A bill for an act authorizing county boards of supervisors to employ firms of professional engineers as the county engineer.

HF 479 allows Iowa county boards of supervisors to hire professional engineering firms as county engineers, rather than requiring them to hire individual licensed civil engineers directly. The bill specifies that the firm must employ one or more licensed civil engineers to perform all required county engineer duties under an agreement with the board. It also modifies bond requirements so that a single bond covering the firm’s licensed engineers (valued between $2,000 and $5,000) will satisfy the existing bond obligation, as if the firm were a single engineer. This change provides counties with greater flexibility in sourcing engineering services while maintaining accountability through licensed personnel and bond coverage.