Bill > SF659

This bill makes various changes to state government finances and operations for fiscal years 2025-2026 and beyond, including modifying appropriations, authorizing expenditures, and addressing specific policy matters. * **Nonpublic School Pupil Transportation:** Appropriates $8,997,091 from the General Fund for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, to pay claims for nonpublic school pupil transportation. If approved claims exceed this amount, they will be prorated. * **Instructional Support State Aid:** Sets the appropriation for instructional support state aid for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, to zero, in lieu of the standing appropriation. * **Salary Adjustments:** Allows salary adjustments for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, to be funded from unappropriated moneys in various special and revolving funds, including the commerce revolving fund, gaming enforcement revolving fund, gaming regulatory revolving fund, primary road fund, road use tax fund, fish and game protection fund, and the Iowa public employees’ retirement fund. * **Foundation Aid:** Directs $21,881,303 of excess moneys from the Iowa Economic Emergency Fund to be used for foundation aid for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025. * **School District State Aid Reductions:** Implements reductions to state aid for school districts totaling $7,500,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and an additional $25,000,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025. These reductions are to be prorated among districts. * **Area Education Agency Funding:** Authorizes the deduction of certain amounts from state aid to school districts to be paid to area education agencies for services provided to students in nonpublic schools, specifically for media services and educational services. * **Crystalline Polymorph Psilocybin:** Amends provisions related to the rescheduling of crystalline polymorph psilocybin upon FDA approval, making it lawful to prescribe, distribute, and market. * **Student Abuse Investigations:** Establishes new procedures for the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate alleged student abuse by school employees, including requirements for notification of school districts and the Board of Educational Examiners, and placing employees on administrative leave during investigations. * **School Budgets:** Modifies provisions related to modified supplemental amounts for school districts, including eligibility criteria and limitations on property tax rates for districts receiving such amounts for budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2025. * **Wagering Taxes:** Adjusts the tax on wagering on simultaneously telecast horse and dog races, directing revenue from simulcast horse races to the Iowa horse racing fund. It also establishes a new two percent tax on advance deposit wagers, with revenue deposited into the Iowa horse racing fund. * **State Fire Marshal Study:** Directs the State Fire Marshal to conduct a study on countywide fire protection services, with findings to be reported to the General Assembly by June 30, 2026. * **Interim Studies:** Requests the establishment of interim study committees to examine policy matters related to all-terrain vehicles and off-road utility vehicles on highways, and subacute mental health care services. * **911 Emergency Communications Services:** Allows the program manager to request reimbursement from joint 911 service boards for costs related to the delivery of 911 call traffic.