HF 558 – Minimum age for amusement ride attendants
HF 588 establishes a minimum age and training requirements for attendants who control amusement rides. Under this bill, an attendant who controls rider restraints or the operation, starting, stopping or speed of an amusement ride must be at least 16. A person must complete training prior to working as an attendant at a carnival or fair.
A person who violates any order or rule issued by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to state law governing inspection of amusement rides is guilty of a serious misdemeanor. While this new law does not change child labor code sections, it appears to conflict with Iowa Code 92.8(6), Child Labor Law. As passed originally, changes in the bill were effective July 1, 2021. Senate File 615 (Standings) made changes in the bill effective upon enactment and retroactively to April 30, 2021. [Senate 4/7: 29-15 (Yes: Republicans, Bisignano, Kinney; Excused: Hogg, Brown, Carlin, Dawson, Nunn, Schultz); House 2/23: 76-17; Gov signed 4/30]
HF 559—Apprenticeship Program Changes (15B)
HF 559 makes changes to Iowa’s Apprenticeship Program in Iowa Code 15B. The program provides for training grants awarded to apprenticeship sponsors to conduct and maintain an apprenticeship program. Prior to these changes, Code required the grant amount to be based on a formula for “contact hours” and the number of apprentices. The bill changes the formula by just calculating the number of apprentices.
The bill then provides for an overall eligibility requirement for contact hours. The bill adds a new definition of contact hours: “in-person instruction received by an apprentice participating an apprenticeship program.” At least 100 contact hours per apprentice are required for each training year. The contact hours definition no longer includes online training. The bill applies to applications for financial assistance on or after July 1, 2021. [Senate 3/22: 48-0 (Excused: Kinney, Nunn); House 2/23: 93-0; Gov signed 4/12]
Labor-and-Business-Relations-All-bill-Summary-2021