HF 441: A bill for an act concerning the functions of the employment appeal board; the workers’ compensation commissioner; and the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing relating to contested cases, judicial review, and liability. - Iowa

Enrolled → Enrolled with Governor's Action · 6 edits · May 19, 2025

MODERATE

This bill creates a full-time Employment Appeal Board within the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing to handle contested cases under workers' compensation and related laws. It establishes procedures for rehearing applications and judicial review petitions, including specific rules about where cases can be filed and deadlines for submitting records to courts. The bill also clarifies that the state, department, and new board are not liable for unemployment benefits beyond what is available in the unemployment compensation fund.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope by creating a formal Employment Appeal Board to consolidate authority for hearing contested cases under multiple chapters of Iowa law, including workers' compensation, public employment relations, and unemployment compensation.

SCOPE

Created a new full-time Employment Appeal Board within the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing to hear and decide contested cases.

REQUIREMENT

Updated judicial review procedures to allow petitions to be filed in the county where the petitioner was last employed or resides, with special provisions for out-of-state petitioners.

TIMELINE

Extended the deadline for transmitting records to reviewing courts from 30 days to 60 days after filing a judicial review petition.

ENFORCEMENT

Established that petitions for judicial review and certified questions of law receive precedence over other civil cases, except workers' compensation cases.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified that the employment appeal board may be represented in judicial review by a regular salaried employee or designated attorney, or by the attorney general at the board's request.

TECHNICAL

Added an explanation section clarifying that the bill transfers duties from the dissolved public employment relations board to the employment appeal board.

Introduced → Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) · 5 edits · May 19, 2025

MODERATE

This bill creates a new full-time Employment Appeal Board within the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing to handle contested cases under workers' compensation and other state laws. It establishes specific procedures for rehearings, judicial reviews, and representation by board employees or the Attorney General. The bill also clarifies that the state is not liable for unemployment benefits beyond available funds and sets venue rules for filing petitions in district courts.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope by creating a new permanent Employment Appeal Board to consolidate and formalize contested case adjudication functions previously handled by the Public Employment Relations Board, which was eliminated in 2024.

SCOPE

Created a new full-time Employment Appeal Board within the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing to hear and decide contested cases under workers' compensation and other specified chapters.

REQUIREMENT

Established new procedures for rehearings before the appeal board and clarified judicial review processes, including venue rules allowing petitions in the county where the petitioner was last employed or resides.

Removed bond requirements for entering appeals from final district court orders to the supreme court.

ENFORCEMENT

Authorized the appeal board to be represented in judicial reviews by regular salaried employees or the Attorney General, and required transmission of case records to reviewing courts within 60 days.

DEFINITION

Clarified that the state, department, and employment appeal board are not liable for unemployment benefits exceeding available funds in the unemployment compensation fund.

Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF) → Enrolled · 3 edits · May 19, 2025

MINOR

This document shows the transition of House File 441 from its signed enrolled version to the final enrolled form ready for publication. The substantive content of the bill remains unchanged; the differences are purely formatting and layout adjustments between the governor's signature page and the final enrolled version.

TECHNICAL

Removed the governor's signature page with handwritten-style formatting, date stamps, and official letterhead elements that were part of the signed enrolled version.

Added clean, standardized formatting for the enrolled bill including proper page numbering, act title, and certification language from the House and Senate.

Converted the document from a letter format with signature block to a standard enrolled bill format with legislative certification and approval language.

A bill for an act concerning the functions of the employment appeal board; the workers’ compensation commissioner; and the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing relating to contested cases, judicial review, and liability.

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