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Amendments › HF 2795

Amendment H-8458 to HF 2795

Convening an early childhood Iowa study committee

Adopted · May 2, 2026Strike everything: replaces the whole bill

Filed May 1, 2026 in the House by

Amends this HF 2795 to CONFORM to SF 2488

What it changes

  1. By striking everything after the enacting clause and inserting: “DIVISION I EARLY CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY SERVICES SYSTEM Section
  2. NEW SECTION . 234A.1 Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
  3. “Community resources” means locally focused, strength-based programs and supports that aim to enhance family functioning and resilience, promote child development and safety, and prevent future involvement with child protective services or the juvenile justice system.
  4. “Department” means the department of health and human services.
  5. “Early childhood and family services district” or “ECFS district” means a health and human services district utilized for the purpose of administering the ECFS system.
  6. “Early childhood and family services district advisory council” or “ECFS district advisory council” means an advisory council established under section 234A.3.
  7. “Early childhood and family services district plan” or “ECFS district plan” means a plan developed by the department to outline the ECFS system infrastructure of a district and the programs and services intended to be provided within that district.
  8. “Early childhood and family services state plan” or “ECFS state plan” means the plan developed by the department that describes the key components of the state’s ECFS system.
  9. “Early childhood and family services system” or “ECFS system” means the system established in section 234A.2.
  10. “Early childhood and family services system fund” or “ECFS system fund” means the fund created in section 234A.6.
  11. “Early intervention strategies” means services and supports designed to proactively identify and address risk factors and includes services that aim to strengthen families, promote healthy development, and reduce the likelihood of abuse or neglect by providing timely, targeted assistance to children and caregivers through the ECFS system.
  12. “Evidence-based” means practices, programs, and policies grounded in the best available research and data, and that have been scientifically tested and shown to be effective through rigorous evaluation.
  13. “Family support services” include group-based parent education and home visiting programs designed to strengthen protective factors including parenting skills, increase parental knowledge of child development, and increase family functioning and problem-solving skills. Family support services may be used as an early intervention strategy to improve birth outcomes, parental knowledge, family economic success, the home learning environment, family and child involvement with others, and coordination with other community resources. Family support services may have a specific focus on preventing child maltreatment or ensuring children are safe, healthy, and ready to succeed in school.
  14. “Health and human services district” means the same as defined in section 217.1.
  15. “HOPES-HFI program” means the healthy opportunities for parents to experience success – healthy families Iowa program established in section 234A.5.
  16. “Ongoing family and community resources” means a continuum of sustained, accessible, and family-centered resources provided through the ECFS system that help families meet their needs, strengthen protective factors, and prevent child abuse and neglect.
  17. “Primary prevention strategies” means a comprehensive set of services and supports provided through the ECFS system that are designed to strengthen families, promote healthy child development, and prevent adverse outcomes before they occur. These activities focus on addressing the underlying social, economic, and environmental conditions that place children and families at risk, such as poverty, social isolation, and lack of access to quality early care and education.
  18. “Protective factor” means an inherent strength, resource, or capacity of a family, or a resource that helps a family thrive, buffer against stress, and reduce the likelihood of child abuse, neglect, or other poor outcome.
  19. “Strength-based” means an approach that focuses on identifying and building upon the inherent strengths, resources, and capacities of a family to support the family’s growth, resilience, and well-being. Sec.
  20. NEW SECTION . 234A.2 Early childhood and family services system —— department powers and duties.
  21. An early childhood and family services system is established under the control of the department for the purposes of implementing a statewide array of primary prevention strategies, early intervention strategies, and ongoing family and community resources for families and their children under nineteen years of age.
  22. The ECFS system shall be administered in a manner to maximize funding opportunities, interagency collaboration, and integration of activities and services that support positive outcomes for children and families.
