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House Concurrent Resolution 8 - Introduced
A Concurrent Resolution 1calling upon the President of
2the United States, the United States Congress, the
3Governor, the executive branch of Iowa, and the Iowa
4General Assembly to work to improve communities by
5bolstering the care workforce.
6WHEREAS, Iowans value care and caregiving and
7recognize that the ability to care for one another
8is the connective tissue of society, forming and
9strengthening familial and community relationships, and
10enabling people to participate to their fullest extent
11in growing the economy;and
12WHEREAS, social and economic forces, including the
13ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, have irreversibly changed
14how our families live, work, and provide care;and
15WHEREAS, Iowa, with its large senior population
16and number of families where both parents are in the
17workforce, has a particular need for a strong care
18infrastructure to enable all Iowans to live in dignity
19and contribute to their communities and economy;and
20WHEREAS, the needs of people with disabilities
21have long been overlooked or marginalized in policy
22solutions, often resulting in the inability to access
23vital services and support necessary for maintaining
24independence and dignity;and
25WHEREAS, the need for a care workforce, including
26child care, home and community care, and long-term
27care, will only grow over time and represents a source
28of employment at a time when many current jobs are
-1-1subject to automation;and
2WHEREAS, the care workforce requires public sector
3recognition, support, and investment to fulfill its
4roles, but for too long has been taken for granted
5and seriously under-resourced, under-invested, and
6under-compensated;and
7WHEREAS, investing in the care workforce can be a
8key community-building strategy in both urban and rural
9communities for women and people of color, groups who
10are currently most likely to serve care workforce roles
11and are most subject to economic disadvantage and the
12impacts of COVID-19;and
13WHEREAS, the care workforce undergirds our economy
14and is the work that makes all other work possible;NOW
15THEREFORE,
16BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE
17SENATE CONCURRING, That the General Assembly of the
18State of Iowa calls upon the President of the United
19States and the United States Congress to place the
20strengthening of the care workforce as a high priority
21in response to COVID-19 and as a first step in building
22this workforce for the 21st century;and
23BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
24of the State of Iowa calls upon the President of
25the United States and the United States Congress to
26establish an essential worker bill of rights which
27gives particular recognition to the ongoing and
28post-pandemic needs of workers deemed essential to the
29economy;and
30BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
-2-1of the State of Iowa calls upon the President of
2the United States and the United States Congress
3to work to enact a 21st century caregiving and
4education plan which explicitly addresses the need
5for expanding access to a broad array of long-term
6services and support in local settings, ensures
7access to high-quality, affordable child care, treats
8professional caregivers and early childhood caregivers
9with respect and dignity, gives care workforce
10personnel pay and benefits they deserve, and provides
11for training and career ladders to higher-paying
12jobs;and
13BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
14of the State of Iowa calls upon the Governor and
15the executive branch to collaborate with the General
16Assembly to develop a state structure for effective
17implementation of federal acts called for in this
18resolution, and ensure strong oversight, transparency,
19accountability, and guarantee the participation and
20representation of those in the care workforce and the
21people they serve;and
22BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
23of the State of Iowa calls upon the Governor and
24the executive branch to collaborate with the General
25Assembly to ensure that the implementation of federal
26acts called for in this resolution coordinate with, and
27provide information to, Iowa Workforce Development,
28the Department of Education, the Department of Public
29Health, the Department of Inspections and Appeals,
30the Department of Human Services, and the Department
-3-1on Aging, including Future Ready Iowa, in order to
2ensure access to affordable, quality care and support
3services for all who need it, including children, older
4adults, and people with disabilities; expand support
5services and respite for family caregivers while making
6professional care more affordable and accessible; and
7improve the wages of care workforce jobs for early
8childhood educators, child care workers, and direct
9care workers, including home care;and
10BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon passage of
11this resolution, the Chief Clerk of the House of
12Representatives shall transmit copies of this
13resolution to the President of the United States, the
14President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of
15the United States House of Representatives, and each
16member of Iowa’s congressional delegation.
