Read the full stored bill text
House
File
2588
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2588
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
LABOR
AND
WORKFORCE
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HF
2129)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
establishing
a
water
and
wastewater
operator
1
apprenticeship
and
work
release
pilot
program
for
inmates,
2
and
making
appropriations.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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5260HV
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2588
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
904.914
Water
and
wastewater
1
operator
apprenticeship
and
work
release
pilot
program.
2
1.
The
department,
in
coordination
with
the
Iowa
department
3
of
natural
resources
and
Iowa
workforce
development,
shall
4
establish
an
apprenticeship
and
work
release
pilot
program
for
5
inmates
to
train
and
work
as
certified
water
and
wastewater
6
operators
and
to
meet
all
of
the
following
goals:
7
a.
Address
the
shortage
of
qualified
water
and
wastewater
8
operators
in
the
state.
9
b.
Provide
inmates
with
meaningful
vocational
training,
work
10
experience,
and
a
pathway
to
post-release
employment.
11
c.
Promote
rehabilitation
and
reduce
recidivism.
12
2.
An
inmate
is
eligible
to
participate
in
the
program
if
13
the
inmate
meets
all
of
the
following
conditions:
14
a.
The
inmate
is
serving
a
sentence
for
a
nonviolent
15
offense.
16
b.
The
inmate
is
within
twenty-four
months
of
the
inmate’s
17
earliest
possible
release
date.
18
c.
The
inmate
has
participated
and
demonstrated
good
19
behavior
in
prison
programming.
20
d.
The
inmate
meets
the
minimum
qualifications
established
21
by
the
department
of
natural
resources
and
Iowa
workforce
22
development
for
apprentices
in
water
and
wastewater
operations.
23
e.
The
inmate
is
approved
by
the
department
and
the
board
of
24
parole
for
work
release.
25
3.
The
program
shall
include
all
of
the
following:
26
a.
Classroom
instruction
aligned
with
the
department
of
27
natural
resources
certified
water
and
wastewater
operator
28
curriculum.
29
b.
On-the-job
training
with
participating
municipalities
or
30
utilities
through
registered
apprenticeships.
31
c.
Supervised
work
release
placements
to
perform
operator
32
duties
in
a
real-world
setting.
33
d.
Assistance
with
certification
exams
and
job
placement
34
upon
release.
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2588
4.
The
department
of
natural
resources
shall
ensure
1
that
training
and
experience
obtained
through
participation
2
in
the
program
qualifies
toward
the
requirements
for
state
3
certification
as
a
water
or
wastewater
operator.
4
5.
The
department
shall
collaborate
with
the
following:
5
a.
Municipalities
and
rural
water
utilities.
6
b.
Community
colleges
and
certified
apprenticeship
sponsors.
7
c.
The
department
of
natural
resources
and
Iowa
workforce
8
development
for
technical
guidance
and
support.
9
d.
Employers
willing
to
hire
former
inmates
upon
release.
10
6.
The
department
shall
submit
an
annual
report
to
the
11
general
assembly
by
January
15,
2027,
and
by
January
15
12
each
year
thereafter,
that
includes
inmate
participation,
13
certification
rates,
employment
outcomes,
and
recidivism
14
statistics
for
program
participants.
15
7.
Employers
participating
in
the
program
in
good
16
faith
shall
be
afforded
the
same
liability
protections
17
as
those
currently
existing
for
work
release
programs
and
18
apprenticeships.
19
8.
This
section
is
repealed
January
16,
2029.
20
Sec.
2.
DEPARTMENT
OF
CORRECTIONS
——
WATER
AND
WASTEWATER
21
OPERATOR
APPRENTICESHIP
AND
WORK
RELEASE
PILOT
PROGRAM
——
22
APPROPRIATION.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
23
the
state
to
the
department
of
corrections
for
the
fiscal
year
24
beginning
July
1,
2026,
and
ending
June
30,
2027,
the
following
25
amount,
or
so
much
thereof
as
is
necessary,
to
be
used
for
the
26
purposes
designated:
27
For
the
purpose
of
implementing
and
administering
the
water
28
and
wastewater
operator
apprenticeship
and
work
release
pilot
29
program
established
in
section
904.914,
as
enacted
by
this
Act:
30
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
$
500,000
31
EXPLANATION
32
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
33
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
34
This
bill
establishes
a
water
and
wastewater
operator
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2588
apprenticeship
and
work
release
pilot
program
for
inmates.
1
The
bill
provides
that
the
department
of
corrections
2
(department),
in
coordination
with
the
Iowa
department
of
3
natural
resources
(DNR)
and
Iowa
workforce
development
(IWD),
4
shall
establish
an
apprenticeship
and
work
release
pilot
5
program
for
inmates
to
train
and
work
as
certified
water
and
6
wastewater
operators
and
to
address
the
shortage
of
qualified
7
water
and
wastewater
operators
in
the
state;
provide
inmates
8
with
meaningful
vocational
training,
work
experience,
and
a
9
pathway
to
post-release
employment;
and
promote
rehabilitation
10
and
reduce
recidivism.
11
The
bill
provides
that
an
inmate
is
eligible
to
participate
12
in
the
program
if
the
inmate:
is
serving
a
sentence
for
13
a
nonviolent
offense;
is
within
24
months
of
the
inmate’s
14
earliest
possible
release
date;
has
participated
and
15
demonstrated
good
behavior
in
prison
programming;
meets
16
the
minimum
qualifications
established
by
DNR
and
IWD
for
17
apprentices
in
water
and
wastewater
operations;
and
is
approved
18
by
the
department
and
the
board
of
parole
for
work
release.
19
The
bill
provides
that
the
program
will
include
classroom
20
instruction,
on-the-job
training,
supervised
work
release
21
placements,
and
assistance
with
certification
exams
and
job
22
placement.
DNR
must
ensure
that
training
and
experience
23
obtained
through
participation
in
the
program
qualifies
24
toward
the
requirements
for
state
certification
as
a
water
or
25
wastewater
operator.
The
department
shall
collaborate
with
26
municipalities
and
rural
water
utilities,
community
colleges
27
and
certified
apprenticeship
sponsors,
DNR,
IWD,
and
employers
28
willing
to
hire
former
inmates
upon
release.
29
The
bill
requires
the
department
to
submit
an
annual
report
30
to
the
general
assembly
by
January
15,
2027,
and
by
January
31
15
each
year
thereafter,
that
includes
inmate
participation,
32
certification
rates,
employment
outcomes,
and
recidivism
33
statistics
for
program
participants.
34
The
bill
appropriates
$500,000
from
the
general
fund
of
the
35
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H.F.
2588
state
to
the
department
of
corrections,
for
FY
2026-2027,
to
1
implement
and
administer
the
program.
2
The
pilot
program
is
repealed
January
16,
2029.
3
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4