Senate File 420

                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  HOLVECK


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act concerning state employees who are volunteer fire fighters
  2    or reserve peace officers.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 2717XS 80
  5 ec/cl/14

PAG LIN

  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  70A.27  RESERVE PEACE OFFICERS ==
  1  2 VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS == UNEXPLAINED LEAVE.
  1  3    1.  A person shall not discharge an employee from or take
  1  4 or fail to take action regarding an employee's appointment or
  1  5 proposed appointment to, promotion or proposed promotion to,
  1  6 or any advantage in, a position in a state employment system
  1  7 administered by, or subject to approval of, a state agency as
  1  8 a reprisal for a failure by that employee to inform the person
  1  9 that the employee will be absent from work during the
  1 10 employee's normal work hours if the employee had been serving
  1 11 as a reserve peace officer as defined in section 80D.1A, or as
  1 12 a volunteer fire fighter, as defined in section 85.61, within
  1 13 four hours of the time the employee's normal work schedule is
  1 14 to start.
  1 15    2.  A state employee shall be required to inform the person
  1 16 who is the employee's employer that the employee is a reserve
  1 17 peace officer or volunteer fire fighter subject to duty during
  1 18 hours that may make this section applicable and may also be
  1 19 required to provide documentation verifying the duty to which
  1 20 this section applies.
  1 21    3.  This section may be enforced through a civil action and
  1 22 a person who violates this section is liable to an aggrieved
  1 23 employee for affirmative relief including reinstatement, with
  1 24 or without back pay, or any other equitable relief the court
  1 25 deems appropriate, including attorney fees and costs.
  1 26                           EXPLANATION
  1 27    This bill provides that no adverse employment action shall
  1 28 be taken against a state employee who serves as a reserve
  1 29 peace officer or volunteer fire fighter within four hours of
  1 30 the employee's normal start of work and who is absent from
  1 31 work for that workday and fails to notify the employee's
  1 32 employer about the absence.  The bill provides that the state
  1 33 employee shall inform the employee's employer concerning the
  1 34 employee's service as a reserve peace officer or volunteer
  1 35 fire fighter and the employee may be required to submit
  2  1 documentation concerning an unexplained absence from work due
  2  2 to the requirements of this bill.  The bill provides that this
  2  3 new Code section can be enforced through a civil action.
  2  4 LSB 2717XS 80
  2  5 ec/cl/14