HF2146 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to leaves of absence from civil public employment for members of the military.

Healthcare Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: GEARHART
Last action: 2026-01-21
Official status: Introduced, referred to State Government. H.J. 135 .
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about what happens after the initial 30-day period and how it affects irregular work schedules or time zones.

Military Leave for Public Employees

This bill changes the rules about leave of absence from civil public employment for members of the military, ensuring that each workday counts as one day towards the total allowed leave period.

What This Bill Does

Changes how leaves of absence are counted when a public employee is called to active duty, national guard duty, or other military service.
Requires that each workday taken as a leave counts as one day towards the total allowed leave period.
Applies these rules to members of the National Disaster Medical System who are activated for federal service.

Who It Names or Affects

Public employees in Iowa who are called to active duty, national guard duty, or other military service.
Members of the National Disaster Medical System activated for federal service.

Terms To Know

Civil public employment: Working for a government agency at the state, county, or city level.
National Disaster Medical System: A system that provides medical support during national disasters and emergencies.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens after the first 30 days of leave.
It is unclear how this will affect employees with irregular work schedules or those working in different time zones.

Bill History

2026-01-21 Iowa Legislature
Introduced, referred to State Government. H.J. 135 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to leaves of absence from civil public employment for members of the military.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

House

File

2146

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

2146

BY

GEARHART

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

leaves

of

absence

from

civil

public

1

employment

for

members

of

the

military.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

TLSB

5197YH

(2)

91

sc/ns

H.F.

2146

Section

1.

Section

29A.28,

subsection

1,

paragraph

b,

Code

1

2026,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

b.

Where

state

active

duty,

national

guard

duty,

federal

3

active

duty,

or

civil

air

patrol

duty

is

for

a

period

of

less

4

than

thirty

days,

a

leave

of

absence

under

this

section

shall

5

only

be

required

for

those

days

that

the

civil

employee

would

6

normally

perform

services

for

the

state,

subdivision

of

the

7

state,

or

a

municipality.

The

provisions

of

this

This

section

8

shall

also

apply

applies

to

a

leave

of

absence

by

a

member

9

of

the

national

disaster

medical

system

of

the

United

States

10

when

activated

for

federal

service

with

the

system.

If

the

11

workday

for

a

civil

employee

encompasses

a

continuous

period

12

of

up

to

twenty-four

consecutive

hours,

regardless

of

whether

13

the

workday

extends

into

one

or

two

calendar

days,

the

civil

14

employee

shall

only

be

required

to

take

a

leave

of

absence

for

15

one

day

for

that

workday

if

a

leave

of

absence

is

required

16

under

this

paragraph.

Each

workday,

regardless

of

the

number

17

of

hours

in

the

workday,

for

which

a

civil

employee

takes

a

18

leave

of

absence

under

this

section

shall

count

as

one

day

for

19

purposes

of

calculating

the

thirty

days

of

paid

leave

provided

20

under

this

section.

21

EXPLANATION

22

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

23

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

24

Under

current

law,

an

officer

or

employee

of

the

state,

a

25

subdivision

of

the

state,

or

a

municipality

is

entitled

to

a

26

leave

of

absence

for

state

active

duty,

national

guard

duty,

27

federal

active

duty,

or

civil

air

patrol

duty

without

loss

of

28

status

or

efficiency

rating,

and

without

loss

of

pay

during

29

the

first

30

days.

This

bill

specifies

that

each

workday,

30

regardless

of

the

number

of

hours

in

the

workday,

for

which

a

31

civil

employee

takes

a

leave

of

absence

shall

count

as

one

day

32

for

purposes

of

calculating

the

30

days

of

paid

leave.

33

-1-

LSB

5197YH

(2)

91

sc/ns

1/

1