Committee sends three rule-to-statute bills to the floor: immunizations, daycare licensing, child support

The House Health and Welfare Committee on Thursday sent three bills that move existing Department of Health and Welfare rules into statute to the House floor with due pass recommendations.

Representative Healy introduced House Bill 290, which transfers immunization-related rules into statute. Healy told the committee the bill is a cleanup that consolidates immunization requirements that previously appeared across rules for daycare, K-12, and higher education, and that it incorporates changes made last year related to registry opt-in/opt-out. He noted rules such as IDAPA's rule 400 (random visits to licensed day care facilities) and rule 150 (exclusion of children whose parents have submitted a signed declination) already exist in administrative rule. "By moving these into statute, we will then be back in control by the elected body," Representative Healy said, arguing the change prevents the Department of Health and Welfare from altering such provisions outside the legislative session by temporary rule.

Representative Tanya Burgoyne presented House Bill 312, which moves 19 sections from IDAPA 16.06.0.03 on daycare licensing into statute. Burgoyne said the sections cover definitions, licensure, standards and safety, fees, training requirements, behavior management, and complaint procedures; she said the move returns longstanding administrative provisions to the legislature's control and that the language largely reflects existing requirements. Burgoyne asked for a due pass recommendation to the floor.

Representative Lucas Kaler introduced House Bill 336, which moves IDAPA 16.03.0.03 relating to child support services into statute. Kaler said the measure does not create new law but codifies existing enforcement authorities. Highlights he listed include authority to intercept and retain child support for foster-care expenses, the ability to notify consumer reporting agencies when overdue support exceeds $2,000 and is three months in arrears, income-withholding and judicial enforcement mechanisms, enforcement of medical support, review and modification of support orders, and the authority of the Department to enforce child support. On fees moved into statute, Kaler said those amounts were existing flat fees in rule; when a committee member asked whether amounts were caps or flat fees, Kaler replied they were existing flat fees moved to statute, and that section 7 states the department charges the fees to compensate for services or enforcement.

Each bill was moved by a committee member and approved by voice vote with no public testimony scheduled in the transcript provided. The committee's chair announced the due pass recommendations and the bills were sent to the floor.