implement
an
33
expedited
process
to
approve
an
unhoused
person
for
child
care
34
assistance
under
this
section,
and
to
grant
an
extension
under
35
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subsection
1,
paragraph
“b”
.
1
EXPLANATION
2
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
3
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
4
This
bill
relates
to
unhoused
persons
participating
in
the
5
state
child
care
assistance
(CCA)
program.
6
The
bill
defines
“unhoused”
as
lacking
a
fixed,
regular,
and
7
adequate
nighttime
residence
and
lists
circumstances
in
which
a
8
person
qualifies
as
unhoused.
9
Under
current
law,
a
person
may
be
eligible
for
CCA
if
the
10
person
is
seeking
employment.
Eligibility
for
CCA
based
on
11
seeking
employment
is
limited
to
30
days
during
a
12-month
12
period.
The
bill
requires
the
department
of
health
and
human
13
services
(HHS)
to
extend
the
30-day
limit
if
the
child
is
under
14
six
years
of
age
and
the
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
custodian
15
who
is
seeking
employment
is
unhoused.
16
The
bill
exempts
unhoused
children
from
CCA
program
waiting
17
list
requirements.
18
The
bill
requires
HHS
to
implement
an
expedited
process
to
19
approve
an
unhoused
person
for
CCA
benefits
and
to
grant
an
20
extension
of
the
30-day
limit
for
CCA
benefits
to
unhoused
CCA
21
participants
seeking
employment.
22
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