Iowa Code §331.304 preempts local minimum wage laws statewide; the 2017 HF 295 retroactively voided the Polk County and Des Moines wage increases, leaving the federal $7.25 floor in effect.
Iowa minimum wage is tied to the federal $7.25 per hour floor. In 2015 and 2016, Polk County passed a phased $10.75 minimum wage that applied to Des Moines, and Linn, Johnson, and Wapello Counties followed. In March 2017, the Iowa Legislature passed HF 295, signed by Governor Branstad, which retroactively preempted all local minimum-wage ordinances under IA Code §331.304. The law voided existing county increases and bars any city from setting a local floor. Tipped wage stays at $4.35 with tip credit. Federal Fair Labor Standards Act exemptions apply normally.
No local enforcement is possible; wage-and-hour complaints go to Iowa Workforce Development or the federal U.S. Department of Labor for FLSA enforcement.
See how Des Moines's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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