Labor & Employment

HF 2480 requires Iowa employers with 50+ full-time employees to display a poster in the workplace providing veterans with key resources. The poster, created by the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing in coordination with the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs, must include information on mental health services, education/training programs, tax benefits, vehicle registration, unemployment insurance, and legal services. Employers must display the poster in an easy-to-see location accessible to all employees. This bill directly affects covered employers and ensures veterans have clear access to available benefits and services.

HF 980 changes Iowa's unemployment insurance tax system for employers. It reduces the percentage used to calculate taxable wages from 66.66% to 33.33% of the statewide average weekly wage (previously used for maximum benefit calculations), and adjusts the contribution rate tables to lower tax rates for most employers. The bill also requires employers to use any tax savings from these changes to pay employee salaries/benefits or cover seasonal unemployment, rather than keeping the savings. This directly affects all Iowa employers paying unemployment insurance taxes, particularly those with out-of-state workers, by lowering their tax burden under the new structure.

HF 856 prohibits public entities (like government agencies, schools, and state-funded programs) from implementing certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities. The bill creates a private right to sue for individuals who believe a public entity violated its provisions. Key mechanisms include banning specific DEI training, assessments, or hiring practices tied to protected characteristics, and allowing affected individuals to file lawsuits. It became law after the Governor signed it on May 27, 2025.