Bill Text: IA SF323 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act prohibiting employers from engaging in certain actions relating to infectious diseases and providing penalties.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-22 - Subcommittee recommends passage. []. [SF323 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2023-SF323-Introduced.html
Senate File 323 - Introduced SENATE FILE 323 BY GUTH A BILL FOR An Act prohibiting employers from engaging in certain actions 1 relating to infectious diseases and providing penalties. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2187XS (2) 90 je/rn
S.F. 323 Section 1. Section 84A.5, subsection 4, Code 2023, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 4. The division of labor services is responsible for the 3 administration of the laws of this state under chapters 88 , 4 88A , 88B , 89 , 89A , 89B , 90A , 91 , 91A , 91C , 91D , 91E , 92 , and 5 94A , and 94B, and sections 73A.21 and 85.68 . The executive 6 head of the division is the labor commissioner, appointed 7 pursuant to section 91.2 . 8 Sec. 2. Section 91.4, subsection 2, Code 2023, is amended 9 to read as follows: 10 2. The director of the department of workforce development, 11 in consultation with the labor commissioner, shall, at the 12 time provided by law, make an annual report to the governor 13 setting forth in appropriate form the business and expense of 14 the division of labor services for the preceding year, the 15 number of remedial actions taken under chapter 89A , the number 16 of disputes or violations processed by the division and the 17 disposition of the disputes or violations, and other matters 18 pertaining to the division which are of public interest, 19 together with recommendations for change or amendment of the 20 laws in this chapter and chapters 88 , 88A , 88B , 89 , 89A , 89B , 21 90A , 91A , 91C , 91D , 91E , 92 , and 94A , and 94B, and section 22 85.68 , and the recommendations, if any, shall be transmitted 23 by the governor to the first general assembly in session after 24 the report is filed. 25 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 94B.1 Definitions. 26 For purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise 27 requires: 28 1. “Commissioner” means the labor commissioner appointed 29 pursuant to section 91.2 or the commissioner’s designee. 30 2. “COVID-19” means the same as defined in section 686D.2. 31 3. “Employee” means an individual who is employed in 32 this state for wages by an employer. “Employee” includes a 33 prospective employee. 34 4. “Employer” means the same as defined in section 96.1A, 35 -1- LSB 2187XS (2) 90 je/rn 1/ 6
S.F. 323 but does not include a public employer as defined in section 1 20.3 or an employer who receives reimbursement through the 2 federal Medicare or Medicaid programs. 3 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 94B.2 Prohibited employer actions —— 4 vaccination status and infectious disease testing. 5 An employer is prohibited from carrying out any of the 6 following actions: 7 1. Inquiring about any information regarding an employee’s 8 vaccination status, including but not limited to vaccination 9 against COVID-19. This subsection does not apply when the 10 duties of the employee’s position, in accordance with federal 11 or international law, require disclosure of such information. 12 2. Inquiring about the results of a test for an infectious 13 disease including but not limited to COVID-19 taken by an 14 employee. This subsection does not apply when the duties of 15 the position, in accordance with federal or international law, 16 require disclosure of such results. 17 3. Conducting a test for an infectious disease including 18 but not limited to COVID-19 on an employee to determine a past 19 or current infection. This subsection does not apply when 20 the duties of the position, in accordance with federal or 21 international law, require that such a test be conducted. 22 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 94B.3 Complaints —— commissioner 23 determination. 24 1. An employee may report a violation of section 94B.2 to 25 the commissioner. The commissioner shall establish a form for 26 such complaints. Upon receipt of a complaint, the commissioner 27 shall notify the employer in writing of the complaint. The 28 commissioner shall determine within thirty calendar days if the 29 complaint is valid and shall notify the employer and employee 30 in writing of the commissioner’s determination. 31 2. An employee or employer may contest the commissioner’s 32 determination pursuant to subsection 1 in writing within thirty 33 calendar days, or the determination shall be final. Such a 34 contest shall be treated as a contested case under chapter 17A. 35 -2- LSB 2187XS (2) 90 je/rn 2/ 6
S.F. 323 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 94B.4 Penalties. 1 1. Upon a final determination pursuant to section 94B.3, 2 subsection 2, or after the time for seeking judicial review in 3 a contested case proceeding has expired or all judicial review 4 has been exhausted, the commissioner shall impose a penalty on 5 an employer in accordance with this section. 6 2. Upon a first violation, the commissioner shall provide 7 the employer with a written warning. Upon a second violation, 8 the commissioner shall impose a two hundred fifty dollar 9 civil penalty. Upon a third or subsequent violation, the 10 commissioner shall impose a five hundred dollar civil penalty. 