-4-dg/rn
A Concurrent Resolution 1calling upon the President of
2the United States, the United States Congress, the
3Governor, the executive branch of Iowa, and the Iowa
4General Assembly to work to improve communities by
5bolstering the care workforce.
6WHEREAS, Iowans value care and caregiving and
7recognize that the ability to care for one another
8is the connective tissue of society, forming and
9strengthening familial and community relationships, and
10enabling people to participate to their fullest extent
11in growing the economy;and
12WHEREAS, social and economic forces, including the
13ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, have irreversibly changed
14how our families live, work, and provide care;and
15WHEREAS, Iowa, with its large senior population
16and number of families where both parents are in the
17workforce, has a particular need for a strong care
18infrastructure to enable all Iowans to live in dignity
19and contribute to their communities and economy;and
20WHEREAS, the needs of people with disabilities
21have long been overlooked or marginalized in policy
22solutions, often resulting in the inability to access
23vital services and support necessary for maintaining
24independence and dignity;and
25WHEREAS, the need for a care workforce, including
26child care, home and community care, and long-term
27care, will only grow over time and represents a source
28of employment at a time when many current jobs are
-1-1subject to automation;and
2WHEREAS, the care workforce requires public sector
3recognition, support, and investment to fulfill its
4roles, but for too long has been taken for granted
5and seriously under-resourced, under-invested, and
6under-compensated;and
7WHEREAS, investing in the care workforce can be a
8key community-building strategy in both urban and rural
9communities for women and people of color, groups who
10are currently most likely to serve care workforce roles
11and are most subject to economic disadvantage and the
12impacts of COVID-19;and
13WHEREAS, the care workforce undergirds our economy
14and is the work that makes all other work possible;NOW
15THEREFORE,
16BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE
17SENATE CONCURRING, That the General Assembly of the
18State of Iowa calls upon the President of the United
19States and the United States Congress to place the
20strengthening of the care workforce as a high priority
21in response to COVID-19 and as a first step in building
22this workforce for the 21st century;and
23BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
24of the State of Iowa calls upon the President of
25the United States and the United States Congress to
26establish an essential worker bill of rights which
27gives particular recognition to the ongoing and
28post-pandemic needs of workers deemed essential to the
29economy;and
30BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
-2-1of the State of Iowa calls upon the President of
2the United States and the United States Congress
3to work to enact a 21st century caregiving and
4education plan which explicitly addresses the need
5for expanding access to a broad array of long-term
6services and support in local settings, ensures
7access to high-quality, affordable child care, treats
8professional caregivers and early childhood caregivers
9with respect and dignity, gives care workforce
10personnel pay and benefits they deserve, and provides
11for training and career ladders to higher-paying
12jobs;and
13BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
14of the State of Iowa calls upon the Governor and
15the executive branch to collaborate with the General
16Assembly to develop a state structure for effective
17implementation of federal acts called for in this
18resolution, and ensure strong oversight, transparency,
19accountability, and guarantee the participation and
20representation of those in the care workforce and the
21people they serve;and
22BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Assembly
23of the State of Iowa calls upon the Governor and
24the executive branch to collaborate with the General
25Assembly to ensure that the implementation of federal
26acts called for in this resolution coordinate with, and
27provide information to, Iowa Workforce Development,
28the Department of Education, the Department of Public
29Health, the Department of Inspections and Appeals,
30the Department of Human Services, and the Department
-3-1on Aging, including Future Ready Iowa, in order to
2ensure access to affordable, quality care and support
3services for all who need it, including children, older
4adults, and people with disabilities; expand support
5services and respite for family caregivers while making
6professional care more affordable and accessible; and
7improve the wages of care workforce jobs for early
8childhood educators, child care workers, and direct
9care workers, including home care;and
10BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That upon passage of
11this resolution, the Chief Clerk of the House of
12Representatives shall transmit copies of this
13resolution to the President of the United States, the
14President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of
15the United States House of Representatives, and each
16member of Iowa’s congressional delegation.
-4-dg/rn