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House File 2405 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to certain employees of the department of
2corrections, including collective bargaining, health
3insurance for a surviving spouse and children of certain
4employees of the department, and certain operational and
5employment matters involving the department.
6BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 20.3, subsection 11, Code 2022, is
2amended by adding the following new paragraph:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. g. A nonsupervisory employee of the Iowa
4department of corrections with ongoing direct contact with
5inmates.
6 Sec. 2. Section 509A.13D, subsection 3, Code 2022, is
7amended to read as follows:
83. The governing body of the state shall not be required
9to pay for the full cost of the health insurance under this
10section; however, the governing body of the state may pay the
11full cost or a portion of the cost of the health insurance. If
12the full cost or a portion of the cost of the coverage is not
13paid by the governing body of the state, the surviving spouse
14and each surviving child who is eligible for health insurance
15under this section may elect to continue coverage by paying
16that portion of the cost of the health insurance not paid by
17the governing body of the state.
18 Sec. 3. Section 904.108, subsection 1, Code 2022, is amended
19by adding the following new paragraphs:
20 NEW PARAGRAPH. p. Establish a training program for
21employees of the department with ongoing direct contact with
22inmates in self-defense and other de-escalation techniques when
23confronted with potentially violent interactions involving
24inmates. The training program shall include an in-person
25component.
26 NEW PARAGRAPH. q. Establish uniform safety practices to
27be implemented at all correctional institutions under the
28control of the department that provide guidelines designed to
29protect the safety of employees and inmates at correctional
30institutions.
31 NEW PARAGRAPH. r. Adopt rules to allow an employee of
32the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take
33between five and thirty days of paid leave depending upon the
34severity of the trauma event. If the appointing authority of a
35correctional institution determines that an employee has been
-1-1held hostage, the employee shall be eligible for a paid leave
2of absence of up to ninety days, as determined by a licensed
3physician, to allow for recovery from mental and physical
4stress and any related conditions. Such paid leave shall not
5be charged against the employee’s sick leave account.
6 NEW PARAGRAPH. s. Establish protocols for allowing
7employees of the department with ongoing direct contact with
8inmates access to information identified in section 904.602,
9subsection 2, for purposes of the administration of the
10department’s programs of services or assistance to inmates.
11 Sec. 4. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS — CONTRACT
12EMPLOYEES. The Iowa department of corrections shall not enter
13into an employment contract with a person to perform a function
14of the department and provide the contract employee with pay or
15benefits in excess of pay and benefits provided an employee of
16the state performing similar work.
17EXPLANATION
18The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
19the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
20This bill relates to the department of corrections.
21Code section 20.3 is amended to designate nonsupervisory
22employees of the Iowa department of corrections with ongoing
23direct contact with inmates as public safety employees for the
24purposes of collective bargaining pursuant to Code chapter
2520, the public employment relations Act. Code chapters 20
26and 400 include collective bargaining procedures specifically
27applicable to public safety employees that are not applicable
28to other public employees, including procedures relating to
29the scope of collective bargaining negotiations, arbitration
30procedures, and certain matters relating to city civil service
31employment.
32Code section 509A.13D, providing for continuation of health
33insurance coverage for a surviving spouse and children of
34certain department of corrections employees, is amended to
35provide that the state shall be required to pay the full
-2-1cost of the health insurance. Current law provides that the
2state shall not be required to pay for the cost of the health
3insurance.
4Code section 904.108, concerning duties of the director of
5the department of corrections, is amended. The bill requires
6the director to establish a training program for employees of
7the department with ongoing direct contact with inmates in
8self-defense and other de-escalation techniques when confronted
9with potentially violent interactions involving inmates,
10establish uniform safety practices to be implemented at all
11correctional institutions, adopt rules to allow an employee of
12the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take between
13five and 30 days of paid leave depending upon the severity of
14the trauma event and to allow an employee who has been held
15hostage up to 90 days of paid leave, and to establish protocols
16for allowing employees of the department with contact with
17inmates access to certain confidential information identified
18in Code section 904.602, subsection 2. The bill also requires
19that the department of corrections shall not enter into an
20employment contract with a person to perform a function of the
21department that provides the contract employee with pay or
22benefits in excess of pay and benefits provided an employee of
23the state performing similar work.
