Bill Text: IA SF244 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act concerning absences from work by veterans and members of the military.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-20 - Subcommittee: Costello, Bowman, and Edler. S.J. 359. [SF244 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF244-Introduced.html
Senate File 244 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY JOCHUM A BILL FOR 1 An Act concerning absences from work by veterans and members of 2 the military. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 2351XS (2) 87 ec/nh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 29A.43, subsection 1, Code 2017, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 1. A person shall not discriminate against any officer or 1 4 enlisted person of the national guard or organized reserves 1 5 of the armed forces of the United States or any member of the 1 6 civil air patrol because of that membership. An employer, 1 7 or agent of an employer, shall not discharge a person from 1 8 employment because of being an officer or enlisted person of 1 9 the military forces of the state or member of the civil air 1 10 patrol, or hinder or prevent the officer or enlisted person or 1 11 member of the civil air patrol from performing any military 1 12 service or civil air patrol duty the person is called upon 1 13 to perform by proper authority. A member of the national 1 14 guard or organized reserves of the armed forces of the United 1 15 States ordered to temporary duty or service, as defined in 1 16 section 29A.1, subsection 3, 8, or 12, or a member of the 1 17 civil air patrol performing duty pursuant to section 29A.3A, 1 18 for any purpose is entitled to a leave of absence during 1 19 the period of the duty or service, from the member's private 1 20 employment unless the employment is of a temporary nature. 1 21 Upon completion of the duty or service, the employer shall 1 22 restore the person to the position held prior to the leave of 1 23 absence or employ the person in a position of like seniority, 1 24 status, and pay. However, the person shall give evidence to 1 25 the employer of satisfactory completion of the duty or service, 1 26 and that the person is still qualified to perform the duties 1 27 of the position. The period of absence shall be construed as 1 28 an excused absence with leave, and shall in no way affect the 1 29 employee's rights to vacation, sick leave, bonus, or other 1 30 employment benefits relating to the employee's particular 1 31 employment or be considered an absence that would affect the 1 32 employee's rights for any bonus or other employee benefit 1 33 provided by the employer based on attendance at work. 1 34 Sec. 2. Section 91A.5A, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended 1 35 to read as follows: 2 1 1. An employer shall provide each employee who is a 2 2 veteran, as defined in section 35.1, with holiday time off for 2 3 Veterans Day, November 11, if the employee would otherwise be 2 4 required to work on that day, as provided in this section. If 2 5 an employee is provided holiday time off for Veterans Day as 2 6 provided in this section, the employer shall not classify the 2 7 time off as an absence from work for purposes of determining 2 8 whether the employee is eligible for any benefit or bonus 2 9 provided by the employer based on attendance at work. 2 10 EXPLANATION 2 11 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 12 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 13 This bill concerns absences from work by members of the 2 14 military and veterans. 2 15 Code section 29A.43, concerning leaves of absence from 2 16 employment by any officer or enlisted person of the national 2 17 guard or organized reserves of the armed forces of the United 2 18 States or any member of the civil air patrol, is amended. The 2 19 bill provides that any absence from work based on that military 2 20 membership shall be considered an excused absence with leave 2 21 and shall not be considered an absence that would affect the 2 22 employee's rights for any bonus or other employee benefit 2 23 provided by the employer based on attendance at work. 2 24 Code section 91A.5A, concerning Veterans Day off for 2 25 veterans, is amended to provide that if a veteran is provided 2 26 Veterans Day off, the employer shall not classify the time off 2 27 as an absence from work for purposes of determining whether the 2 28 employee is eligible for any benefit or bonus provided by the 2 29 employer based on attendance at work. LSB 2351XS (2) 87 ec/nh