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Text: SF00456                           Text: SF00458
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Senate File 457

Partial Bill History

Bill Text

PAG LIN
  1  1    Section 1.  Section 22.7, subsection 32, Code 1995, is
  1  2 amended to read as follows:
  1  3    32.  Memoranda, work products, and case files of a mediator
  1  4 and all other confidential communications in the possession of
  1  5 a mediator, as provided in chapter chapters 86 and 216.
  1  6 Information in these confidential communications is subject to
  1  7 disclosure only as provided in section sections 86.44 and
  1  8 216.15B, notwithstanding any other contrary provision of this
  1  9 chapter.
  1 10    Sec. 2.  Section 216.2, subsection 3, Code 1995, is amended
  1 11 to read as follows:
  1 12    3.  "Court" means the district court in and for the any
  1 13 judicial district of the state of Iowa in which the alleged
  1 14 unfair or discriminatory practice occurred or any judge of
  1 15 said the court if the court is not in session at that time.
  1 16    Sec. 3.  Section 216.5, subsection 2, Code 1995, is amended
  1 17 to read as follows:
  1 18    2.  To receive, investigate, mediate, and finally determine
  1 19 the merits of complaints alleging unfair or discriminatory
  1 20 practices.
  1 21    Sec. 4.  Section 216.5, Code 1995, is amended by adding the
  1 22 following new subsection:
  1 23    NEW SUBSECTION.  15.  To utilize volunteers to aid in the
  1 24 conduct of the commission's business including case processing
  1 25 functions such as intake, screening, investigation, and
  1 26 mediation.
  1 27    Sec. 5.  Section 216.12, subsection 4, unnumbered paragraph
  1 28 1, Code 1995, is amended to read as follows:
  1 29    Dwellings Discrimination on the basis of familial status
  1 30 involving dwellings provided under any state or federal
  1 31 program specifically designed and operated to assist elderly
  1 32 persons, as defined in the state or federal program that the
  1 33 commission determines to be consistent with determinations
  1 34 made by the United States secretary of housing and urban
  1 35 development, and housing for older persons.  As used in this
  2  1 subsection, "housing for older persons" means housing
  2  2 communities consisting of dwellings intended for either of the
  2  3 following:
  2  4    Sec. 6.  Section 216.12, Code 1995, is amended by adding
  2  5 the following new subsection:
  2  6    NEW SUBSECTION.  6.  Discrimination on the basis of sex
  2  7 involving the rental, leasing, or subleasing of a dwelling
  2  8 within which residents of both sexes would be forced to share
  2  9 a living area.
  2 10    Sec. 7.  Section 216.12, unnumbered paragraph 2, Code 1995,
  2 11 is amended to read as follows:
  2 12    The exceptions to the requirements of sections 216.8 and
  2 13 216.8A provided for dwellings specified in subsection
  2 14 subsections 2, 3, and 5 do not apply to advertising related to
  2 15 those dwellings.
  2 16    Sec. 8.  Section 216.15, subsection 1, Code 1995, is
  2 17 amended to read as follows:
  2 18    1.  Any person claiming to be aggrieved by a discriminatory
  2 19 or unfair practice may, in person or by an attorney, make,
  2 20 sign, and file with the commission a verified, written
  2 21 complaint in triplicate which shall state the name and address
  2 22 of the person, employer, employment agency, or labor
  2 23 organization alleged to have committed the discriminatory or
  2 24 unfair practice of which complained, shall set forth the
  2 25 particulars thereof, and shall contain such other information
  2 26 as may be required by the commission.  The commission, a
  2 27 commissioner, or the attorney general may in like manner make,
  2 28 sign, and file such complaint.
  2 29    Sec. 9.  Section 216.15, subsection 4, Code 1995, is
  2 30 amended to read as follows:
  2 31    4.  The members of the commission and its staff shall not
  2 32 disclose the filing of a complaint, the information gathered
  2 33 during the investigation, or the endeavors to eliminate such
  2 34 discriminatory or unfair practice by mediation, conference,
  2 35 conciliation, and persuasion, unless such disclosure is made
  3  1 in connection with the conduct of such investigation.
  3  2    Sec. 10.  Section 216.15, subsection 9, Code 1995, is
  3  3 amended to read as follows:
  3  4    9.  The terms of a conciliation or mediation agreement
  3  5 reached with the respondent may require the respondent to
  3  6 refrain in the future from committing discriminatory or unfair
  3  7 practices of the type stated in the agreement, to take
  3  8 remedial action as in the judgment of the commission will
  3  9 carry out the purposes of this chapter, and to consent to the
  3 10 entry in an appropriate district court of a consent decree
  3 11 embodying the terms of the conciliation or mediation
  3 12 agreement.  Violation of such a consent decree may be punished
  3 13 as contempt by the court in which it is filed, upon a showing
  3 14 by the commission of the violation at any time within six
  3 15 months of its occurrence.  In all cases where a conciliation
  3 16 agreement is entered into, the commission shall issue an order
  3 17 stating its terms and furnish a copy of the order to the
  3 18 complainant, the respondent, and such other persons as the
  3 19 commission deems proper.  At any time in its discretion, the
  3 20 commission may investigate whether the terms of the agreement
  3 21 are being complied with by the respondent.
  3 22    Upon a finding that the terms of the conciliation or
  3 23 mediation agreement are not being complied with by the
  3 24 respondent, the commission shall take appropriate action to
  3 25 assure compliance.
  3 26    Sec. 11.  Section 216.15, Code 1995, is amended by adding
