Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 20.6 (2026)

General powers and duties of board

✓ current as of July 2026

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The board shall: 1. Administer the provisions of this chapter and delegate the powers and duties of the board to persons employed by the board, as appropriate. 2. Collect, for public employers other than the state and its boards, commissions, departments, and agencies, data and conduct studies relating to wages, hours, benefits, and other terms and conditions of public employment and make the same available to any interested person or organization. 3. Establish minimum qualifications for arbitrators and mediators, establish procedures for appointing, maintaining, and removing from a list persons representative of the public to be available to serve as arbitrators and mediators, and establish compensation rates for arbitrators and mediators. 4. Hold hearings and administer oaths, examine witnesses and documents, take testimony and receive evidence, issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of records, and delegate such power to a member of the board, persons appointed or employed by the board, including administrative law judges, or administrative law judges employed by the division of administrative hearings created by section 10A.801, for the performance of its functions. The board may petition the district court at the seat of government or of the county where a hearing is held to enforce a board order compelling the attendance of witnesses and production of records. 5. Adopt rules in accordance with the provisions of chapter 17A as it may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter. 6. Appoint a certified shorthand reporter to report state employee grievance and discipline resolution proceedings pursuant to section 8A.415 and fix a reasonable amount of compensation for such service and for any transcript requested by the board, which amounts shall be taxed as other costs. 7. Contract with a vendor as the board may deem necessary to conduct elections required by section 20.15 on behalf of the board. The board shall establish fees by rule pursuant to chapter 17A to cover the cost of elections required by section 20.15. Such fees shall be paid in advance of an election and shall be paid by each employee organization listed on the ballot. [C75, 77, 79, 81, §20.6] 88 Acts, ch 1109, §5; 91 Acts, ch 174, §1; 98 Acts, ch 1202, §28, 46; 2010 Acts, ch 1165, §6; 2017 Acts, ch 2, §2, 3, 26, 27; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §2158; 2024 Acts, ch 1170, §173 Referred to in §20.33 Personnel appeals, see §8A.415 Appeals of adverse employment actions against whistleblowers, see §70A.28\n\nTue Dec 09 22:32:26 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Chapter 20 (35, 0) 5 PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS (COLLECTIVE BARGAINING), §20.9

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 22 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1979–2024 · leading case: Serv. Employees Int'l Union, Local 199 v. State of Iowa, Iowa Bd. of Regents, 928 N.W.2d 69 (Iowa 2019).

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Serv. Employees Int'l Union, Local 199 v. State of Iowa, Iowa Bd. of Regents, 928 N.W.2d 69 (Iowa 2019). · cites it 38× “5(3) and properly granted summary judgment dismissing SEIU’s action to enforce a contract the Board never voted to approve.”

United Elec., Radio & Mach. Workers of Am. v. Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd. & State of Iowa & Bd. of Regents, 928 N.W.2d 101 (Iowa 2019). · cites it 11× “1165, § 6 (codified at Iowa Code § 20.6 (1) (2011)). When a provision of law vests interpretive discretion in an agency, the court may reverse only if the agency's interpretation was "irrational, illogical, or wholly unjustifiable.”

AFSCME Iowa Council 61 v. State of Iowa & Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 928 N.W.2d 21 (Iowa 2019). · cites it 4× “2 Iowa Code §§ 20.6 , .9, .10 (2017). PERA permitted, but did not require, public employees to join a public employee organization (union).”

Afscme Iowa Council 61 v. Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 846 N.W.2d 873 (Iowa 2014). · cites it 8× “1165, § 6 (codified at Iowa Code § 20.6 (1) (2011)). We reaffirmed a two-pronged test for ascertaining whether a proposal is a mandatory or permissive subject of bargaining.”

UE Local 893/IUP v. State of Iowa, 928 N.W.2d 51 (Iowa 2019). · cites it 2× “Iowa Code § 20.6 (5). We do not believe PERB's rules on contract ratification define or narrow the court's subject matter jurisdiction .”

State v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 744 N.W.2d 357 (Iowa 2008). · cites it 3× “Section 20.6 provides further detail for the duties and powers of PERB, requiring the board to administer the provisions of ehap-ter 20, collect data, establish minimum qualifications for arbitrators and mediators and their compensation, hold hearings, and adopt rules “to carry…”

City of Des Moines v. Des Moines Police Bargaining Unit Ass'n, 360 N.W.2d 729 (Iowa 1985). · cites it 2× “See § 20.6(4). The issue here is exactly like those routinely decided by the board as negotiability disputes.”

Clay Cnty. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 784 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2010). · cites it 2× “Iowa Code § 20.6 . The legislature has not *5 given the board the explicit authority to interpret the PERA.”

Polk Cnty. Secondary Roads v. Iowa Civil Rights Comm'n, 468 N.W.2d 811 (Iowa 1991). · cites it 2× “Iowa Code § 20.6 (1). Pursuant to section 17A.”

Maquoketa Valley Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Maquoketa Valley Educ. Ass'n, 279 N.W.2d 510 (Iowa 1979). · cites it 2× “See § 20.6(5); 660 I.A.C. § 7.5(8). We have considered other arguments urged by the parties.”

Vasquez v. LeMars Mut. Ins. Co., 477 N.W.2d 404 (Iowa 1991). “Widiss, Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance, § 20.6, at 131 (2d ed. 1990) (emphasis added).”

Fort Dodge Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 855 N.W.2d 733 (Iowa Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 4× “See Iowa Code § 20.6 (1). “Because the legislature has now expressly vested PERB with discretion to interpret and apply chapter 20, we will review *737 PERB’s interpretation and application of section 20.”

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— Iowa Code § 20.6(1) — 2 cases

United Elec., Radio & Mach. Workers of Am. v. Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd. & State of Iowa & Bd. of Regents, 928 N.W.2d 101 (Iowa 2019). “1165, § 6 (codified at Iowa Code § 20.6 (1) (2011)). When a provision of law vests interpretive discretion in an agency, the court may reverse only if the agency's interpretation was "irrational, illogical, or wholly unjustifiable.”

Sandry v. Iowa Pub. Emp. Relations Bd. (Iowa Ct. App. 2024).

— Iowa Code § 20.6(4) — 1 case

City of Des Moines v. Des Moines Police Bargaining Unit Ass'n, 360 N.W.2d 729 (Iowa 1985). “See § 20.6(4). The issue here is exactly like those routinely decided by the board as negotiability disputes.”

— Iowa Code § 20.6(5) — 3 cases

Serv. Employees Int'l Union, Local 199 v. State of Iowa, Iowa Bd. of Regents, 928 N.W.2d 69 (Iowa 2019). “5(3) and properly granted summary judgment dismissing SEIU’s action to enforce a contract the Board never voted to approve.”

Maquoketa Valley Cmty. Sch. Dist. v. Maquoketa Valley Educ. Ass'n, 279 N.W.2d 510 (Iowa 1979). “See § 20.6(5); 660 I.A.C. § 7.5(8). We have considered other arguments urged by the parties.”

Greater Cmty. Hosp. v. Pub. Emp. Relations Bd., 553 N.W.2d 869 (Iowa 1996).

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