Senate File 579 - Introduced SENATE FILE 579 BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1184) A BILL FOR An Act relating to local civil rights commissions and local 1 civil rights agencies. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1493SV (1) 91 cm/jh
S.F. 579 Section 1. Section 216.19, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsections: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 9. Any complaint filed with a local agency 3 or local commission where a party is a political subdivision 4 shall be referred to the Iowa office of civil rights for 5 processing. 6 NEW SUBSECTION . 10. a. A local agency or local commission 7 complaint, upon request by any party, shall be transferred to 8 the Iowa office of civil rights for processing if the complaint 9 alleges a violation of this chapter and has not been resolved 10 within twelve months of the filing date of the complaint. 11 b. The local agency or local commission shall within three 12 hundred days of the filing date of the complaint do all of the 13 following: 14 (1) Send notice to all parties of a partys right to 15 direct transfer of the complaint to the Iowa office of civil 16 rights from the local agency or local commission after twelve 17 months if the complaint alleges a violation of this chapter. 18 The notice shall be sent to all parties by verified mail, 19 or electronic notice if the party is enrolled in electronic 20 notification. 21 (2) Cross file a complaint with the Iowa office of civil 22 rights if the local agency or local commission complaint arises 23 from an alleged violation of a state law, rule, or regulation 24 under the jurisdiction of the Iowa office of civil rights. 25 This subparagraph shall not be construed to prohibit a local 26 agency or local commission from cross filing a complaint with 27 any other federal or state agency, commission, or entity, if 28 the local agency or local commission complaint arises from 29 an alleged violation of a state or federal law, rule, or 30 regulation of a state or federal agency, commission, or entity. 31 NEW SUBSECTION . 11. The term of a commissioner appointed to 32 a local agency or local commission shall be for two years. 33 EXPLANATION 34 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 35 -1- LSB 1493SV (1) 91 cm/jh 1/ 2
S.F. 579 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 This bill relates to local civil rights commissions or local 2 civil rights agencies. 3 The bill provides that any complaint that is filed with a 4 local commission or local agency where a party is a political 5 subdivision shall be referred to the Iowa office of civil 6 rights for processing. The bill provides that a local agency 7 or local commission complaint, upon request by any party, 8 shall be transferred to the Iowa office of civil rights for 9 processing if the complaint alleges a violation of the Iowa 10 civil rights Act of 1965 and has not been resolved within 12 11 months of the filing date of the complaint. The bill requires 12 the local agency or local commission to within 300 days of the 13 filing date of the complaint: (1) send notice to all parties 14 of the partys right to direct transfer to the Iowa office of 15 civil rights after 12 months by verified mail, or electronic 16 notice, and (2) cross file a complaint with the Iowa office of 17 civil rights if the local agency or local commission complaint 18 arises from an alleged violation of a state law, rule, or 19 regulation under the jurisdiction of the Iowa office of civil 20 rights. The bill does not prohibit a local agency or local 21 commission from cross filing a complaint with any other federal 22 or state agency, commission, or entity, if the local agency or 23 local commission complaint arises from an alleged violation 24 of a state or federal law, rule, or regulation of a state or 25 federal agency, commission, or entity. 26 The bill provides that the term of a commissioner of a local 27 agency or local commission is two years. 28 -2- LSB 1493SV (1) 91 cm/jh 2/ 2