  3 27 the following new subsection:
  3 28    NEW SUBSECTION.  13.  The commission or a party to a
  3 29 complaint may request mediation of the complaint at any time
  3 30 during the commission's processing of the complaint.  If the
  3 31 complainant and respondent participate in mediation, any
  3 32 mediation agreement may be enforced pursuant to this section.
  3 33 Mediation may be discontinued at the request of any party or
  3 34 the commission.
  3 35    Sec. 12.  NEW SECTION.  216.15B  MEDIATION &endash;
  4  1 CONFIDENTIALITY.
  4  2    1.  For the purposes of this section, "mediator" shall be
  4  3 the person designated in writing by the commission to conduct
  4  4 mediation of a complaint filed under this chapter.  The
  4  5 written designation must specifically refer to this section.
  4  6    2.  All verbal or written information relating to the
  4  7 subject matter of a mediation agreement and transmitted
  4  8 between either the complainant or the respondent and a
  4  9 mediator to resolve a complaint filed under this chapter,
  4 10 whether reflected in notes, memoranda, or other work products,
  4 11 is a confidential communication except as otherwise expressly
  4 12 provided in this chapter.  Mediators involved in a mediation
  4 13 under this section shall not be examined in any judicial or
  4 14 administrative proceeding regarding the confidential
  4 15 communications and are not subject to judicial or
  4 16 administrative process requiring the disclosure of the
  4 17 confidential communications.  If a written confidential
  4 18 communication is kept by the mediator it must be kept in a
  4 19 mediation file which is maintained separately from the case
  4 20 file.  The confidential communications may not be included in
  4 21 the commission's case file unless the person providing the
  4 22 information consents to its inclusion in the case file.  The
  4 23 mediation file is not part of the file made available to the
  4 24 parties upon the commission's receipt of a right to sue
  4 25 letter.  Information maintained in the mediation file and not
  4 26 included in the case file shall not be considered when making
  4 27 a recommendation or decision regarding screening, probable
  4 28 cause, or any issue in a contested case.
  4 29    3.  A mediator who has reason to believe that a complainant
  4 30 or respondent has given perjured evidence concerning a
  4 31 confidential communication is not barred by this section from
  4 32 disclosing the basis for this belief to any party to a cause
  4 33 in which the alleged perjury occurs or to the appropriate
  4 34 authorities, including testifying concerning the relevant
  4 35 confidential communications.  If a dispute regarding the
  5  1 existence of a mediation agreement exists, the terms of the
  5  2 mediation agreement, or the conduct of the mediation process
  5  3 itself, the mediator may be examined regarding relevant
  5  4 confidential communications.
  5  5    Sec. 13.  Section 216.16A, subsection 2, paragraphs c, d,
  5  6 and e, Code 1995, are amended to read as follows:
  5  7    c.  An aggrieved person may file an action under this
  5  8 section subsection whether or not a discriminatory housing or
  5  9 real estate complaint has been filed under section 216.15A
  5 10 216.15, and without regard to the status of any discriminatory
  5 11 housing or real estate complaint filed under that section.
  5 12    d.  If the commission has obtained a mediation agreement
  5 13 with the consent of an aggrieved person, the aggrieved person
  5 14 shall not file an action under this section subsection with
  5 15 respect to the alleged discriminatory practice that forms the
  5 16 basis for the complaint except to enforce the terms of the
  5 17 agreement.
  5 18    e.  An aggrieved person shall not file an action under this
  5 19 section subsection with respect to an alleged discriminatory
  5 20 housing or real estate practice that forms the basis of a
  5 21 charge issued by the commission if the commission has begun a
  5 22 hearing on the record under this chapter with respect to the
  5 23 charge.
  5 24    Sec. 14.  Section 216.16A, subsection 2, Code 1995, is
  5 25 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
  5 26    NEW PARAGRAPH.  f.  In an action filed in district court
  5 27 under this subsection, the court may, upon a finding of
  5 28 discrimination, order any of the remedies provided for in
  5 29 section 216.17A, subsection 6.
  5 30    Sec. 15.  Section 216.17A, subsection 6, unnumbered
  5 31 paragraph 1, Code 1995, is amended to read as follows:
  5 32    In an action under this section subsection 1 and section
  5 33 216.16A, subsection 2, if the district court finds that a
  5 34 discriminatory housing or real estate practice has occurred or
  5 35 is about to occur, the district court may award or issue to
  6  1 the plaintiff one or more of the following:
  6  2    Sec. 16.  Section 216.17A, subsection 8, paragraph a, Code
  6  3 1995, is amended to read as follows:
  6  4    a.  On the request of the commission, the attorney general
  6  5 may intervene in an action under this section 216.16A,
  6  6 subsection 2, if the commission certifies that the case is of
  6  7 general public importance.
  6  8    Sec. 17.  Section 216.17A, subsection 9, paragraph b,
  6  9 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 1995, is amended to read as
  6 10 follows:
  6 11    In an action under this section subsection and subsection
  6 12 8, the district court may do any of the following:  
  6 13 SF 457
  6 14 ec/cc/26
     

Text: SF00456                           Text: SF00458
Text: SF00400 - SF00499                 Text: SF Index
Bills and Amendments: General Index     Bill History: General Index

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