House File 686 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 686 BY CROKEN A BILL FOR An Act providing for paid medical leave and providing penalties 1 and remedies. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1247YH (2) 91 je/js
H.F. 686 Section 1. Section 10A.202, subsection 2, Code 2025, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2. The department is responsible for the administration of 3 the laws of this state under chapters 88A , 88B , 89 , 89A , 90A , 4 91A , 91C , 91D , 91E , 91F, and 92 , and such other labor-services 5 duties assigned to the department or director. 6 Sec. 2. Section 10A.204, subsection 3, Code 2025, is amended 7 to read as follows: 8 3. The director, in consultation with the labor 9 commissioner, shall, at the time provided by law, make an 10 annual report to the governor setting forth in appropriate 11 form the business and expense of the division and department 12 under this subchapter for the preceding year, the number 13 of remedial actions taken under chapter 89A , the number of 14 disputes or violations processed by the division or department 15 and the disposition of the disputes or violations, and other 16 matters pertaining to the division or department under this 17 subchapter which that are of public interest, together with 18 recommendations for change or amendment of the laws in this 19 chapter and chapters 88 , 88A , 88B , 89 , 89A , 89B , 90A , 91A , 91C , 20 91D , 91E , 91F, and 92 , and sections 85.67A and 85.68 , and the 21 recommendations, if any, shall be transmitted by the governor 22 to the first general assembly in session after the report is 23 filed. 24 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 91F.1 Definitions. 25 As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise 26 requires: 27 1. Child means a biological, adopted, or foster child, 28 a stepchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing in 29 loco parentis, regardless of the childs age or dependency 30 status. 31 2. Director means the director of the department of 32 inspections, appeals, and licensing. 33 3. Employee means a natural person employed for wages by 34 an employer in this state. 35 -1- LSB 1247YH (2) 91 je/js 1/ 4
H.F. 686 4. Employer means a person that employs for wages in this 1 state. 2 5. Health care provider means a physician or other health 3 care practitioner licensed in this or another state. 4 6. Health condition means an illness, injury, impairment, 5 physical condition, or mental condition that requires 6 diagnosis, treatment, or care by a health care provider. 7 7. Medical leave means a leave from work taken by an 8 employee made necessary by a health condition of the employee 9 or a child, parent, or spouse of the employee. 10 8. Parent means a biological, adoptive, step, or foster 11 father or mother, or any other individual who stands in loco 12 parentis to an employee or who stood in loco parentis when the 13 employee was a child. 14 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 91F.2 Paid medical leave. 15 1. An employer shall provide an employee at least ten days 16 of paid medical leave per calendar year. 17 2. Payment for such leave shall be equal to the earnings 18 the employee would otherwise have received but for taking such 19 leave, calculated based on the length of the pay period in 20 which the employee is ordinarily compensated. 21 3. If the employees earnings vary from pay period to 22 pay period, the payment shall be based on an average of the 23 employees earnings in the three pay periods preceding such 24 leave. If the employees earnings are not paid on a periodic 25 basis, the payment shall be based on the average earnings the 26 employee received in the previous three months. 27 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 91F.3 Employer rights. 28 1. An employer may require advance notice of leave taken 29 under section 91F.2 when taking such leave is reasonably 30 foreseeable. 31 2. An employer may require an employee to provide written 32 documentation from a health care provider, consistent with 33 applicable state and federal privacy laws, within one week of 34 an employee returning from leave under section 91F.2, that such 35 -2- LSB 1247YH (2) 91 je/js 2/ 4
H.F. 686 leave was taken due to a health condition. 1 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 91F.4 Enforcement rules. 2 1. The director shall enforce this chapter. This chapter 3 shall be enforced pursuant to chapter 91A. 4 2. The director shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 5 17A to administer this chapter. Such rules may establish 6 additional procedures, requirements, and definitions necessary 7 to implement this chapter. 8 EXPLANATION 9 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 10 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 11 This bill requires an employer to provide an employee at 12 least 10 days of paid medical leave per calendar year. 13 The bill defines medical leave as a leave from work 14 taken by an employee made necessary by a health condition of 15 the employee or a child, parent, or spouse of the employee. 16 The bill defines health condition as an illness, injury, 17 impairment, physical condition, or mental condition that 18 requires diagnosis, treatment, or care by a health care 19 provider. 20 The bill provides that payment for medical leave shall 21 be equal to the earnings the employee would otherwise have 22 received but for taking such leave, calculated based on the 23 length of the pay period in which the employee is ordinarily 24 compensated. The bill provides for other methods of 25 calculating earnings applicable to certain employees. 26 The bill authorizes an employer to require advance notice of 27 medical leave when taking such leave is reasonably foreseeable. 28 The bill authorizes an employer to require an employee to 29 provide written documentation from a health care provider, 30 consistent with applicable state and federal privacy laws, 31 within one week of an employee returning from medical leave, 32 that such leave was taken due to a health condition. 33 The bill is enforced by the director of the department of 34 inspections, appeals, and licensing. The bill is enforced 35 -3- LSB 1247YH (2) 91 je/js 3/ 4
H.F. 686 pursuant to Code chapter 91A, which provides for civil remedies 1 and penalties. 2 The bill requires the director to adopt administrative 3 rules to administer the bill, which may establish additional 4 procedures, requirements, and definitions necessary to 5 implement the bill. 6 -4- LSB 1247YH (2) 91 je/js 4/ 4