Labor & Employment (Public Safety)

This bill establishes a Bill of Rights for law enforcement and public safety personnel in Iowa to protect their rights during internal investigations. It requires agencies to provide officers with written summaries of complaints, access to relevant evidence like recordings and prior statements, and audio recordings of interviews before questioning them. The legislation also mandates that answers given during these interviews cannot be used against the officer in criminal proceedings. These provisions aim to ensure fair treatment and transparency when officers face allegations that could lead to disciplinary action.

This bill makes several changes related to emergency services provided by cities. It clarifies that cities can provide compensation, stipends, or benefits to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical care providers even if they hold other city offices. The bill also allows a currently serving city council member to be appointed as a volunteer fire chief, provided they abstain from voting on their own appointment. Furthermore, it permits cities to establish dedicated funds or reserve accounts for acquiring and maintaining major equipment for police, fire, rescue, and emergency medical services. These funds will receive insurance settlements or other payments for damaged emergency equipment, with a provision for reimbursing the city's general fund if it covered initial repair or replacement costs.

HB 652 protects confidential communications between public safety officers (including police, firefighters, EMTs, dispatchers, and correctional staff) and peer support counselors during crisis or wellness sessions. It prohibits counselors from disclosing these communications in disciplinary proceedings, administrative investigations, or legal cases, except when the communication involves a crime plan, an explicit threat of harm, or mandatory reporting requirements like child abuse. The bill explicitly states such communications cannot be used as evidence in fitness-for-duty evaluations or formal investigations. This law aims to encourage open dialogue about mental health by ensuring confidentiality for officers seeking peer support.

HF 2675 establishes specific procedural rights for Iowa peace officers, firefighters, EMTs, corrections staff, and other public safety personnel during formal investigations into complaints. The bill requires agencies to provide officers with a written summary of complaints before interviews, access to relevant incident reports and evidence without delay, and audio recording of all interviews. It guarantees officers the right to have legal counsel or union representatives present during investigations and disciplinary proceedings, while protecting confidential communications between officers and their representatives. The bill also prohibits using interview responses against officers in criminal cases and mandates that disciplinary decisions include providing full investigative reports upon request. This applies directly to all certified public safety personnel employed by Iowa municipalities, counties, or state agencies.

This bill requires Iowa cities and counties to provide full-time employment benefits - including health insurance, pensions, and retirement plans - to public safety employees (police, firefighters, emergency medical staff) and volunteers (reserve officers, volunteer firefighters, emergency medical providers) who work at least 32 hours per week. It overrides previous rules that might have excluded these workers from benefits based on part-time status. The state will cover all costs through a new fund created in the state treasury, with cities/counties submitting cost documentation for validation. The policy applies starting July 1, 2025, for all affected cities and counties.