Senate File 30 - Introduced SENATE FILE 30 BY McCLINTOCK A BILL FOR An Act relating to employees of the department of corrections 1 and including applicability provisions. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1078XS (2) 91 je/js
S.F. 30 Section 1. Section 20.3, subsection 11, Code 2025, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . g. A nonsupervisory employee of the Iowa 3 department of corrections with ongoing direct contact with 4 inmates. 5 Sec. 2. Section 509A.13D, subsection 3, Code 2025, is 6 amended to read as follows: 7 3. The governing body of the state shall not be required 8 to pay for the cost of the full health insurance under this 9 section ; however, the governing body of the state may pay the 10 full cost or a portion of the cost of the health insurance . If 11 the full cost or a portion of the cost of the coverage is not 12 paid by the governing body of the state, the surviving spouse 13 and each surviving child who is eligible for health insurance 14 under this section may elect to continue coverage by paying 15 that portion of the cost of the health insurance not paid by 16 the governing body of the state. 17 Sec. 3. Section 904.108, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 18 by adding the following new paragraphs: 19 NEW PARAGRAPH . p. Establish a training program for 20 employees of the department with ongoing direct contact with 21 inmates in self-defense and other de-escalation techniques when 22 confronted with potentially violent interactions involving 23 inmates. The training program shall include an in-person 24 component. 25 NEW PARAGRAPH . q. Establish uniform safety practices to 26 be implemented at all correctional institutions under the 27 control of the department that provide guidelines designed to 28 protect the safety of employees and inmates at correctional 29 institutions. 30 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Adopt rules to allow an employee of 31 the department who has witnessed a trauma event to take 32 between five and thirty days of paid leave depending upon the 33 severity of the trauma event. If the appointing authority of a 34 correctional institution determines that an employee has been 35 -1- LSB 1078XS (2) 91 je/js 1/ 3
S.F. 30 held hostage, the employee shall be eligible for a paid leave 1 of absence of up to ninety days, as determined by a licensed 2 physician, to allow for recovery from mental and physical 3 stress and any related conditions. Such paid leave shall not 4 be charged against the employees sick leave account. 5 NEW PARAGRAPH . s. Establish protocols for allowing 6 employees of the department with ongoing direct contact with 7 inmates access to information identified in section 904.602, 8 subsection 2, for purposes of the administration of the 9 departments programs of services or assistance to inmates. 10 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 904.322 Contract employees pay or 11 benefits. 12 The department shall not enter into an employment contract 13 with a person to perform a function of the department and 14 provide the contract employee with pay or benefits in excess of 15 pay and benefits provided an employee of the state performing 16 similar work. 17 Sec. 5. APPLICABILITY. The section of this Act amending 18 section 20.3 applies to collective bargaining procedures 19 pursuant to chapter 20 initiated on or after the effective date 20 of this Act. 21 EXPLANATION 22 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 23 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 24 This bill relates to employees of the department of 25 corrections. 26 The bill designates nonsupervisory employees of the 27 department with ongoing direct contact with inmates as public 28 safety employees for the purposes of collective bargaining 29 pursuant to Code chapter 20, the public employment relations 30 Act. Code chapters 20 and 400 include collective bargaining 31 procedures specifically applicable to public safety employees 32 that are not applicable to other public employees, including 33 procedures relating to the scope of collective bargaining 34 negotiations, arbitration procedures, and certain matters 35 -2- LSB 1078XS (2) 91 je/js 2/ 3
S.F. 30 relating to city civil service employment. This provision 1 applies to collective bargaining procedures pursuant to Code 2 chapter 20 initiated on or after the effective date of the 3 bill. 4 The bill provides that the state shall be required to pay the 5 full cost of continuation of health insurance coverage for a 6 surviving spouse and children of certain department employees. 7 Current law provides that the state shall not be required to 8 pay for the cost of the health insurance. 9 The bill requires the director of the department to 10 establish a training program for employees of the department 11 with ongoing direct contact with inmates in self-defense 12 and other de-escalation techniques when confronted with 13 potentially violent interactions involving inmates, establish 14 uniform safety practices to be implemented at all correctional 15 institutions, adopt rules to allow an employee of the 16 department who has witnessed a trauma event to take between 5 17 and 30 days of paid leave depending upon the severity of the 18 trauma event and to allow an employee who has been held hostage 19 up to 90 days of paid leave, and to establish protocols for 20 allowing employees of the department with contact with inmates 21 access to certain information specified as confidential under 22 current law. 23 The bill also prohibits the department from entering into 24 an employment contract with a person to perform a function of 25 the department that provides the contract employee with pay or 26 benefits in excess of pay and benefits provided an employee of 27 the state performing similar work. 28 -3- LSB 1078XS (2) 91 je/js 3/ 3