Senate passes its version of mental health reform

DES MOINES - Sweeping mental health reform legislation passed the Iowa Senate on Thursday, but its prospects remain unclear in the House.

For the better part of the legislative session, lawmakers from the Republican-controlled House and the Democratic-controlled Senate have been working on a reform package that gives the state a larger role in providing mental health services.

Versions of the reform package have passed both chambers before, but so far, there hasn't been a single bill both sides have agreed on.

Thursday afternoon, a bipartisan majority of the Senate passed another version of the legislation with little discussion. It was the only official floor business of the day and lasted about 10 minutes.

But the easy passage in the Senate belies a potentially tough vote in the House, if it gets a vote at all.

The Senate version approved Thursday added 17 points to the legislation previously approved by the House. Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, who has led the Senate discussion on the reform package, said it was a clarifying amendment, but his House counterpart, Republican Rep. Renee Schulte of Cedar Rapids, disagreed.

“After talking to House Leadership, if this amendment is added it will either go to conference committee at best or will not move forward this session,” Schulte wrote in an email to Hatch that he provided to the Des Moines Bureau.

“The code has been repealed and a lot of work has been put into the bill,” her email read. “I would hate to start over.”

Calls to Schulte on Wednesday and Thursday were not returned.

House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer, R-Garner, said Hatch was being “a bit disingenuous” because he had opposed an earlier House amendment to the bill but expected the House to approve the latest changes.

“They thought there was a deal when it was sent over here,” Hatch said. “They are either in denial, or they are purposely misleading you folks.”

He said both chambers have the ability to “perfect” the bill as they gathered information from interested parties. He said he talked to Schulte on Wednesday night, but she wouldn't tell him what she objected to.

Despite the disagreement, he said he expects the reform package will move.

“It will get done. We will not leave this Legislature without this bill passing,” Hatch said. “You can't leave 100,000 Iowans wondering how their services will be delivered for a minute, let alone another year.”