RELEASE: Gov. Branstad signs 9 bills into law

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Governor Terry E. Branstad « Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, March 30, 2017

Contact: Governor’s Office, 515-281-5211

 

Gov. Branstad signs 9 bills into law

 

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad today signed the following 9 bills into law:

 

House File 295:  an Act prohibiting counties and cities from establishing certain regulations relating to employment matters and the sale or marketing of consumer merchandise, providing for properly related matters, and including effective date provisions.

 

After signing the bill Branstad said, “Different county minimum wages create confusion, especially for cities that are in more than one county.  This bill provides uniformity through the state on Iowa’s minimum wage.  It does nothing to force businesses to pay employees less than they are currently paying.  I want to thank all of those who worked hard to provide local governments and Iowa businesses with predictability.” 

 

“We know most employers in the state are paying well above the minimum wage, but different county minimum wages creates confusion and prevents Iowa from growing,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds.  “Our focus has always been on creating an environment where businesses can succeed and we can attract more good paying jobs.  This legislation takes the necessary steps to eliminate the confusion that exists today.”  

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 9, 56-41 and the Iowa Senate on March 27, 29-21.

 

House File 518:  an Act relating to workers’ compensation and including applicability provisions.

 

“In the past 10 years, Iowa’s workers’ compensation system has mutated into a system benefiting trial lawyers at the expense of Iowa businesses and Iowa workers,” said Branstad.  “Today, that ends by rebalancing the scales to ensure employees are compensated fairly for being injured on the job, while ensuring that abuses are curtailed.  This legislation prevents attorneys from taking fees from injured workers when the employer was voluntarily giving benefits, ends the burden on the employer to demonstrate that intoxicated workers incurred injuries as a result of the intoxication, and ends an individual’s ability to receive workers’ compensation while receiving unemployment insurance.  I’m pleased to sign this common sense legislation into law.”

 

Lt. Gov. Reynolds commented, “For too long, Iowa’s workers’ compensation system has been plagued with frivolous lawsuits and abuses that drive up the cost of doing business in Iowa.  High costs for workers’ compensation makes Iowa uncompetitive, hurts job growth and Iowa’s economy.  I want to thank the business community and the Legislature for sending Gov. Branstad a common sense bill to restore our workers’ compensation laws to what was originally intended – a safety net for injured workers.”    

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 16, 55-38 and the Iowa Senate on March 27, 29-21.

 

House File 215:  an Act requiring certain health insurance policies, contracts, or plans to provide coverage of applied behavior analysis for treatment of autism spectrum disorder for certain individuals, and including applicability and effective date provisions. 

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 15, 96-0 and the Iowa Senate on March 23, 48-0.

 

House File 289:  and Act relating to the issuance of driver’s licenses, nonoperator’s identification cards, and persons with disabilities identification devices by certain counties, and including effective date provisions. 

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on February 14, 98-0 and the Iowa Senate on March 20, 49-0.

 

House File 445:  an Act relating to public utilities and other infrastructure, including the confidentiality of certain information relating to cyber security or critical infrastructure, the authority of utilities to make temporary rate changes, and presiding officers at public information meetings held for electric transmission line franchise petitions. 

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 13, 95-0 and the Iowa Senate on March 21, 49-0.

 

House File 462:  an Act providing for the confidentiality of certain records provided by gambling licensees to the racing and gaming commission.

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 13, 95-0 and the Iowa Senate on March 13, 49-0.

 

House File 531:  an Act relating to oversight of public assistance programs, and including effective date provisions. 

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 20, 97-0 and the Iowa Senate on March 23, 47-0.

 

House File 544:  an Act including personal degradation as a form of dependent adult abuse by caretakers in facilities  and programs regulated by the Department of Inspections and Appeals, and including effective date provisions. 

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 14, 93-0 and the Iowa Senate on March 21, 49-0.

 

House File 548:  an Act relating to continuous quality improvement for the care of individuals with stroke, and providing for contingent implementation.  

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 20, 97-0 and the Iowa Senate on March 23, 47-0.

 

House File 295:  an Act prohibiting counties and cities from establishing certain regulations relating to employment matters and the sale or marketing of consumer merchandise, providing for properly related matters, and including effective date provisions. 

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 9, 56-41 and the Iowa Senate on March 27, 29-21.

 

House File 518:  an Act relating to workers’ compensation and including applicability provisions. 

 

The bill passed the Iowa House on March 16, 55-38 and the Iowa Senate on March 27, 29-21.

 

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