  23. The ECFS system shall support equitable statewide access to all services, supports, and other resources offered through the ECFS system that, at a minimum, shall include all of the following: a. Evidence-based primary prevention strategies, including family support services, designed to assist families in establishing healthy, successful futures. b. Tailored early intervention strategies for children and families to ensure long-term well-being, including economic self-sufficiency. c. Ongoing family and community resources for children and families to address the root causes of child abuse and neglect and enhance protective factors. d. Specific service components including early childhood services, evidence-based family support services, and community resources.
  24. To the extent funding is available, the department shall do all of the following to develop and administer the ECFS system and carry out the department’s duties under this chapter: a. Plan, establish, and maintain primary prevention strategies, early intervention strategies, and ongoing family and community resources. b. (1) Develop an early childhood and family services state plan that is consistent with the department’s agency strategic plan adopted pursuant to section 8E.204, and the state health improvement plan developed under section 217.17. (2) When developing the ECFS state plan, the department shall do all of the following: (a) Collaborate with stakeholders including but not limited to experienced public health and medical providers, law enforcement, educators, the early childhood Iowa state board, the early childhood Iowa area boards, and organizations that represent populations including but not limited to children to be served by the ECFS system. (b) Publish the proposed ECFS state plan on the department’s internet site and allow the public to review and comment on the proposed ECFS state plan prior to adoption. c. Administer the ECFS system in each ECFS district based on early childhood and family services district plans. d. Develop ECFS district plans in collaboration with ECFS system partners and stakeholders. e. Establish ECFS district advisory councils pursuant to section 234A.3. f. Coordinate administration of each ECFS district plan with federal and state resources. g. Enter into contracts as necessary to perform activities, and provide services, supports, and other resources in accordance with each ECFS district plan. h. Coordinate district activities with other state agencies and state-funded initiatives that support positive outcomes for children and families. i. Administer and distribute federal aid received, and state appropriations, grants, and other moneys deposited into the early childhood and family services system fund. j. Oversee, provide technical assistance to, and monitor department contractors to ensure compliance with ECFS district plans. k. Establish and maintain data collection and management information systems to identify, collect, and analyze service outcomes and performance data to address the needs of clients, providers, the department, and ECFS system programs. l. Collect, maintain, monitor, analyze, and utilize information including but not limited to ECFS client records and programmatic, state, and national data, engage in studies and analyses, and gather relevant statistics to understand emerging needs and effectively deploy information, resources, and technical assistance in response. m. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this chapter. n. Take any other necessary actions to execute the department’s duties under this chapter or maintain compliance with federal requirements.
  25. The department may do all of the following to develop and administer the ECFS system: a. Cooperate with any state agency, political subdivision, or federal governmental agency to apply for grants. b. Solicit and accept for use any gift of money, by will or otherwise, and any grant of money or services from the federal government, the state, a political subdivision of the state or federal government, or a private source. Sec.
  26. NEW SECTION . 234A.3 Early childhood and family services district advisory councils.
  27. The department shall establish an early childhood and family services district advisory council in each ECFS district. The department shall develop policies and procedures for the operational functions of each ECFS district advisory council.
  28. An ECFS district advisory council shall consist of ten members appointed by the department. Individuals eligible for appointment include but are not limited to all of the following: a. Elected public officials who currently hold office within the ECFS district. b. Individuals who have experience or expertise related to health, education, domestic assault response, abuse response, or community-based child abuse prevention. c. Individuals who are representative of the populations served in the ECFS district advisory council’s ECFS district. d. Individuals who represent the faith community or community partners in the ECFS district advisory council’s ECFS district.
  29. An ECFS district advisory council shall do all of the following: a. Identify opportunities and address challenges based on updates received from the department relating to the implementation of the ECFS district plan for the ECFS district advisory council’s ECFS district. b. Provide feedback to the department while the department is developing ECFS system policies. c. Advise the department on how to best provide families access to primary prevention strategies, early intervention strategies, and ongoing family and community resources throughout the ECFS district advisory council’s ECFS district.
