91st General Assembly · Funnel one-pager · Monday, November 9, 2026
SF 372: Concerning eligibility for unemployment benefits
Died when the session ended · The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died.
What it does
This bill relates to unemployment benefits. Under current law, the department of workforce development may establish by rule a process to waive or alter the work search requirements for a claim for benefits if an individual has a reasonable expectation that the individual will be returning to employment and is attached to a regular job or industry or a member in good standing of a union therein eligible for referral for employment. To be considered attached to a regular job or industry, an individual must be on a “short-term temporary layoff”, which is defined as a layoff period of weeks or less due to seasonal weather conditions that impact the ability to perform work related to highway construction, repair, or maintenance with a specific return-to-work date verified by the employer.
Sponsors
Sen. Molly Donahue (D), Sen. William A. Dotzler Jr. (D), Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott (D), Sen. Janet Petersen (D), Sen. Herman C. Quirmbach (D), Sen. Art Staed (D), Sen. Thomas Townsend (D), Sen. Zach Wahls (D), Sen. Janice Weiner (D)
Cost
No fiscal note
Senate subcommittee · named February 24, 2025
- Sen. Dawn Driscoll (R) · dawn.driscoll@legis.iowa.gov
- Sen. Kevin Alons (R) · kevin.alons@legis.iowa.gov
- Sen. Zach Wahls (D) · zach.wahls@legis.iowa.gov
Lobbying · 4 for, 0 against
For: AFSCME Council 61; Episcopal Diocese of Iowa; IBEW Iowa State Conference; Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
In plain words
- February 19, 2025Filed in the Senate and sent to the Workforce committee
- February 24, 2025Senate subcommittee named: Driscoll, Alons and Wahls
From public records at legis.iowa.gov, compiled by Funnel (iowafunnel.com), an independent, nonpartisan site. Current as of Monday, November 9, 2026. https://iowafunnel.com/bills/91/SF372