Around Des Moines

In September 2007 the Older Iowans Legislature (OIL) convened to select its top issues for the 2008 session of the Iowa General Assembly. In the organization’s February 2008 newsletter, B.L. Donaldson, who serves as speaker of the OIL House, observed that with the state’s budget constrained OIL “would be wise…to only push for Bills that do not require any major expenditures. In other words…standardization of Long Term Health Care Insurance [SF2052]….” With the first legislative funnel plugged, how stand the bills of interest to OIL?

HF2142 passed out of committee on Tuesday of funnel week. This bill was introduced by Rep. Eric Palmer (D-Mahaska County) and allows individuals harmed by certain consumer fraud violations to sue for damages and attorney’s fees. The lobbyist declarations for and against it split down business lines. The attorney general, the Department of Elder Affairs, the trail lawyers association, the AFL-CIO, and Iowa Citizen Action Network (ICAN) support the legislation. Realtors, grocery stores, consumer product companies, pharmaceutical companies, a bank, grocery chain, and the behemoth Wal-Mart all oppose the bill. It passed the Judiciary committee on a vote of 13-8.

In a phone interview with AroundDesMoines.com, Ron Jome, chair of OIL’s board of directors, said the group was pleased that its elder abuse initiatives were still alive and maybe the legislature could focus on expanding those services to all 99 counties. He also said he thought “the Senate and the House did listen to the Older Iowans Legislature. They did submit all of our bills for consideration so we are pleased with that.” There is still concern with the senior living trust fund, particularly that the legislature may decide to use it for something other than “for what the Older Iowans Legislature was excited about it.”

According to an update of legislation sent out to members by Jome on March 4th, SF2082 is now in the Appropriations committee. (Bills in Appropriations were not subject to the funnel deadline.) This legislation would restrict use of the senior living trust fund to assisting with alternative long-term care (e.g., at-home care) and would require a minimum fund balance of $200 million. A companion bill in the House (HF2114) did not make it out of the Human Resources committee. Also in Appropriations is SF2082, which would provide $2,653,497 to fund elder abuse initiatives in fiscal year 2009.

Legislation to raise the personal needs allowance for residents in certain institutional health facilities did not make it out of either chamber’s Human Resources committee. Current law provides a personal allowance to individuals if their monthly income is below $50. The proposed legislation would have raised that amount each year based on the cost of living.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in 2006 11% of Des Moines residents and 14.6% of Iowans were age 65 or older. OIL places the number of people age 60 or older in its 9-county central district at 570,000. Iowa has 13 Area Agencies on Aging, created under the 1973 Older Americans Act.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.