Transportation

HF 788 requires Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) employees operating state-owned commercial vehicles to provide a urine sample for alcohol and drug testing within two hours after any accident causing injury or death. The employee must submit the sample to a peace officer, though they may pay for an independent test at their own expense (though this doesn’t prevent the required test from being used as evidence). Failure to comply is a simple misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail or a $855 fine. This applies only when no blood, breath, or urine test was already taken under existing traffic laws.

This bill expands Iowa's existing open container laws to include beverages containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), directly affecting drivers and passengers in motor vehicles on public roads. It prohibits the possession of an open or unsealed container of any beverage with THC in the vehicle's passenger area. This restriction applies regardless of whether the THC beverage is otherwise legal, though such containers may be transported in the trunk or behind the last upright seat if the vehicle lacks a trunk. Violations of this prohibition would be considered a simple misdemeanor, punishable by a scheduled fine.

This bill prohibits considering a motor carrier's use of safety improvements when determining a person's employment status under state law. It directly affects motor carriers and the individuals who work for them, such as drivers, whose classification as an employee, independent contractor, or jointly employed person is being assessed. The bill specifies that any device, equipment, software, training, or policy primarily intended to improve traffic safety cannot be a factor in these employment status decisions. The aim is to ensure that efforts to enhance safety within the motor carrier industry do not influence legal employment classifications.