The League of Iowa
Human & Civil Rights Agencies

1.      Granting the Iowa Civil Rights Commission subpoena power over witnesses during the investigation stage. SF96/HF209 allows the Commission to subpoena witnesses in the course of investigating a complaint. Its passage will allow ICRC to process  civil rights complaints more effectively, more efficiency and will help insure fair consideration of all facts. The bill passed the Senate in 2009 and now is in the House.

2.      General call for federal comprehensive immigration reform with the goal of solving current immigration problems and furthering family unity.

3.      Designate funding from Community Development Block Grants for Fair Housing Education Initiatives at the local level.

1.      Ban on a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage in Iowa.  

2.      Adequate funding of civil and human rights agencies in Iowa.  Current law should be complied with, and state and local government entities should fund state and local civil rights and human rights commissions to continue to advance civil rights.   

1.      Strategic reorganization of the Iowa Department of Human Rights.   The proposed reorganization increases efficiency and effectiveness by providing better oversight, reducing resources expended on administration, and encouraging stronger collaboration to achieve mutual goals.  

2.      Create a plan to reduce the minority achievement gap in Iowa’s education system.  A legislative interim study committee should  review minority achievement gap data, engage stakeholders in suggesting policy solutions, share community best practices, and develop long‐term, accountable implementation plans.

3.      Adopt a Deaf Children’s Bill of Rights. Eleven states have adopted  a statement of support for educational policies and practices that flexibly meet the unique needs of deaf and hard of hearing children, whose academic performance has been shown to decline over time. In Iowa, an average of 33% of students who are deaf or hard of hearing test “proficient” in reading and 40.5% test “proficient” in math. A Deaf Children’s Bill of Rights mirrors the existing federal IDEA legislation.

4.      Update Iowa’s protections of rights for persons with disabilities. Code 216C predates the Americans with Disabilities Act. 2010 is the 20th anniversary year of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Iowa law should be in compliance with that landmark legislation. PASSED

5.      Require employers to provide a reasonable accommodation for employees who breastfeed to express milk during their regular unpaid break times.  Proposals would define a reasonable accommodation and provides for education and technical assistance for employers who request it.

6.      Study the concept of creating a state Paid Leave Insurance program.   DHR requests that the Iowa Legislature convene an interim study committee to review possible models from other states that would apply-- at no cost to the employer-- some portion of a caregiver’s income if certain criteria were met for paid leave.