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State Policy Update
February 21 was the first "funnel" of the session, when bills must have passed out of committee in their chamber of origin to stay alive (with some exceptions, such as appropriations bills). The bills no longer being considered after the funnel have been removed from the Legislation section.
The House and Senate each now have their own versions of a bill regarding job training and apprenticeship programs. The House calls its version the Iowa Apprenticeship and Job Training Act. The major general difference is that the House version puts job training and apprenticeship programs under the Economic Development Authority, and the Senate version puts them under the Department of Education. See HF 2407 and SF 2317 in the Legislation section.
Federal Policy Update
AIWP signed onto an organizational letter asking the appropriators on the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittees in Congress to allocate the highest possible amount for federal workforce programs. The letter is available here, and other organizations can sign on here by March 7.
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| Important Dates | | |
February 21 - First Funnel
Final date for House bills to be reported out of House committees, and Senate bills out of Senate committees, to stay alive.
March 14 - Second Funnel
Final date for Senate bills to be reported out of House committees, and House bills out of Senate committees, to stay alive.
April 22
Target adjournment date (100th calendar day of session)
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| Legislation | |
Senate File 2317 (Formerly SSB 3052) Relates to changes to the job training program and fund under Code chapter 260F and establishes an apprenticeship program under new Code chapter 260J, and makes appropriations. General difference from House version of Iowa Apprenticeship and Job Training Act is that the Senate version puts these job training and apprenticeship programs under the Department of Education instead of the Economic Development Authority (see HF 2407 below). Sponsored by Economic Growth. Introduced, placed on calendar. Economic Growth Committee report, approving bill. Referred to Appropriations. Subcommittee, Dotzler, Chapman, and Dvorsky.
Senate File 2292 (Formerly SF 2076) Establishes an Iowa Employment Rides initiative in the Department of Transportation to provide funds to public transit systems for programs and services that provide employment transportation to Iowans. Appropriates $1 million per year for the next three fiscal years, to be distributed on a competitive grant basis. Sponsored by Transportation. Introduced, placed on calendar. Transportation Committee report, approving bill. Referred to Appropriations. Subcommittee, Mathis, Dvorsky, and Kapucian. Senate File 2260 (Formerly SSB 3194) Increases the state minimum hourly wage to $8.00 as of July 1, 2014, $8.70 as of January 1, 2015, $9.40 as of July 1, 2015, and $10.10 as of January 1, 2016. Increases the state minimum hourly wage for employees employed for less than 90 days to $7.10 as of July 1, 2014, $7.80 as of January 1, 2015, $8.50 as of July 1, 2015, and $9.20 as of January 1, 2016. Sponsored by Labor and Business Relations. Introduced, placed on calendar. Committee report, approving bill. Senate File 2251 (Formerly SF 2143) Relates to state child care assistance program eligibility and application provisions. Revises the 28-hour-per-week employment requirement to apply to a combination of employment and participation at a satisfactory level in an approved training or education program for 28 hours per week in the aggregate; amends two of the waiting list requirements that are based upon income and employment for at least 28 hours per week or participation in an educational program; and other provisions. Sponsored by Human Resources. Introduced, placed on calendar. Committee report, approving bill. Fiscal note. Passed Senate, ayes 48, nays none. Messaged to House. Read first time, referred to Human Resources. Subcommittee, Heaton, Costello, and Dawson. Senate Study Bill 3198 Governor's proposed budget bill with FY 2015 appropriations to the Department of Cultural Affairs, Economic Development Authority, Public Employment Relations Board, and Iowa Workforce Development. Includes: $9,179,413 from the general fund to IWD for field offices; strikes language about allocating funds to operate three satellite field offices projected to serve the most people from the offices located in Decorah, Fort Madison, Iowa City, or Webster City. $1,627,084 from the Special Employment Security Contingency Fund and $633,000 from interest earned on the unemployment compensation reserve fund to IWD for field offices. $284,464 for an offender reentry program (partnership of IWD and Dept. of Corrections). $451,458 to IWD for an employee misclassification program (to enhance efforts to investigate employers than misclassify workers). Senate Study Bill 3167 Governor's proposed budget bill with FY 2015 appropriations for departments including Education, Workforce Development, and Economic Development Authority. Highlights: $5.5 million to community colleges for adult education and literacy programs; $5 million for Pathways for Academic Career and Employment (PACE) fund; $2 million for Gap Tuition Assistance Fund; $1.5 million for Statewide Work-Based Learning Intermediary Network Fund; $200,000 for a Workforce Preparation Outcome Reporting System; $100,000 to develop a long-term sustained program to train unemployed and underemployed central Iowans to advance to higher-paying jobs with full benefits. Subcommittee, Dvorsky, Chapman. Senate Study Bill 3071 Prohibits employers from refusing to hire job applicants based on certain criminal history and providing penalties. Specifically, prohibits a person from refusing to hire a job applicant because the applicant has been arrested for or convicted of a public offense more than 10 years before the date of application, unless the elements of the public offense are substantially related to the qualifications to perform the job they are applying for. Proposed Judiciary Committee bill by Chairperson Hogg. Subcommittee, Hogg, Petersen, Schneider. House File 2407 (Formerly HSB 541) Iowa Apprenticeship and Job Training Act. Makes changes to the job training program and fund under Code chapter 260F and makes appropriations. General difference from Senate bill regarding job training and apprenticeship programs is that the House version puts these programs under the Economic Development Authority, while the Senate version transfers to the Department of Education. (See SF 2317 above.) Sponsored by Economic Growth. Introduced, referred to Ways and Means. House File 2380 (Formerly HF 2070) Provides for a pilot project for state child care assistance program eligibility requirements in Hamilton, Lee, Pottawattamie, and Scott counties, in which the program's eligibility requirements based upon income and employment for at least 28 hours per week or participation in an educational program are revised for two income eligibility groups (families with income at or below 100% poverty or 101-145% poverty). The 28-hour-per-week employment requirement is revised to apply to a combination of employment and participation at a satisfactory level in an approved training or education program for 28 hours per week in the aggregate.
