For the past several weeks, Governor Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature have been taking many steps to stem the spread of coronavirus, protect Iowans, and support businesses.
Below is a summary of actions taken to date, either by legislation or proclamation, that relate to ITR’s goals of limiting taxes, spending, and regulations; it is not intended to be a complete list of all activity that has occurred during this pandemic.
We will keep you informed as additional steps are taken.
Taxes
| Extended income tax filing and payment deadlines to July 31, 2020. |
| Suspension of fees and interest related to property tax penalties. |
| Extended unemployment insurance tax deadline for small businesses. |
| Provide conditional penalty relief for taxpayers required to make estimated payments of individual, corporate, or franchise tax. |
Regulations
| Suspension of regulations for transportation of food, medical supplies, cleaning products, and other household goods by removing restrictions on oversize and overweight loads. |
| Suspension of regulations requiring a health facility to obtain a certificate of need prior to providing additional bed capacity. |
| Suspends requirement for unattended fueling dispensers to provide a public phone. |
| Mandates health insurance carriers reimburse health care professionals for telehealth services on the same basis and at the same rate as the health insurance carrier would apply to services provided in person. |
| Suspended state graduation requirements for high school seniors |
Licensing
| Expediting licensing of childcare providers to enable increasing capacity. |
| Suspension of regulations requiring in-person continuing education as a condition of many professional license renewals. |
| Suspension of many licensure regulations that would prohibit the practice of medicine, surgery, nursing, and respiratory care. |
| Suspension of many licensure regulations for practice as a physician assistant and expansion of the role of physician assistants. |
| Suspension of many licensure regulations for practice as a pharmacist, pharmacy technician, school administrator, mental health counselor, independent social worker, psychologist, speech pathologist or audiologist, professional engineer or land surveyor, and marital/family therapists. |
| Someone without a healthcare license can be given an emergency license if the board determines that they have sufficient education to practice. |
| Pharmacy licensee with lapsed license (within 5 years) or trainee who can’t become nationally certified due to the closure of testing locations may be licensed for duration of emergency. |
| Suspension of continuing ed requirements for all licenses. |
| Suspension of all license renewal requirements for duration of emergency. |
| Suspension of completion of clinical, practical, or internship experience for licensure as school admin, mental health counselor, social worker, psychologist, pharmacist, speech pathologist, or audiologist. |
| Suspension of background checks for initial applicants until after emergency (license may be revoked if warranted upon completion). |
| Suspension of expiration deadlines for taking exams as professional engineer or land surveyor. |
| Allows out-of-state marital, family, and mental health counselors, or social workers to practice electronically across state lines without an Iowa license. |
| Suspension of 1 yr time period for pharmacists to complete all Iowa components after passing initial component. |
| Suspension of 91 day test deadline for new nurse licensees |
| Suspension of 18 month timeframe for CPAs. |
| Suspension of all exam deadlines for initial licensure of appraisers. |