Iowa Paid Leave Local Preemption Provisions

Iowa's 2017 employment preemption law, codified at Iowa Code sections 331.301(6) and 364.3(12), prohibits political subdivisions from establishing terms and conditions of employment requiring private employers to provide paid or unpaid leave, sick days, or other employee benefits exceeding state or federal requirements. Iowa has no state mandate for private-sector paid sick leave. Federal FMLA unpaid leave rules continue to apply. Local governments may still set paid leave policies for their own public employees.

Local paid leave mandates on private employers are void and unenforceable under Iowa preemption law.