Senate File 346 - Introduced SENATE FILE 346 BY TRONE GARRIOTT A BILL FOR An Act relating to procedures for grievances under the merit 1 system for state employees. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2666XS (1) 91 je/js
S.F. 346 Section 1. Section 8A.415, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 1 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. An employee, except an employee covered by a collective 3 bargaining agreement which provides otherwise, who has 4 exhausted the available agency steps in the uniform grievance 5 procedure provided for in the department rules may, within 6 seven calendar days following the date a decision was 7 received or should have been received at the second step of 8 the grievance procedure, file the grievance at the third 9 step with the director. The director shall respond within 10 thirty calendar days following receipt of the third step 11 grievance. The director shall include in the response a 12 description of each interview carried out by the department 13 relating to the grievance, the results of such interviews, and 14 the justification for the directors decision regarding the 15 grievance. 16 Sec. 2. Section 8A.415, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 17 2025, is amended to read as follows: 18 a. A merit system employee, except an employee covered by a 19 collective bargaining agreement, who is discharged, suspended, 20 demoted, or otherwise receives a reduction in pay, except 21 during the employees probationary period, may bypass steps one 22 and two of the grievance procedure and appeal the disciplinary 23 action to the director within seven calendar days following 24 the effective date of the action. The director shall respond 25 within thirty calendar days following receipt of the appeal. 26 The director shall include in the response a description of 27 each interview carried out by the department relating to the 28 disciplinary action, the results of such interviews, and 29 the justification for the directors decision regarding the 30 disciplinary action. 31 EXPLANATION 32 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 33 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 34 Under current law, the department of administrative services 35 -1- LSB 2666XS (1) 91 je/js 1/ 2
S.F. 346 establishes a multistep uniform grievance procedure for 1 employees subject to the state merit system. Such an employee 2 who has exhausted the available agency steps in the uniform 3 grievance procedure may, following receipt of a decision at 4 the second step of the grievance procedure, file the grievance 5 at the third step of the grievance procedure with the director 6 of the department. The director must respond within 30 days 7 following receipt of the third step grievance. A similar 8 process is provided for disciplinary action such as discharge, 9 suspension, or demotion. 10 This bill requires the director to include in the response 11 a description of each interview carried out by the department 12 relating to the grievance or disciplinary action, the results 13 of such interviews, and the justification for the directors 14 decision regarding the grievance or disciplinary action. 15 -2- LSB 2666XS (1) 91 je/js 2/ 2