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Senate File 64 - 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, and including
6applicability provisions.
7BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 20.3, subsection 11, Code 2023, 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 2023, 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 2023, 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. NEW SECTION. 904.322 Contract employees — pay or
12benefits.
13The department shall not enter into an employment contract
14with a person to perform a function of the department and
15provide the contract employee with pay or benefits in excess of
16pay and benefits provided an employee of the state performing
17similar work.
18 Sec. 5. APPLICABILITY. The section of this Act amending
19section 20.3 applies to collective bargaining procedures
20pursuant to chapter 20 initiated on or after the effective date
21of this Act.
22EXPLANATION
23The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
24the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
25This bill relates to the department of corrections.
26Code section 20.3 is amended to designate nonsupervisory
27employees of the Iowa department of corrections with ongoing
28direct contact with inmates as public safety employees for the
29purposes of collective bargaining pursuant to Code chapter
3020, the public employment relations Act. Code chapters 20
31and 400 include collective bargaining procedures specifically
32applicable to public safety employees that are not applicable
33to other public employees, including procedures relating to
34the scope of collective bargaining negotiations, arbitration
35procedures, and certain matters relating to city civil service
-2-1employment. This provision applies to collective bargaining
2procedures pursuant to Code chapter 20 initiated on or after
3the effective date of the bill.
4Code section 509A.13D, providing for continuation of health
5insurance coverage for a surviving spouse and children of
6certain department of corrections employees, is amended to
7provide that the state shall be required to pay the full
8cost of the health insurance. Current law provides that the
9state shall not be required to pay for the cost of the health
10insurance.
11Code section 904.108, concerning duties of the director of
12the department of corrections, is amended. The bill requires
13the director to establish a training program for employees of
14the department with ongoing direct contact with inmates in
15self-defense and other de-escalation techniques when confronted
16with potentially violent interactions involving inmates,
17establish uniform safety practices to be implemented at all
18correctional institutions, adopt rules to allow an employee of
19the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take between
20five and 30 days of paid leave depending upon the severity of
21the trauma event and to allow an employee who has been held
22hostage up to 90 days of paid leave, and to establish protocols
23for allowing employees of the department with contact with
24inmates access to certain confidential information identified
25in Code section 904.602, subsection 2.
26The bill also requires that the department of corrections
27shall not enter into an employment contract with a person to
28perform a function of the department that provides the contract
29employee with pay or benefits in excess of pay and benefits
30provided an employee of the 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, and including
6applicability provisions.
7BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 20.3, subsection 11, Code 2023, 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 2023, 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 2023, 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. NEW SECTION. 904.322 Contract employees — pay or
12benefits.
13The department shall not enter into an employment contract
14with a person to perform a function of the department and
15provide the contract employee with pay or benefits in excess of
16pay and benefits provided an employee of the state performing
17similar work.
18 Sec. 5. APPLICABILITY. The section of this Act amending
19section 20.3 applies to collective bargaining procedures
20pursuant to chapter 20 initiated on or after the effective date
21of this Act.
22EXPLANATION
23The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
24the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
25This bill relates to the department of corrections.
26Code section 20.3 is amended to designate nonsupervisory
27employees of the Iowa department of corrections with ongoing
28direct contact with inmates as public safety employees for the
29purposes of collective bargaining pursuant to Code chapter
3020, the public employment relations Act. Code chapters 20
31and 400 include collective bargaining procedures specifically
32applicable to public safety employees that are not applicable
33to other public employees, including procedures relating to
34the scope of collective bargaining negotiations, arbitration
35procedures, and certain matters relating to city civil service
-2-1employment. This provision applies to collective bargaining
2procedures pursuant to Code chapter 20 initiated on or after
3the effective date of the bill.
4Code section 509A.13D, providing for continuation of health
5insurance coverage for a surviving spouse and children of
6certain department of corrections employees, is amended to
7provide that the state shall be required to pay the full
8cost of the health insurance. Current law provides that the
9state shall not be required to pay for the cost of the health
10insurance.
11Code section 904.108, concerning duties of the director of
12the department of corrections, is amended. The bill requires
13the director to establish a training program for employees of
14the department with ongoing direct contact with inmates in
15self-defense and other de-escalation techniques when confronted
16with potentially violent interactions involving inmates,
17establish uniform safety practices to be implemented at all
18correctional institutions, adopt rules to allow an employee of
19the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take between
20five and 30 days of paid leave depending upon the severity of
21the trauma event and to allow an employee who has been held
22hostage up to 90 days of paid leave, and to establish protocols
23for allowing employees of the department with contact with
24inmates access to certain confidential information identified
25in Code section 904.602, subsection 2.
26The bill also requires that the department of corrections
27shall not enter into an employment contract with a person to
28perform a function of the department that provides the contract
29employee with pay or benefits in excess of pay and benefits
30provided an employee of the state performing similar work.
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