HF 2172 – PERB Electronic Notice
HF 2199 – IWD Federal Conformity for Voluntary Shared Work Program
HF 2172 amends Iowa Code section 20.24 to allow the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to implement an electronic case filing system, which will also serve notices and other documents on the parties. [Senate 2/24: 49-0; House 2/18: 98-0; Gov 3/17: signed]
HF 2199 conforms the Voluntary Shared Work (VSW) Program under the state Unemployment Insurance law to the requirements of the federal Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. The VSW Program gives employers an alternative to laying off employees. The bill removes the restriction that the VSW Program only applies to temporary layoffs, allows part-time employees to participate in the program and requires employers to provide the Iowa Department of Workforce Development (IWD) an estimate of the number of layoffs that would occur without the program. An employer must give notice to employees in advance of program participation, and employer participation must be consistent with applicable federal and state laws. Voluntary shared work benefits will be charged to employers in the same manner as regular unemployment insurance benefits. Iowa must conform to the federal requirements by August 22, 2014, to maintain a state-certified unemployment compensation program. If the bill was not enacted, Iowa could lose the current 5.4 percent federal tax credit for Iowa businesses, which would have resulted in Iowa businesses paying an additional $500 million annually in federal unemployment taxes. [Senate 3/17: 46-0; House 2/18: 98-0; Gov 3/26: signed]