House File 179 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  PETERSEN, HUSER, WISE,
                                           and DANDEKAR


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

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act requiring employers to grant leaves of absence for crime
  2    victims to attend court proceedings and making penalties
  3    applicable.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 1350HH 81
  6 ec/sh/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  55.2A  LEAVE OF ABSENCE FOR CRIME
  1  2 VICTIMS.
  1  3    A person who is a victim as defined in section 915.10
  1  4 shall, upon written application to the employer of that
  1  5 person, be granted a leave of absence from regular employment
  1  6 to attend court proceedings related to the public offense or
  1  7 delinquent act of which the person is a victim.  The written
  1  8 application shall include verification from the applicable
  1  9 prosecutor as to the dates of the court proceedings.  The
  1 10 leave of absence may be granted without pay and shall be
  1 11 granted without loss of net credited service and benefits
  1 12 earned.  This section shall not be construed to require an
  1 13 employer to pay pension, health, or other benefits during the
  1 14 leave of absence to an employee taking a leave of absence
  1 15 under this section.
  1 16                           EXPLANATION
  1 17    This bill provides that a victim of a public offense or
  1 18 delinquent act, as defined by Code section 915.10, shall, upon
  1 19 written application to the victim's employer, be granted a
  1 20 leave of absence from regular employment to attend court
  1 21 proceedings related to the crime.  The written application
  1 22 shall include verification from the prosecutor as to the dates
  1 23 of court proceedings.  The bill provides that the leave may be
  1 24 without pay but shall be granted without loss of service or
  1 25 benefits earned.  A person violating this new provision is
  1 26 guilty of a simple misdemeanor.
  1 27 LSB 1350HH 81
  1 28 ec:nh/sh/8