STAFF CONTACT: Sue Foecke
SF 285 – Changes to the Division of Labor Services
SF 290 – Asbestos Regulations
SF 311 – Wage Theft
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 185 provides for an additional $100 fee for an amusement ride operator that submits a late permit application. The bill also provides for required inspections of certain boilers to occur at least once a year but not more than once every six months. The bill provides that such inspections shall include one internal inspection and one external inspection in each two-year period. The bill replaces the requirement that the membership of the elevator safety board include a representative employed by a local government who is knowledgeable about state building codes with a requirement that it include a citizen of Iowa who is knowledgeable about conveyances. The bill provides that an application for an event license for a professional boxing or wrestling or mixed martial arts match must be made no later than 30 days before the match is to occur. Current law requires an application to be made no later than seven days before an event. [3/7: 49-1]
SF 290 is an act relating to asbestos regulations administered by the Division of Labor Services of the Department of Workforce Development. This bill is designed to protect workers and the general public from life-threatening diseases caused by asbestos exposure. Sections 1 and 3 of the bill add an air sampling license to the existing 5 types of asbestos abatement licenses found in Iowa Code Chapter 88B. Asbestos air sampling is performed to determine whether asbestos fibers are present in the air. This does not add any new requirements for air sampling on jobs if it is not already required by law. Sections 2 and 4 of the bill create a new $25,000 bond requirement for companies applying for an asbestos abatement company permit. The bond could be forfeited to cover debts owed to a state agency, including the departments Natural Resources and Revenue. There is a history of asbestos abatement contractors that lack the resources to effectively remove asbestos. [3/7: 26-22, party-line]
SF 311 addresses the problems of wage theft and illegal employer deductions. The bill puts the burden on the employer to establish the legality of deductions from employee wages and requires that the employer must obtain a written authorization for certain deductions in advance. The bill extends current requirements for pay stubs to include pay based on commissions and the number of tasks performed. In addition, the bill strengthens the enforcement to collect wages owed to employees and further protects whistle blowers. The effective date is January 1, 2012. [3/8: 26-23, party-line, Zaun “excused”]