11 The commissioner shall remit penalties collected pursuant to 12 this subsection to the treasurer of state for deposit in the 13 general fund. 14 3. a. Upon a third violation, and notwithstanding any 15 provision of law to the contrary, the employer shall be 16 disqualified from the provisions of chapters 85, 85A, 85B, 17 86, and 87. The disqualified employer shall be liable to an 18 employee for a personal injury in the course of and arising out 19 of the employment, and the employee may enforce the liability 20 by an action at law for damages. In such an action, the 21 provisions of section 87.21, subsections 1, 2, and 3, shall 22 apply. 23 b. The commissioner shall establish a process for an 24 employer subject to disqualification under this subsection and 25 an employee to pursue in good faith an informal settlement of 26 the dispute and a form for the employer and employee to submit 27 to the commissioner if an informal settlement is reached. The 28 commissioner shall attempt to facilitate informal settlement 29 of disputes. The employer may allege in writing to the 30 commissioner that the employee is not acting in good faith 31 to resolve the dispute. If the commissioner determines the 32 employee is not acting in good faith to resolve the dispute, 33 or if an informal settlement is reached, the employer’s 34 disqualification under paragraph “a” shall cease. If an 35 -3- LSB 2187XS (2) 90 je/rn 3/ 6
S.F. 323 employee contests the commissioner’s determination that the 1 employee is not acting in good faith under this paragraph, such 2 a contest shall be treated as a separate contested case under 3 chapter 17A. 4 4. Upon a fourth or subsequent violation, and 5 notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the 6 employer shall be permanently disqualified from the provisions 7 of chapters 85, 85A, 85B, 86, and 87. The employer shall be 8 liable to an employee for a personal injury in the course of 9 and arising out of the employment, and the employee may enforce 10 the liability by an action at law for damages. In such an 11 action, the provisions of section 87.21, subsections 1, 2, and 12 3, shall apply. 13 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION . 94B.5 Procedures —— enforcement —— 14 rules. 15 1. The commissioner shall establish procedures to implement 16 and enforce this chapter. The commissioner may conduct 17 investigations, hold hearings, receive evidence, and take such 18 other actions the commissioner deems necessary or appropriate 19 to implement and enforce this chapter. 20 2. The commissioner shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 21 17A to administer this chapter. 22 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION . 96.5B Refusal of COVID-19 vaccination 23 —— no disqualification. 24 Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the 25 contrary, an individual who is discharged from employment 26 for refusing to comply with an inquiry or test required 27 by an employer in violation of section 94B.2 shall not be 28 disqualified for benefits on account of such discharge if the 29 employer is subject to a penalty under section 94B.4 for the 30 violation. 31 EXPLANATION 32 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 33 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 34 This bill prohibits an employer, as defined in the bill, from 35 -4- LSB 2187XS (2) 90 je/rn 4/ 6
S.F. 323 carrying out specified actions against an employee relating to 1 infectious disease, including COVID-19. The prohibited actions 2 are inquiring about any information regarding an employee’s 3 vaccination status, inquiring about the results of a test for 4 an infectious disease taken by an employee, and conducting a 5 test for an infectious disease on an employee to determine a 6 past or current infection. These actions are permitted when 7 required for the duties of an employee’s position in accordance 8 with federal or international law. 9 The bill establishes a process for an employee to submit a 10 complaint of a violation to the labor commissioner and for the 11 commissioner to determine if a complaint is valid. 12 The bill establishes penalties for an employer who engages 13 in a prohibited action. The penalties include civil monetary 14 penalties that increase as an employer engages in subsequent 15 violations. On a third or subsequent violation, an employer is 16 also subject to disqualification from provisions of the Code 17 pertaining to worker’s compensation. A disqualified employer 18 shall be liable to an employee for a personal injury in the 19 course of and arising out of the employment, and the employee 20 may enforce the liability by an action at law for damages. 21 Procedures applicable to employers who fail to obtain worker’s 22 compensation insurance, which relate to legal presumptions, the 23 burden of proof, pleadings and defenses, and trial by jury, are 24 applicable to such an action. The bill provides a process for 25 informal resolution of disputes relating to a third violation. 26 The bill requires the labor commissioner to establish 27 procedures to implement and enforce the bill and authorizes the 28 commissioner to conduct investigations, hold hearings, receive 29 evidence, and take such other actions the commissioner deems 30 necessary or appropriate to implement and enforce the bill. 31 The bill provides that an employee who is discharged from 32 employment for refusing to comply with an inquiry or test 33 required by an employer in violation of the bill shall not 34 be disqualified for unemployment benefits on account of such 35 -5- LSB 2187XS (2) 90 je/rn 5/ 6
S.F. 323 discharge if the employer is subject to a penalty under the 1 bill for the violation. 2 -6- LSB 2187XS (2) 90 je/rn 6/ 6
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