(Des Moines, Iowa) – Week 6 of the 90th General Assembly ended early with an incoming snowstorm. House District 21 Republican Representative Thomas Moore, from Griswold, said in his weekly report, the Health and Human Services Committee met Tuesday afternoon. Bills passed through committee include:

The “Child Care Physicals – Strike” bill, strikes the requirement that all personnel in a registered child care provider must have a physical prior to beginning employment. Moore said the Education Committee passed several bills, including one that requires the Department of Education to accept entry level driver training if it meets the requirements for passenger endorsement and the school bus endorsement training curriculum. Another bill would allow school boards to compensate student teachers.

The “Chapter 12 Reform” bill, he said, would:

·     Remove the requirement that schools submit a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).

·     Allow up to 5 days to be online instruction (snow days).

·     Allow a district to offer sequential courses in the same classroom taught by the same teacher whether it’s AP courses, regular courses, or community college courses.

·     Allow financial literacy to be taught within other courses.

Moore said House File 8 would prohibit instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in school districts and charter schools in kindergarten through grade six. House File224 is a bill that Moore introduced that relates to the renewal requirements associated with licenses issued by the board of educational examiners. Teachers with a masters degree and 10 yrs of experience will no longer be required to meet the 5 year re-licensure requirement. They will be responsible for a background check every 5 years. And, HF  HF123 adds an Information Technology Specialist to the list of eligible positions with a waiting of 5 pupils pertaining to Operational Sharing agreements between schools and AEA’s.

Representative Moore said the Economic Growth & Technology Committee met Wednesday, in Des Moines and passed two bills.

Moore said among the Bills that passed through the House this Week was Senate File 181 – Property Tax Rollback Calculation Fix.

“This is not meant to take away money from local governments,” he said, “because in reality, this is not money they ever should have received.”