Labor & Employment

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2025

SF 358: A bill for an act relating to the maximum amount of unemployment benefits payable during a benefit year to an individual laid off due to an employer going out of business.

This bill increases the maximum unemployment benefits for workers laid off when their employer closes permanently. It raises the cap from 26 to 39 times the individual's weekly benefit amount during a benefit year. This change directly affects workers who lose jobs due to an employer going out of business at their workplace. The policy adjusts the benefit calculation to provide greater financial support in these specific circumstances.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases unemployment benefit cap from 26 to 39 weeks for workers laid off due to employer closure, expanding financial support and strengthening worker protections during job loss.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Unemployment

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 12, 2025

SF 263: A bill for an act relating to employment matters involving public employees including collective bargaining, educator employment matters, and city civil service requirements, and including effective date, applicability, and transition provisions.

SF 263 amends Iowa's public employee collective bargaining laws. It requires negotiations on pay, hours, safety, and other terms (but excludes retirement systems) and mandates written member consent for union dues deductions. The bill imposes a 12-month ban on union representation after decertification due to legal violations like contempt of court. These changes affect public school teachers, city workers, and other state/local government employees covered by union contracts.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentMandates written dues consent and 12-month union ban post-decertification, restricting collective bargaining for public employees.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SF 381: A bill for an act relating to youth employment and providing penalties.

SF 381 restricts youth employment in Iowa for individuals under 18. It prohibits work for those under 14 entirely, limits under-16s to specific non-hazardous jobs (like retail, food service, or office work) during non-school hours, and bans dangerous occupations such as logging, meatpacking, operating heavy machinery, or working with explosives for all minors. The bill also sets strict work hour limits: no work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. (extended to 9 p.m. June 1-Labor Day), max 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week, and requires 30-minute breaks for 5+ hour shifts. These provisions directly affect employers hiring minors and aim to protect young workers from hazardous conditions and excessive hours.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill restricts hazardous youth jobs and sets safety hour limits, improving minor workplace safety under labor & employment protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Child Labor Labor Standards

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 27, 2025

SF 456: A bill for an act relating to the choice of doctor to treat injured employees under workers’ compensation laws and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This bill (SF 456) gives Iowa workers injured on the job more control over choosing their treating physician under workers' compensation. It allows employees to predesignate a primary care doctor (who has treated them before and is within 60 miles of work) to handle their injury, and requires employers to inform workers of this right. If employers fail to provide this notice, workers can choose any doctor at the employer’s expense. Disputes over doctor choices must be resolved by the workers’ compensation commissioner within 10-14 days, with options for phone or in-person hearings.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands patient choice in workers' comp healthcare by allowing injured workers to select their treating physician, improving access and protecting rights within medical care provisions.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentGives injured workers control over physician choice under workers' comp, requiring employer notice and allowing choice if not provided, protecting worker rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Primary Care Workers' Compensation

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passed · Iowa · Senate Apr 2, 2025

SF 308: A bill for an act relating to disclosure to the general assembly of information concerning nongovernmental employers and providing remedies.

This Iowa bill protects private employees who disclose workplace violations or safety hazards to lawmakers. It prohibits employers from stopping such disclosures, punishing employees for making them, or requiring employees to notify them about disclosures. Employees facing retaliation can seek court-ordered reinstatement, back pay, or compensation (up to three times annual wages). The bill also ensures these disclosures remain confidential and prevents employers from using deceptive tactics to avoid liability.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProtects employees from retaliation for disclosing safety hazards, enabling court-ordered reinstatement and back pay per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2025

HF 170: A bill for an act providing for employment leave for employees of railroad corporations to attend a school-sponsored activity and making penalties applicable.

HF 170 requires Iowa railroad corporations to provide employees with up to four leave occurrences per academic year (each up to three consecutive days) to attend school events for their children, if the event cannot be scheduled outside work hours. Employees must request leave in writing at least 14 days in advance (24 hours for emergencies) and may need to provide documentation of the school event. Employers may offer paid or unpaid leave but cannot retaliate against employees for taking this leave. The bill applies specifically to railroad corporation employees with school-aged children and prohibits leave on federal holidays.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires railroad employers to provide leave for school events, expanding employee benefits and protecting against retaliation for taking leave.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jun 16, 2025

SF 466: A bill for an act providing for disqualification for unemployment benefits due to separation from short-term employment with a fixed end date and including applicability provisions.

This bill disqualifies individuals from receiving unemployment benefits if they leave a short-term job ending within 180 days, provided the employer had a written contract specifying the end date, stating no benefits would be available, and confirming the job concluded as planned. It affects workers in such fixed-term roles and employers who use these contracts, clarifying that this employment won’t count as taxable wages for unemployment tax purposes. Employers can claim refunds for taxes paid on these short-term jobs, and the bill explicitly states contracts cannot waive workers’ rights to unemployment benefits under existing law. The rule applies to employment starting on or after the bill’s effective date.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill disqualifies workers from unemployment benefits for leaving fixed-term jobs with end-date contracts, weakening worker safety net access and restricting benefits eligibility.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment

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passed · Iowa · Senate Mar 17, 2026

SF 487: A bill for an act relating to employer recordkeeping and auditing requirements for purposes of unemployment insurance and including applicability provisions.

SF 487 requires Iowa employers covered by unemployment insurance to maintain accurate work records (like pay stubs, W-2s, and tax documents) for three years after wages were paid or due. It mandates that the Department of Workforce Development conduct field audits of these records to verify compliance, requiring employers to provide pre-audit notice and allow interviews. Auditors must examine at least one employee's records for one quarter, with the option to expand audits if discrepancies are found. Employers can contest audit decisions, and the law applies to audits starting after the bill's effective date.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires accurate employer records and audits to verify unemployment insurance compliance, protecting workers' access to benefits and ensuring proper wage documentation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment Workforce Development

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signed · Iowa · House Jun 6, 2025

HF 889: A bill for an act relating to government employee paid leave.

The provided bill text for HF 889 is not available, making it impossible to create a detailed summary of its specific provisions. Based solely on its title, "A bill for an act relating to government employee paid leave," this legislation concerns policies around paid leave for individuals employed by the government. Without the bill's content, the exact changes to who is affected or what mechanisms are introduced cannot be determined.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill proposes paid leave for government employees, expanding worker benefits under labor/employment policy per subjects listed.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave Public Employees

signed · Iowa · House Jun 6, 2025

HF 767: A bill for an act concerning private sector employee drug testing.

HF 767, now law after Governor's signature on June 6, 2025, establishes new rules for drug testing in private workplaces. It directly affects private employers and their employees by regulating when and how drug tests can be conducted. The bill's specific mechanisms - such as required consent, test accuracy standards, or employer reporting - are not detailed in the provided context. As a substantive policy change, it replaces previous standards with these new requirements for private sector drug testing. (Note: The context does not provide the bill's specific provisions, so key mechanisms cannot be described.)

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAdds consent requirements and accuracy standards for private sector drug testing, protecting employee rights during workplace testing.85% confidence