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2corrections, including collective bargaining, health
3insurance for a surviving spouse and children of certain
4employees of the department, and certain operational and
5employment matters involving the department.
6BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 20.3, subsection 11, Code 2022, is
2amended by adding the following new paragraph:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. g. A nonsupervisory employee of the Iowa
4department of corrections with ongoing direct contact with
5inmates.
6 Sec. 2. Section 509A.13D, subsection 3, Code 2022, is
7amended to read as follows:
83. The governing body of the state shall not be required
9to pay for the full cost of the health insurance under this
10section; however, the governing body of the state may pay the
11full cost or a portion of the cost of the health insurance. If
12the full cost or a portion of the cost of the coverage is not
13paid by the governing body of the state, the surviving spouse
14and each surviving child who is eligible for health insurance
15under this section may elect to continue coverage by paying
16that portion of the cost of the health insurance not paid by
17the governing body of the state.
18 Sec. 3. Section 904.108, subsection 1, Code 2022, is amended
19by adding the following new paragraphs:
20 NEW PARAGRAPH. p. Establish a training program for
21employees of the department with ongoing direct contact with
22inmates in self-defense and other de-escalation techniques when
23confronted with potentially violent interactions involving
24inmates. The training program shall include an in-person
25component.
26 NEW PARAGRAPH. q. Establish uniform safety practices to
27be implemented at all correctional institutions under the
28control of the department that provide guidelines designed to
29protect the safety of employees and inmates at correctional
30institutions.
31 NEW PARAGRAPH. r. Adopt rules to allow an employee of
32the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take
33between five and thirty days of paid leave depending upon the
34severity of the trauma event. If the appointing authority of a
35correctional institution determines that an employee has been
-1-1held hostage, the employee shall be eligible for a paid leave
2of absence of up to ninety days, as determined by a licensed
3physician, to allow for recovery from mental and physical
4stress and any related conditions. Such paid leave shall not
5be charged against the employee’s sick leave account.
6 NEW PARAGRAPH. s. Establish protocols for allowing
7employees of the department with ongoing direct contact with
8inmates access to information identified in section 904.602,
9subsection 2, for purposes of the administration of the
10department’s programs of services or assistance to inmates.
11 Sec. 4. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS — CONTRACT
12EMPLOYEES. The Iowa department of corrections shall not enter
13into an employment contract with a person to perform a function
14of the department and provide the contract employee with pay or
15benefits in excess of pay and benefits provided an employee of
16the state performing similar work.
17EXPLANATION
18The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
19the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
20This bill relates to the department of corrections.
21Code section 20.3 is amended to designate nonsupervisory
22employees of the Iowa department of corrections with ongoing
23direct contact with inmates as public safety employees for the
24purposes of collective bargaining pursuant to Code chapter
2520, the public employment relations Act. Code chapters 20
26and 400 include collective bargaining procedures specifically
27applicable to public safety employees that are not applicable
28to other public employees, including procedures relating to
29the scope of collective bargaining negotiations, arbitration
30procedures, and certain matters relating to city civil service
31employment.
32Code section 509A.13D, providing for continuation of health
33insurance coverage for a surviving spouse and children of
34certain department of corrections employees, is amended to
35provide that the state shall be required to pay the full
-2-1cost of the health insurance. Current law provides that the
2state shall not be required to pay for the cost of the health
3insurance.
4Code section 904.108, concerning duties of the director of
5the department of corrections, is amended. The bill requires
6the director to establish a training program for employees of
7the department with ongoing direct contact with inmates in
8self-defense and other de-escalation techniques when confronted
9with potentially violent interactions involving inmates,
10establish uniform safety practices to be implemented at all
11correctional institutions, adopt rules to allow an employee of
12the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take between
13five and 30 days of paid leave depending upon the severity of
14the trauma event and to allow an employee who has been held
15hostage up to 90 days of paid leave, and to establish protocols
16for allowing employees of the department with contact with
17inmates access to certain confidential information identified
18in Code section 904.602, subsection 2. The bill also requires
19that the department of corrections shall not enter into an
20employment contract with a person to perform a function of the
21department that provides the contract employee with pay or
22benefits in excess of pay and benefits provided an employee of
23the state performing similar work.
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