A law that requires the state to inspect Iowa hotels every other year would be repealed under a bill that is headed to the governor’s desk.
Republicans in the Iowa Senate gave the bill final legislative approval Tuesday, sending it to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk for her signature.
The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (DIAL) proposed the bill.
At a budget hearing last month, DIAL Director Larry Johnson told lawmakers that staff who have been with the department for 15 years do not recall a time when the agency did biennial hotel inspections. He said inspections have been conducted based on complaints.
“And so I thought it was important to bring this policy bill just because it’s never been done,” Johnson said. “And so we just want—with the resources we have, we’ve focused it on the higher-risk restaurants and other establishments.”
The bill would only require the state to inspect hotels when a hotel guest submits a complaint. It would also require hotel management to “afford free access to every part of the premises and render all aid and assistance necessary to enable the inspector to make a thorough and complete inspection.”
Democrats opposed the bill. They said letting unsanitary hotels and bed bug outbreaks go unchecked will hurt Iowa’s efforts to attract more people to the state.
Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, said after staying in a very dirty hotel room in southeast Iowa, he thinks lawmakers should instead consider funding more hotel inspectors.
“I got to my room, I pulled the covers back on the bed, and the bed had hairs all over the sheets. I mean, talk about giving you the willies,” he said. “So then I went to the restroom, and that was clear that that hadn’t been cleaned. There was soap scum on the sink, and the shower had a silverfish running across the floor.”
Dotzler said at a different hotel, his foot went through the floor near a hot tub.
“We want to sell Iowa as a great place to live, visit, and enjoy yourself,” he said. “And so this bill just smacks against all that.”
Sen. Carrie Koelker, R-Dyersville, said hotels are also inspected by the hotel chains they’re affiliated with. She said state inspections of hotels are already done on a complaint basis.
“Customer complaints are sufficient and more frequent,” Koelker said. “We need to have our hotels step up and take responsibility for their reputation, their bed bug problems, their own communities.”
She said as someone who works in the tourism industry, she would not support a bill that would damage Iowa’s reputation among visitors.
Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, said even the best hotels can have bed bug problems, and regular inspections can help detect them before many guests are affected.
“You want people to come to Iowa. We advertise to come to Iowa. Let’s protect them,” he said. “Let’s have a nice face. And let’s oppose this bill, and make [DIAL] do the job that this legislature assigned to them.”
The bill passed the Senate with a 32-17 vote. One Republican, Sen. Rocky De Witt of Lawton, joined all Democrats in voting against the bill.
