Iowa Pseudoephedrine Control Law, March 22, 2005

This law is intended to reduce the number of hazardous methamphetamine labs in Iowa, by controlling meth cooks’ access to the key meth-making ingredient: pseudoephedrine. In 2004, Iowa law enforcement agencies responded to a record 1,472 meth lab incidents. Below, please find links to: Senate File 169 (Iowa’s pseudoephedrine control law); an Iowa meth fact sheet; a brief overview of the law; and general compliance guidelines for consumers, pharmacies, retailers and law enforcement. Most provisions of this law, pertaining to pseudoephedrine sales, are effective May 21, 2005. However, two other provisions were effective immediately—March 22, 2005—upon the Governor’s signing of this measure into law: (1) removal of exceptions on the Schedule V Controlled Substance status for ephedrine [all ephedrine products now may only be sold in licensed pharmacies…no retail sales of ephedrine permitted]; and (2) addition of a requirement that bailable defendants charged with manufacture, delivery, possession with the intent to deliver, or distribution of methamphetamine, shall, in addition to a substance abuse evaluation, remain under supervision and be required to undergo random drug tests as a condition of release.

Law Enforcement Careers with Motor Vehicle Enforcement, October 17, 2008

A motor vehicle officer is peace officer whose primary duty it is to enforce all state and federal regulation that apply to commercial vehicles travels Iowa's roadways.

Report on the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy for the year ended June 30, 2011

Report on the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy for the year ended June 30, 2011

Evaluation of the RapidAir 457 Air Void Analyzer, March 2012

An adequate air void system is imperative to produce concrete with freeze-thaw durability in a wet freeze environment such as found in Iowa. Specifications rely on a percentage of air obtained in the plastic state by the pressure meter. Actual, in place air contents, of some concrete pavements in Iowa, have been found with reduced air content due to a number of factors such as excessive vibration and inadequate mixing. Determining hardened air void parameters is a time consuming process involving potential for human error. The RapidAir 457 air void analyzer is an automated device used to determine hardened air void parameters. The device is used in Europe and has been shown to quickly produce accurate and repeatable hardened air results. This research investigates how well the RapidAir 457 results correlate to plastic air content and the image analysis air technique. The repeatability and operator variation were also investigated, as well as, the impact of aggregate porosity and selection of threshold value on hardened air results.

Harassment in Education: It's Against the Law, 2011

Harassment is illegal in all areas protected by Iowa Code Chapter 216. This includes education, employment, public accommodations, credit and housing. Acts of harassment take place every day in schools across the country. Frequently these acts, even if reported to administration, are dismissed as harmless, as "kids will be kids," or as "no big deal." Many people do not realize that harassment that interferes with a person's educational progress is illegal, just as it is illegal in the workplace.

What the Law Requires Accessible Multi-family Housing in Iowa, Janaury 2001

For people with disabilities, however, housing options have been limited. Today, state and federal laws are changing this. Who will benefit? All of us. For “accessibility” is an issue that, at one time or another, affects us all. This is true whether _ temporarily or permanently _ we use wheelchairs, need grab bars, cannot climb stairs, require easy-to-reach shelves, or rely on easy-to-navigate living spaces. The primary purpose of accessible housing law is to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities, but the end result is a living environment that is more usable for everyone. For example, both the very young and the very old will find an accessible dwelling more comfortable. People with temporary limitations due to injury or illness will find it easier to live in. Such a home will be more welcoming to guests with disabilities.

Sexual Orientation Gender Indentity, and Iowa's Safe Schools Law, 2007

Another recently enacted law is the Iowa Safe Schools Law. Effective September 1, 2007, Iowa Code Chapter 280 requires both public and private schools to establish policies prohibiting harassment and bullying against students by employees, school volunteers, or other students. Sexual Orientation and Gender identity are covered under the Safe Schools Law. Students may now seek remedies under both Chapter 216 and Chapter 280.

Sexual Orientation & Gender Indentity: A Housing Provider’s Guide to Iowa Law Compliance, 2007

Effective July 1, 2007, the Iowa Civil Rights Act (Iowa Code Chapter 216) was expanded to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes. It is now ILLEGAL in Iowa to discriminate against a person because of his/her sexual orientation or gender identity.

Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity: A Public Accommodations Provider’s Guide to Iowa Law, 2007

Effective July 1, 2007, the Iowa Civil Rights Act (Iowa Code Chapter 216) was expanded to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes. It is now ILLEGAL in Iowa to discriminate against a person because of his/her sexual orientation or gender identity.

School Bus Safety Study: Kadyn’s Law, December 2012

In 2012, the Iowa legislature passed a bill for an act relating to school bus safety, including providing penalties for failure to obey school bus warning lamps and stop signal arms, providing for a school bus safety study and administrative remedies, and making an appropriation. The bill, referred to as Iowa Senate File (SF) 2218 or “Kadyn’s Law,” became effective March 16, 2012. A multiagency committee addressed three specific safety study elements of Kadyn’s Law as follows: * Use of cameras mounted on school buses to enhance the safety of children riding the buses and aid in enforcement of motor vehicle laws pertaining to stop-arm violations * Feasibility of requiring school children to be picked up and dropped off on the side of the road on which their home is located * Inclusion of school bus safety as a priority in driver training curriculum This report summarizes the findings for each of these topics.

Concrete Pavement Mixture Design and Analysis (MDA): Assessment of Air Void System Requirements for Durable Concrete, TPF-5(205), 2012

Concrete will suffer frost damage when saturated and subjected to freezing temperatures. Frost-durable concrete can be produced if a specialized surfactant, also known as an air-entraining admixture (AEA), is added during mixing to stabilize microscopic air voids. Small and well-dispersed air voids are critical to produce frost-resistant concrete. Work completed by Klieger in 1952 found the minimum volume of air required to consistently ensure frost durability in a concrete mixture subjected to rapid freezing and thawing cycles. He suggested that frost durability was provided if 18 percent air was created in the paste. This is the basis of current practice despite the tests being conducted on materials that are no longer available using tests that are different from those in use today. Based on the data presented, it was found that a minimum air content of 3.5 percent in the concrete and 11.0 percent in the paste should yield concrete durable in the ASTM C 666 with modern AEAs and low or no lignosulfonate water reducers (WRs). Limited data suggests that mixtures with a higher dosage of lignosulfonate will need about 1 percent more air in the concrete or 3 percent more air in the paste for the materials and procedures used. A spacing factor of 0.008 in. was still found to be necessary to provide frost durability for the mixtures investigated.

Report on the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy for the year ended June 30, 2012

Report on the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy for the year ended June 30, 2012

How a Bill Becomes a Law, September 18, 2008

A legislative bill is a written proposal for a law. Ideas for bills come from many sources: a legislator’s constituents, businesses, government agencies, professional associations, interest groups and other state legislatures. When a legislator recognizes or is made aware of a problem which could be pursued through legislation, that idea is put into the form of a bill. In Iowa, only legislators are able to sponsor and introduce bills. Bills may be sponsored by a Senator or Representative, or by a Senate or House committee. All bills must be approved by both the Senate and the House before being sent to the Governor for final approval. When a bill is introduced by members of a legislative chamber, it must follow a process and, if passed, be sent to members in the other legislative chamber where this process is repeated. The bill and its language must be in identical form from both chambers before being sent to the Governor.

How An Idea Becomes a Law, 2008

A flow chart of how an idea becomes a law.