HF 2129 establishes a pilot program allowing eligible inmates in Iowa to train as certified water and wastewater operators through classroom instruction, on-the-job training, and supervised work release placements. It directly affects inmates serving nonviolent sentences within 24 months of release who meet behavioral and qualification criteria, aiming to address statewide operator shortages while providing post-release employment pathways. The program requires collaboration between corrections, natural resources, workforce development, and local utilities, with $500,000 appropriated for implementation in fiscal year 2026-2027. Annual reports on participation, certification rates, employment, and recidivism must be submitted to the legislature, and the program expires January 16, 2029.
This bill establishes a mandatory reemployment case management program for Iowa unemployment claimants, requiring the Department of Workforce Development to provide personalized job assistance within two weeks of a claim filing. It directly affects claimants (who must participate to maintain benefits) and employers (who receive detailed quarterly notifications about benefit payments to specific individuals). Key changes include waiving standard work-search requirements for certain claimants, clarifying burden-of-proof rules in eligibility disputes, and expanding hearing options (phone or in-person) for appeal processes. The bill also updates procedures for notifying employers about benefit charges and contribution rate determinations.
SF 2089 requires Iowa's Department of Workforce Development to create a process allowing unemployment claimants and employers to submit information separately before the fact-finding meeting, without the other party present. The department must then share this information with the other party after each statement during the joint meeting, and provide an opportunity for rebuttal before a final decision. This applies to all information shared under the bill, holding it to the same standards as other departmental records. The bill directly affects claimants and employers involved in unemployment benefit disputes by changing how they exchange evidence during the review process.
This bill allows retired certified law enforcement officers who return as school resource officers to choose to leave the Iowa public employees' retirement system (IPERS) or municipal fire/police retirement system. They must file this election within 60 days of reemployment, and it becomes permanent. The bill also ensures these individuals avoid the standard 50-cent-per-dollar earnings penalty for retirees working over $50,000, and they may continue receiving their full retirement allowance during their reemployment.
This bill imposes a 15% annual tax on the endowment value exceeding $250 million for Iowa public universities (governed by the state board of regents) and accredited private colleges. The tax revenue from public institutions funds Iowa’s workforce grant incentive program, while private colleges’ tax revenue supports a new "high-wage and high-demand jobs" account within the tuition grants fund. This account supplements tuition grants for students enrolled in private colleges studying in fields identified as high-wage and high-demand by the workforce development board. The bill also limits management fees on endowments to 1% of endowment value annually.
This bill requires Iowa's Department of Workforce Development to create a new process for handling unemployment benefit claims. It allows claimants and employers to separately submit information to the department before the joint fact-finding meeting, without the other party present. The department must then share this information with the other party after each statement in the meeting, and both must be given a chance to respond to the other's information before a final decision is made. The bill directly affects individuals filing for unemployment benefits and their employers during the claims review process.
HF 2240, the "Tax the Endowments Act," imposes an annual tax of 7.1% on the endowment value exceeding $500 million held by Iowa public universities (governed by the state board of regents) and accredited private colleges. The tax revenue is directed to two specific programs: funds from public institutions support workforce grant programs, while funds from private institutions supplement tuition grants for students in high-wage, high-demand majors. The bill also limits institutions to charging no more than 5% on gift proceeds and 1% annual fees on endowment management. It directly affects large Iowa colleges with substantial endowments, redirecting tax revenue to workforce development and targeted student financial aid.
SF 2120 modifies Iowa's public employees' retirement system rules for school district support staff and coaches. It allows members who have received one month of retirement benefits to return to covered employment with a school district, instead of requiring them to wait four months under current law. The bill directly affects Iowa public employees in these specific school roles who retire and later seek reemployment. This change simplifies the process for returning to work after retirement by reducing the required waiting period from four to one month.
This bill (SSB 3072) updates Iowa's apprenticeship laws to clarify roles and support training programs. It defines key terms like "intermediary sponsor" (an organization training apprentices for multiple employers) and "partner employer" (an employer using an intermediary). The bill protects intermediaries from being penalized for their partner employers' actions but requires them to address partner breaches. It also establishes that apprenticeship programs receiving state financial aid must provide at least 100 contact hours of training per apprentice annually. These changes directly affect apprenticeship programs, intermediaries, and employers participating in registered apprenticeship training in Iowa.
This bill (5501XD) requires Iowa's Department of Workforce Development to establish a mandatory reemployment case management program for unemployment claimants. It directly affects individuals filing for unemployment benefits who must participate in this program to maintain eligibility, starting within two weeks of filing an initial claim. The program provides individualized job search services to claimants no longer attached to work, replacing previous work search requirements for certain groups like partially unemployed workers. The bill modifies eligibility rules (Section 96.4) and creates the new program requirement (Section 96.11, subsection 17) without changing benefit amounts or payment schedules.
