A bill for an act relating to retention and recertification elections for public employee collective bargaining units and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1172 .) Applicability date: 05/19/2026.

STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
May 19,2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
Senate File 472, an Act relating to retention and recertification elections for public
employee collective bargaining units and including effective date and applicability
provisions.
The above Senate File is hereby approved on this date.
Siricerely,
KimReynol
Go'^^fhor of
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
PftZi n.nuT
WILL UAIHTAJ
•BSSSSSli'
imuiii!!
GKN KRAI. ASSI.MBI.YiitiiuimHHiuiiiiiiiHnnuiiiiuiiiHiuRiinniiiiniimiiiiimmumagnnuiiiiuiiiiiHiinimiiiBDiiiiiniBHniiiiflinnDBiiHiiiiiiniiiiiiiuinisiiniininiiiiiuniiBmm
Senate File 472
AN ACT
RELATING TO RETENTION AND RECERTIFICATION ELECTIONS FOR PUBLIC
EMPLOYEE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNITS AND INCLUDING EFFECTIVE
DATE AND APPLICABILITY PROVISIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 20.15, subsection 2, paragraph a. Code
2025, is amended to read as follows:
(1) The board shall conduct an election to retain and
recertify the bargaining representative of a bargaining unit
prior to the expiration of the bargaining unit's collective
bargaining agreement. The question on the ballot shall be
whether the bargaining representative of the public employees
in the bargaining unit shall be retained and recertified as
the bargaining representative of the public employees in the
bargaining unit.
(2) (a) For collective bargaining agreements with a June
30 expiration date, the election shall occur between June 1
and November 1, both dates included, in the year prior to that
expiration date.
(b) For collective bargaining agreements with a different
an expiration date different than the one specified in
subparagraph division (a), the election shall occur between
three hundred sixty-five and two hundred seventy days prior to
the expiration date.
(3) Prior to conducting an election under this paragraph,
the board shall issue a written notice of intent to conduct
Senate Pile 472, p. 2
an election to the public employer and the bargaining
representative. The public employer, after receiving such
notice, shall submit to the board a list of employees in the
bargaining unit within ten days. The board shall utilize the
submitted list to determine the employees eligible to vote
in the election and the outcome of the election as provided
in paragraph The board shall establish procedures for
filing an objection to the board concerning a notice of intent
to conduct an election or a list of employees in a bargaining
unit.
(4) Upon the conclusion of the ten-day period for a public
employer to submit a list of employees in a bargaining unit
to the board as required by subparagraph (3), the board shall
publish on its internet site a list of public employers to
which a notice of intent to conduct an election has been
issued as provided in subparagraph (3), but the election has
not yet been conducted by the board. The list shall specify
any public employers on the list that have failed to submit
a list of employees to the board as required by subparagraph
(3), The board's list shall also include the date on which it
was initially published. The board shall update the list if a
public employer subsequently submits a list of employees to the
board.
(5) (a) It shall be unlawful for any public employer to
fail to submit a list of employees to the board as required by
subparagraph (3).
(b) Within sixty days of the board's initial publication
of a list of public employers pursuant to subparagraph (4), a
resident of Iowa may petition the district court within the
jurisdictional boundaries of a public employer or the district
court for Polk county for a writ of mandamus to compel the
public employer to provide the list to the board as required by
subparagraph (3). The individual need not show that failure
by the public employer to submit a list of employees to the
board as required by subparagraph (3) has caused or will cause
injury to the individual. The court shall expedite resolution
of such an action and shall grant such a writ if it appears to
the court that the public employer has failed to submit a list
of employees to the board as required by subparagraph (3).
Senate File 472, p. 3
(c) The court shall award court costs, reasonable attorney
fees, and any other relief the court determines is appropriate
to the prevailing party in such an action.
(6) The board shall extend the timelines established in or
implementing subparagraph (2) as needed to allow for resolution
of the petition and any resulting appeals. The board may
also reschedule an election originally scheduled as provided
in subparagraph (2), subparagraph division (a), for the next
election period provided in subparagraph (2), subparagraph
division (b), or vice versa, if necessary to allow for such
resolution.
(7) The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter
17A establishing procedures and timelines applicable to
this subsection, including but not limited to procedures
for extending the timelines established in or implementing
subparagraph (2) as described in subparagraph (6).
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate
importance, takes effect upon enactment.
Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to a retention and
recertification election under section 20.15, subsection 2, for
which the date of issuance of a notice of intent to conduct an
election by the employment appeal board occurs on or after the
effective date of this Act.
AMY SINCLAIR PAT GRASSLE3
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and
is known as Senate File 472, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved!' , 2026
W. CHARLES SMITHSON
the Senate
KIM\EYNOLD
Governor