Week 9: Key Bills ABI Continues to Track
March 10, 2022
ABI’s public policy team continues to track bills that are of interest to members and related to business and industry as lawmakers advance legislation out of their committees and chambers.
Tax
SF 2372 - Second Tax Bill - The Senate Ways & Means Committee considered and passed a significant tax bill on Tuesday afternoon. Under the bill, the sales and use tax exemption related to computers and computer peripherals is eliminated for certain entities including insurance companies, financial institutions and commercial enterprises. The bill also adds language to make food and food ingredients exempt from sales and use tax. It lowers the franchise tax and the insurance premium tax. Additionally, the proposal includes language regarding net operating loss deductions. You can read the fiscal note here.
ABI Position: For
Workforce Bills
HF 2279 - UI bill on debate calendar for this week, March 10. In order to receive support for other components of the bill several changes were considered to the bill.
Employment-Related Bills
SF 2196 - Copies of Personnel Files - The bill requires an employer to provide an employee one free copy of their personnel file if the employee requests it. The file can be provided electronically. The legislation passed the Iowa Senate unanimously on Tuesday and now heads to the Iowa House.
ABI Position: Undecided
HF 724 - Adoption Mandate - On Thursday, the Senate Labor and Business Relations Committee approved legislation that requires employers to provide the same policies, benefits and protections they afford to the parent of a newborn child to a parent who adopts a child up to the age of six years old. This would apply to the first year of the adoption. ABI was successful in narrowing the scope of the original legislation, which initially covered children up to the age of 18. The Iowa House previously passed this legislation last year 93-1. If there are no amendments to the bill, it would pass and be sent to the Governor.
ABI Position: Undecided
HF 2411 - Prosthetic Devices under Workers’ Compensation - Also on Thursday, the Senate Labor and Business Relations Committee passed a bill that requires an employer to provide multiple permanent prosthetic devices to an employee covered under work comp and if it’s deemed reasonable medical care. The legislation passed the House a few weeks ago. ABI was initially opposed to the legislation, but following additional feedback from members that indicated the impact of the bill is minimal at worst, we changed our registration to undecided.
ABI Position: Undecided
Other
HF 2198 - Minimum Age for Child Care Center Employees - On Wednesday, the Senate Human Resources subcommittee passed a bill that allows the Iowa Department of Human Services to establish rules that state employees and substitutes at a child care center who are at least 16 years old do not need additional supervision. The bill was previously amended to include a fingerprinting provision.