Opinion ID: 1279582
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Should district court have stayed the prohibited practice contested case pending before the agency?

Text: District court overruled PERB's motion to dissolve the order staying agency action in Teamsters' prohibited practice contested case. This ruling of course must be viewed in the context of the court's simultaneously expressed intent to proceed with an evidentiary hearing on the merits of the county's declaratory ruling petition. Section 17A.19(5) provides: The filing of the petition for review does not itself stay execution or enforcement of any agency action. Upon application the agency or the reviewing court may, in appropriate cases, order such a stay pending the outcome of the judicial review proceedings. PERB asserts this is not an appropriate case because the prohibited practice proceeding is collateral and not yet subject to judicial review. But section 17A.19(5) refers to any agency action. It does not limit injunctive authority to the agency action being reviewed. The comparable provision in the Model State Administrative Procedure Act refers to  the agency decision. See Model State Administrative Procedure Act § 15(c) (rev. 1961) reprinted in 13 Uniform Laws Annotated at 402 (1979 Supp.) (emphasis added). We believe the legislature's departure from the model act language is significant. Salsbury Laboratories v. DEQ, 276 N.W.2d 830, 834 (Iowa 1979). PERB also contends the four-part test forged in federal decisions should be imposed by a court or agency faced with a section 17A.19(5) stay request. This test was framed in Virginia Petroleum Jobbers Association v. FPC, 104 U.S.App.D.C. 106, 110, 259 F.2d 921, 925 (1958): [1] Has the petitioner made a strong showing that it is likely to prevail on the merits of its appeal?. . . [2] Has the petitioner shown that without such relief, it will be irreparably injured? . . . [3] Would the issuance of a stay substantially harm other parties interested in the proceedings? . . . [4] Where lies the public interest? See also Middlewest Motor Freight Bureau v. United States, 433 F.2d 212, 241-42 (8th Cir. 1970), cert. denied, 402 U.S. 999, 91 S.Ct. 2169, 29 L.Ed.2d 165 (1971); Hamlin Testing Laboratories, Inc. v. United States Atomic Energy Commission, 337 F.2d 221, 222 (6th Cir. 1964); Associated Securities Corp. v. SEC, 283 F.2d 773, 774-75 (10th Cir. 1960); Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Co. v. United States, 259 F.Supp. 964, 971-72 (S.D.N.Y.1966), rev'd on other grounds sub nom. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad v. United States, 386 U.S. 372, 87 S.Ct. 1100, 18 L.Ed.2d 159 (1967). The test has been adopted or referenced by several jurisdictions construing state administrative procedure acts. See Waterbury Hospital v. Commission on Hospitals & Health Care, 30 Conn.Supp. 352, 316 A.2d 787 (C.P.1974); Division of Administration v. Department of Civil Service, 345 So.2d 67 (La.App.1976); Broadway Christian Church v. Republican Steel Corp., 50 Ohio App.2d 98, 102, 361 N.E.2d 1090, 1093 (1976); Von Weidlein International, Inc. v. Young, 16 Or.App. 81, 87-88, 515 P.2d 936, 937 (1973); Narragansett Electric Co. v. Harsch, 117 R.I. 940, 942, 367 A.2d 195, 197 (1976); In re Allied Power & Light Co., 132 Vt. 554, 556, 326 A.2d 160, 162 (1974). However, provisions of the federal stay statute are different and include the requirement the stay must be necessary to prevent irreparable injury. 5 U.S.C. § 705 (1970). The federal test should not, in our view, be imposed to control absolutely the determination of a stay motion in Iowa. At the same time, the four inquiries of Virginia Jobbers lend themselves as logical considerations which district courts and agencies may use in determining whether a stay is appropriate. We do not agree with PERB's assertion that district court was without authority to stay the contested case because it was collateral to the proceedings on appeal. We are convinced, however, that the stay was based on trial court's erroneous perception it could make the findings and conclusions requested in the county's declaratory ruling petition. Upon remand trial court shall release the stay. Of course, the county may file a subsequent motion to stay. In that event district court shall rule on it in light of its narrowed review in this case. It may apply as guidelines the inquiries of the federal test and other considerations it finds applicable.