(Radio Iowa) — Six of seven Republicans on an Iowa Senate committee have endorsed a plan to require more of the Iowans getting health care benefits through Medicaid to work or volunteer in their community. Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, is chairman of the Senate Labor Committee.

“Able-bodied Iowans should work if they’re receiving public benefits,” Schultz says. The bill does have exceptions. The parents of young children and disabled Iowans would not be required to fulfill the requirement, but other adults between the ages of 18 and 64 would have to show state officials they’re working 20 hours a week. Schultz says his constituents want the state’s welfare programs to promote the Iowa work ethic.

“They want to see people work, if they can, and they also support that we are a well-off enough state and country that we can take care of the people who can’t take care of themselves,” Schultz says, “so it’s not mean-spirited what I’m hearing back home, but they are very frustrated when they know of neighbors who could get a job, but are getting public assistance benefits and kind of mocking the system.”

Lana Shope of the Iowa Community Action Association says nearly 80 percent of the working-age adults enrolled in Medicaid already have a job — but many have inconsistent work schedules. “They might be working 20 hours this week, but next week they’re only going to get 10, which is going to make them out of compliance which then jeopardizes their health care coverage through Medicaid,” she says, “not only for them, but for their children.”

The bill is now eligible for debate in the full senate.