Bill
SF 311
The bill tightens civil service discipline and hearing rules for city employees, especially officers, including evidence, timelines, and potential attorney fees for substantially p
Status: Enacted. Signed by Governor May 19, 2025. Effective date: August 16, 2025 (per enrolled bill amendment S‑3008). Companion: HF 705.
Purpose
- Revise procedures, standards, and evidentiary rules that govern city civil service employment actions (hiring, discipline, appeals, and hearings), with several provisions specifically affecting employees defined as “officers” under Iowa Code §80F.1(1)(f) (generally police officers).
- Prohibit cities that operate under chapter 400 civil service rules from creating citizen review boards for officer conduct.
Key provisions (by topic)
- Prohibition on citizen review boards: Adds new subsection to Iowa Code §364.3 prohibiting a city with a chapter 400 civil service commission from adopting or administering ordinances, resolutions, or other measures to establish a citizen review board or similar entity for review of conduct of officers as defined in §80F.1(1)(f).
- Civil service commission composition: Amends §400.1(1) to modify rules for appointment and terms; allows cities above a population threshold (text amended in bill) to set commission size by ordinance with a minimum and maximum (not less than three — and in some language increased minimum to five and maximum up to seven in larger cities).
- Hiring list cap: Adds a provision clarifying this bill does not increase the maximum number on a civil service hiring list (keeps the cap at no greater than 40 candidates for a position) (§400.12A addition).
- Grounds, burden, and standard for discipline: Revises §§400.18, 400.19, and related sections to (a) make removal/demotion/suspension permissible for cause (violations of law, city policy, or SOPs) upon a preponderance of the evidence; (b) place the burden on the city to prove violation and that the punishment is proportionate under enumerated factors; and (c) preserve other statutory protections (including §400.8A).
- Exculpatory evidence: New §400.22A prohibits knowingly withholding exculpatory evidence from an employee who is the subject of written charges under §400.22.
- Hearing and discovery procedures: Amends §§400.23–400.27 to set timing (commission must set a hearing within 10 days of charges; hearing held 5–20 days later), allow subpoenas consistent with Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure, require parties to exchange subpoena responses and exhibits in advance (commission to provide evidence/exhibit production rules), and permit employees defined as officers to request documents relevant to cause and proportionality unless otherwise barred by chapter 80F.
- Public trial and closed deliberations: Appeals trials are public; however, an employee in a city under 200,000 population can request closed deliberations.
- Attorney/expert fees and remedies: Adds (in §400.27 as enrolled) a provision permitting district courts, upon application, to award reasonable attorney fees, expert fees, and costs to employees who are “officers” under §80F.1(1)(f) in limited circumstances where the employee substantially prevails (e.g., full reinstatement without discipline, suspension reduced by over 50%, or demotion reversed).
Who is affected
- City governments, mayors, and city councils (restrictions on creating citizen review boards; changes to commission composition authority).
- City civil service employees, particularly police officers and other employees defined as “officers” under §80F.1(1)(f) — affects discipline, discovery rights, appeal procedures, and potential fee recovery.
- Civil service commissions and appointing authorities (modified procedures, burdens, and timelines).
- Parties to civil service appeals, including unions/collective bargaining representatives and attorneys.
Procedural/timing notes
- Enrolled and signed by Governor May 19, 2025; effective date set by amendment: August 16, 2025.
- The bill makes both substantive and procedural changes that will affect how cities handle hiring lists, discipline, evidence disclosure, hearing scheduling, and judicial review of civil service commission actions.
For more detail
- Relevant Code sections amended/added: Iowa Code chapters 364.3 (new subsection), 400.1, 400.11/400.12A (hiring list), 400.18–400.27, and new §400.22A.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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