  30. An ECFS district advisory council shall perform the duties required under this section regardless of whether any seat on the ECFS district advisory council is vacant. Sec.
  31. NEW SECTION . 234A.4 Data collection and use.
  32. The department shall perform all of the following actions related to ECFS system data: a. (1) Collect, maintain, monitor, analyze, and utilize data, including but not limited to child welfare data, Medicaid data, ECFS system data, and other data depicting the status of children and families in the state, as necessary to issue cost estimates for serving populations, make and receive payments, conduct operations, and perform ECFS system activities. (2) When performing duties under this paragraph, the department shall maintain compliance with applicable federal and state privacy laws to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of individually identifiable data. (3) The department shall periodically assess the status of the department’s compliance with subparagraph (2) to ensure that data collected and maintained by the department under this paragraph is protected. b. To the extent possible, establish a record for each individual receiving publicly funded ECFS system services. Each record established under this paragraph shall include a unique client identifier for the purposes of identifying and tracking the individual’s record. c. Consult with department contractors and other ECFS system stakeholders on an ongoing basis relating to the administration of the ECFS system, including but not limited to reviewing trends and outcomes as indicators for improving or modifying administration of the ECFS system. d. Engage with entities that maintain information the department is required to collect pursuant to this section to integrate data relating to individuals receiving ECFS system services. e. Engage with entities that maintain general population data relating to the ECFS system to develop action plans, create projections relating to a population’s ECFS system needs, develop ECFS system policies, and otherwise perform activities as necessary to support families in achieving a healthy, successful future.
  33. The department shall ensure that public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals that operate within the ECFS system use uniform methods to maintain statistical information relating to ECFS system outcomes and performance. Sec.
  34. NEW SECTION . 234A.5 Healthy families programs —— HOPES-HFI program.
  35. The department may establish the HOPES-HFI program to provide services to families and children during a child’s prenatal through preschool years. If established, the HOPES-HFI program shall do all of the following: a. Promote optimal child health and development. b. Improve family coping skills and functioning. c. Promote positive parenting skills and intrafamilial interaction. d. Prevent child abuse, child neglect, infant mortality, and infant morbidity.
  36. The department shall administer the HOPES-HFI program, in whole or in part, by contracting with local organizations that use evidence-based home visiting models. Sec.
  37. NEW SECTION . 234A.6 Early childhood and family services system fund.
  38. An early childhood and family services system fund is created in the state treasury under the control of the department and consisting of any moneys appropriated to the department for the ECFS system fund’s purposes by the general assembly and any other moneys available and obtained or accepted by the department for deposit in the ECFS system fund. The ECFS system fund shall be used to implement and administer the ECFS system.
  39. Moneys in the ECFS system fund are appropriated to the department for the purposes of implementing and administering the ECFS system.
  40. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in this section that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of a fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure for the purposes designated.
  41. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the ECFS system fund shall be credited to the ECFS system fund. Sec.
  42. REPEAL. Section 135.106, Code 2026, is repealed. Sec.
  43. EFFECTIVE DATE. The section of this division of this Act enacting section 234A.6, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment. DIVISION II DECATEGORIZATION INITIATIVE Sec.
  44. Section 235.7, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
  45. Membership. The department may authorize the governance boards of decategorization of child welfare and juvenile justice funding projects established under section 232.188 to appoint the transition committee membership and may utilize the boundaries of decategorization projects to establish the service areas for transition committees. The committee A committee’s membership may include but is not limited to department staff involved with foster care, child welfare, and adult services, juvenile court services staff, staff involved with county general assistance or emergency relief under chapter 251 or 252 , school district and area education agency staff involved with special education, and a child’s court appointed special advocate, guardian ad litem, service providers, and other persons knowledgeable about the child. Sec.
  46. Section 237A.1, subsection 2, paragraph j, subparagraph (2), Code 2026, is amended by striking the subparagraph. Sec.
