HOUSE FILE 326

BY  ISENHART

A BILL FOR

An Act providing for the collection and retention of fees by the public employment relations board.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

   Section 1.  Section 20.6, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  4A.  Establish and collect fees payable by a person or entity accessing one or more services available from or through the board. The board may charge a person or entity a fee for accessing the services of the federal mediation and conciliation service through the board if the person or entity does not otherwise have a right to directly access such services, unless otherwise prohibited by federal law. The board shall only establish and collect fees necessary for the board to continue offering services required by this chapter. A fee shall not exceed the cost of the service associated with the fee. The board shall not establish a fee which would significantly impair the accessibility of any service provided by the board. All fees collected by the board shall be retained as repayment receipts, as defined in section 8.2, and such fees shall be used exclusively to offset the costs of administering this chapter.
EXPLANATION
   This bill provides that the public employment relations board has the power to establish and collect fees payable by a person or entity accessing one or more services available from or through the board. The bill provides that the board may charge a person or entity a fee for accessing the services of the federal mediation and conciliation service through the board if the person or entity does not otherwise have a right to directly access such services, unless otherwise prohibited by federal law. The bill provides that the board can only establish and collect fees necessary for the board to continue offering services required by Code chapter 20. The bill specifies that a fee cannot exceed the cost of the service associated with the fee or significantly impair the accessibility of any service provided by the board. The bill provides that fees collected by the board shall be retained as repayment receipts to be used by the board to offset the costs of administering Code chapter 20.