House File 2373 (Formerly House File 2234 and HSB 512) Allows private employers to grant a preference in hiring and promotion to veterans and certain spouses. Sponsored by Economic Growth. Introduced, placed on calendar. House File 2343 Establishes an Iowa Employment Rides Initiative in the Department of Transportation and makes an appropriation. Sponsored by Lundby, Staed, Gaskill, Kaufmann, Kearns, Murphy, Jacoby, Ourth, Thomas, Isenhart, Steckman, Forbes, Stutsman, Winckler, Wessel-Kroeschell, Byrnes, Moore, T. Olson, Thede, and Berry. Introduced, referred to Transportation. Subcommittee, Kaufmann, Landon, and Stutsman. House File 2319 (Formerly HSB 616) Relates to professional and occupational licensure of veterans and veterans' spouses. Requires all professional and occupational licensing boards to adopt rules to provide credit toward licensing for education, training, and service obtained or completed by an individual while serving on military duty; requires licensing boards to expedite licensing in Iowa of veterans and spouses of veterans who are licensed to practice in a similar profession or occupation in another state; and other provisions. Sponsored by Veterans Affairs. Introduced, referred to State Government. House File 2316 (Formerly HSB 613) Relates to workforce services for veterans. Appropriates $1 million to Iowa Workforce Development to fund research linking military occupational education, training, and service to existing licensing requirements in Iowa and to support additional demand for workforce development services for veterans. Also appropriates $1 million to Iowa Workforce Development to provide a grant in that amount to a nonprofit workforce services organization administered by a state agency to pay for expenses of marketing Iowa to veterans through public-private partnerships. Sponsored by Veterans Affairs. Introduced, referred to Appropriations. Subcommittee, Worthan, Deyoe, and Running-Marquardt. House File 2292 Increases the state minimum hourly wage to $8.25 as of January 1, 2016, to $9.25 as of January 1, 2017, and to $10.25 as of January 1, 2018. The bill increases the state minimum hourly wage for employees employed for less than 90 days to $7.35 as of January 1, 2016, to $8.35 as of January 1, 2017, and to $9.35 as of January 1, 2018. Sponsored by Kajtazovic. Introduced, referred to Labor. Subcommittee, Jorgensen, Forristall, and Hunter. House File 2286 Relates to the regulation of employment agencies and sets penalties. Sponsored by Hunter. Introduced, referred to Labor. Subcommittee, Jorgensen, Forristall, and Hunter.
House File 2224 (Formerly HSB 615) Requires reporting on certain educational credits awarded to veterans. Sponsored by Veterans Affairs. Introduced, referred to Education. Subcommittee, Stanerson, Hanson, Hanusa. Passed subcommittee. Committee report, recommending passage. Amendment H-8045 filed.House File 2199 (Formerly HSB 601) Conforms the voluntary shared work program under the state unemployment insurance law to the requirements of the federal Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. Sponsored by Labor. Introduced, placed on calendar. Fiscal note. Passed House, ayes 98, nays none. Explanation of vote. Messaged to Senate. Read first time, referred to Labor and Business Relations. Subcommittee, Brase, Anderson, and Dotzler. Committee report, recommending passage.
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| Committee Assignments | | | Click here to view members of workforce-related committees and their corresponding workforce development region. |
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This update is a bi-weekly publication intended to share information and resources regarding legislative activities, events, and bills related to workforce issues in Iowa. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Stacie Bendixen at [email protected] or 515-237-0338.
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