# Iowa SF 311: A bill for an act relating to city civil service employees and related procedures and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1010.) Effective date: 08/16/2025. Iowa SF 311, A bill for an act relating to city civil service employees and related procedures and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1010.) Effective date: 08/16/2025., is a 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) Senate bill sponsored by COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT; status signed, last action 2025-05-19 (Signed by Governor.); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-18). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF311-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-18 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Iowa SF 311 - State: Iowa - Session: 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) - Title: A bill for an act relating to city civil service employees and related procedures and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1010.) Effective date: 08/16/2025. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-13 - Last action: 2025-05-19, Signed by Governor. - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (149 yes, 82 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Legal cost recovery for covered officers: benefit, medium. Beginning August 16, 2025, officers covered by Iowa Code section 80F.1(1)(f) can ask district court to award legal costs. Qualifying outcomes are full reinstatement after termination with no discipline, a suspension reduced by more than 50%, or reversal of a demotion. The court may award reasonable… - More disciplinary evidence for city employees: benefit, medium. Beginning August 16, 2025, no one may knowingly hide evidence that helps a civil service employee facing written disciplinary charges. Commissions must arrange evidence production and exchange of exhibits before trial. Officers covered by Iowa Code section 80F.1(1)(f), including qualifying police a… - Stronger job protections for city employees: benefit, medium. Beginning August 16, 2025, Iowa employees with chapter 400 civil service rights can face firing, demotion, or suspension only for just cause. The city must prove every charge is more likely true than not and show the punishment is fair and proportionate. Grounds include violations of law, city poli… - Cities lose civilian officer review boards: cost, low. Beginning August 16, 2025, Iowa cities with chapter 400 civil service commissions cannot establish or use citizen review boards for covered officers. The ban also covers similar entities reviewing officers defined under Iowa Code section 80F.1(1)(f). It removes this local option for civilian oversi… - New city commission and hiring limits: cost, low. Beginning August 16, 2025, cities above 50,000 people must set civil service commission size by ordinance at five to seven members. The population threshold falls from above 70,000. In cities of at least 8,000 with paid police or fire departments, mayors appoint three commissioners with council app… - Clearer city employee hearings and appeals: mixed, medium. Beginning August 16, 2025, civil service trial hearings are public. In cities below 200,000 people, commissions must close deliberations when the employee requests it. Hearings must be scheduled 5–20 days after the hearing date is set, with written notice; continuances and stays are allowed. Majori… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-17 | legislature | Amendment H-1246 | fail | 31 | 61 | | | 2025-04-17 | House | Passed House | pass | 81 | 12 | | | 2025-03-17 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 37 | 9 | | ## Actions (18) - 2025-05-19: Signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2025-05-19: Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2025-04-21: Message from House. (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Immediate message. (House) - 2025-04-17: Passed House, yeas 81, nays 12. (House) - 2025-04-17: Amendment H-1246, yeas 31, nays 61, filed, lost. (House) - 2025-04-17: Substituted for HF 641. (House) - 2025-04-03: Placed on calendar under unfinished business. (House) - 2025-03-18: Read first time, passed on file. (House) - 2025-03-17: Message from Senate. (House) - 2025-03-17: Immediate message. (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Passed Senate, yeas 37, nays 9. (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Amendment S-3008 adopted. (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Amendment S-3022 filed, adopted. (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Amendment S-3008 filed. (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Committee report, approving bill. (Senate) - 2025-02-13: Introduced, placed on calendar. (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/SF311.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF311.pdf) ## Related bills - HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly HSB 785.) Effective date: 10/02/20… (signed) - SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial authority, and budgets, by modifying property assessment provisions, divisions… (signed) - HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ballot issue campaigns by foreign nationals and investigations of election misconduc… (signed) - SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly SSB 3162.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Formerly SF 2317, SSB 3121.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed) - SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program. (Formerly SF 2176.) Vetoed 6-2-26. (vetoed) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/SF311.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF311.pdf) ## Related - [HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2801-2025-2026) - [SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2472-2025-2026) - [HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ball…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2601-2025-2026) - [SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2399-2025-2026) - [SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Former…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2471-2025-2026) - [SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or conc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2299-2025-2026) - [Iowa bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa/bills) - [Iowa state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF311-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-18).