  47. Section 249A.26, subsection 5, Code 2026, is amended by striking the subsection. Sec.
  48. Section 256I.4, subsection 6, Code 2026, is amended by striking the subsection. Sec.
  49. REPEAL. Section 232.188, Code 2026, is repealed. Sec.
  50. DECATEGORIZATION FUNDING AND INITIATIVES.
  51. For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires: a. “Carryover funding” means unobligated or unencumbered moneys described in section 232.188, subsection 5, paragraph “b”, Code 2026, at the close of the fiscal year beginning July 1,
  52. b. “Decategorization initiative” means the services and activities funded through a funding pool. c. “Department” means the department of health and human services. d. “Funding” means moneys transferred to and remaining in a funding pool at the close of the fiscal year that began July 1, 2025, and that consist of any of the following: (1) Moneys appropriated by the general assembly and designated for a decategorization initiative. (2) Moneys appropriated by the general assembly to the department for child welfare and juvenile justice services and designated for a decategorization initiative by the department. (3) Moneys appropriated to juvenile court services for juvenile justice programs and designated for a decategorization initiative. (4) Carryover funding. e. “Funding pool” means the same as defined in section 232.188, Code
  53. f. “Governance board” means the same as defined in section 232.188, Code
  55. a. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, funding that consists of moneys designated for decategorization initiatives and transferred to a funding pool by the department that remains in a funding pool at the close of the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, that has been encumbered or obligated by the governance board for a decategorization initiative or by contract beyond the end of that fiscal year, shall remain available for expenditure to ensure continuation of such decategorization initiative or contract until the close of the succeeding fiscal year, unless otherwise determined by the department under subsection
  56. b. Any encumbered or obligated moneys remaining in a funding pool as specified in paragraph “a” at the close of the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2026, which are not encumbered or obligated by the department as determined under subsection 5 shall be transferred and appropriated to the department.
  57. a. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, juvenile court services shall terminate all decategorization initiative contracts funded through moneys designated for a decategorization initiative and transferred to a funding pool by juvenile court services at the close of the fiscal year that began July 1, 2025, and shall not renew or extend such contracts. b. Moneys encumbered or obligated under a contract terminated under this subsection that remain in a funding pool at the close of the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, shall be transferred and appropriated to juvenile court services.
  58. a. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, moneys that remain in a funding pool at the end of the fiscal year that began July 1, 2025, that are unencumbered or unobligated by the governance board for a decategorization initiative or by contract at the close of the fiscal year, shall be transferred and appropriated to the department and juvenile court services proportionately based on the percentage of moneys designated for decategorization initiatives and transferred to funding pools by each entity for each fiscal year for the fiscal period beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 30,
  59. b. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary including section 8.33, moneys transferred and appropriated to the department and juvenile court services under this subsection shall not revert but shall remain available to those entities to be used for child welfare and juvenile justice services until expended.
  60. a. With input from appropriate stakeholders, the department shall identify each contract funded through a funding pool impacted by this division of this Act. b. The department shall evaluate each contract identified under paragraph “a” to determine the following: (1) If termination is permitted by the terms of a contract being evaluated, whether the department should exercise the option to terminate the contract by June 30, 2026, or continue the contract until the end of the current contract term. (2) If termination is not permitted by the terms of the contract, whether the contract should be renewed or extended by the department at the end of the current contract term. (3) Whether the department should assume responsibility for a contract for the remainder of the current term of the contract, for the term of the contract if the contract is renewed, or for the term of the contract if the contract is extended to avoid service interruption. c. Unless otherwise provided under this section, a governance board or other entity shall not execute a contract for a decategorization initiative if the contract is funded through moneys in a funding pool after the effective date of this section of this division of this Act, or if the term of the contract extends beyond, or the deliverables under the contract would be provided after, June 30,

Shortened here; the full amendment is in the official document.

Official amendment (PDF) · In the Bill Book