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Senate File 2068 - 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 2024, 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 2024, 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 2024, 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.
25 NEW PARAGRAPH. q. Establish uniform safety practices to
26be implemented at all correctional institutions under the
27control of the department that provide guidelines designed to
28protect the safety of employees and inmates at correctional
29institutions.
30 NEW PARAGRAPH. r. Adopt rules to allow an employee of
31the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take
32between five and thirty days of paid leave depending upon the
33severity of the trauma event. If the appointing authority of a
34correctional institution determines that an employee has been
35held hostage, the employee shall be eligible for a paid leave
-1-1of absence of up to ninety days, as determined by a licensed
2physician, to allow for recovery from mental and physical
3stress and any related conditions. Such paid leave shall not
4be charged against the employee’s sick leave account.
5 NEW PARAGRAPH. s. Establish protocols for allowing
6employees of the department with ongoing direct contact with
7inmates access to information identified in section 904.602,
8subsection 2, for purposes of the administration of the
9department’s programs of services or assistance to inmates.
10 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 904.322 Contract employees — pay or
11benefits.
12The department shall not enter into an employment contract
13with a person to perform a function of the department and
14provide the contract employee with pay or benefits in excess of
15pay and benefits provided an employee of the state performing
16similar work.
17 Sec. 5. APPLICABILITY. The section of this Act amending
18section 20.3 applies to collective bargaining procedures
19pursuant to chapter 20 initiated on or after the effective date
20of this Act.
21EXPLANATION
22The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
23the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
24This bill relates to the department of corrections.
25The bill designates nonsupervisory employees of the
26Iowa department of corrections with ongoing direct contact
27with inmates as public safety employees for the purposes of
28collective bargaining pursuant to Code chapter 20, the public
29employment relations Act. Code chapters 20 and 400 include
30collective bargaining procedures specifically applicable
31to public safety employees that are not applicable to other
32public employees, including procedures relating to the scope
33of collective bargaining negotiations, arbitration procedures,
34and certain matters relating to city civil service employment.
35This provision applies to collective bargaining procedures
-2-1pursuant to Code chapter 20 initiated on or after the effective
2date of the bill.
3Code section 509A.13D, providing for continuation of health
4insurance coverage for a surviving spouse and children of
5certain department of corrections employees, is amended to
6provide that the state shall be required to pay the full
7cost of the health insurance. Current law provides that the
8state shall not be required to pay for the cost of the health
9insurance.
10The bill establishes additional duties of the director
11of the department of corrections. The bill requires the
12director to establish a training program for employees of
13the department with ongoing direct contact with inmates in
14self-defense and other de-escalation techniques when confronted
15with potentially violent interactions involving inmates,
16establish uniform safety practices to be implemented at all
17correctional institutions, adopt rules to allow an employee of
18the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take between
195 and 30 days of paid leave depending upon the severity of the
20trauma event and to allow an employee who has been held hostage
21up to 90 days of paid leave, and to establish protocols for
22allowing employees of the department with contact with inmates
23access to certain specified confidential information.
24The bill also requires that the department of corrections
25shall not enter into an employment contract with a person to
26perform a function of the department that provides the contract
27employee with pay or benefits in excess of pay and benefits
28provided 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 2024, 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 2024, 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 2024, 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.
25 NEW PARAGRAPH. q. Establish uniform safety practices to
26be implemented at all correctional institutions under the
27control of the department that provide guidelines designed to
28protect the safety of employees and inmates at correctional
29institutions.
30 NEW PARAGRAPH. r. Adopt rules to allow an employee of
31the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take
32between five and thirty days of paid leave depending upon the
33severity of the trauma event. If the appointing authority of a
34correctional institution determines that an employee has been
35held hostage, the employee shall be eligible for a paid leave
-1-1of absence of up to ninety days, as determined by a licensed
2physician, to allow for recovery from mental and physical
3stress and any related conditions. Such paid leave shall not
4be charged against the employee’s sick leave account.
5 NEW PARAGRAPH. s. Establish protocols for allowing
6employees of the department with ongoing direct contact with
7inmates access to information identified in section 904.602,
8subsection 2, for purposes of the administration of the
9department’s programs of services or assistance to inmates.
10 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 904.322 Contract employees — pay or
11benefits.
12The department shall not enter into an employment contract
13with a person to perform a function of the department and
14provide the contract employee with pay or benefits in excess of
15pay and benefits provided an employee of the state performing
16similar work.
17 Sec. 5. APPLICABILITY. The section of this Act amending
18section 20.3 applies to collective bargaining procedures
19pursuant to chapter 20 initiated on or after the effective date
20of this Act.
21EXPLANATION
22The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
23the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
24This bill relates to the department of corrections.
25The bill designates nonsupervisory employees of the
26Iowa department of corrections with ongoing direct contact
27with inmates as public safety employees for the purposes of
28collective bargaining pursuant to Code chapter 20, the public
29employment relations Act. Code chapters 20 and 400 include
30collective bargaining procedures specifically applicable
31to public safety employees that are not applicable to other
32public employees, including procedures relating to the scope
33of collective bargaining negotiations, arbitration procedures,
34and certain matters relating to city civil service employment.
35This provision applies to collective bargaining procedures
-2-1pursuant to Code chapter 20 initiated on or after the effective
2date of the bill.
3Code section 509A.13D, providing for continuation of health
4insurance coverage for a surviving spouse and children of
5certain department of corrections employees, is amended to
6provide that the state shall be required to pay the full
7cost of the health insurance. Current law provides that the
8state shall not be required to pay for the cost of the health
9insurance.
10The bill establishes additional duties of the director
11of the department of corrections. The bill requires the
12director to establish a training program for employees of
13the department with ongoing direct contact with inmates in
14self-defense and other de-escalation techniques when confronted
15with potentially violent interactions involving inmates,
16establish uniform safety practices to be implemented at all
17correctional institutions, adopt rules to allow an employee of
18the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take between
195 and 30 days of paid leave depending upon the severity of the
20trauma event and to allow an employee who has been held hostage
21up to 90 days of paid leave, and to establish protocols for
22allowing employees of the department with contact with inmates
23access to certain specified confidential information.
24The bill also requires that the department of corrections
25shall not enter into an employment contract with a person to
26perform a function of the department that provides the contract
27employee with pay or benefits in excess of pay and benefits
28provided an employee of the state performing similar work.
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