2025 Legislative Session Bill Summaries
HF 167—Grooming Behavior Definition: This bill amends the definition of grooming behavior by licensed school employees to: “The process of building trust and emotional connections with a student with the intent to exploit such student.”
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. The current definition was adopted last year, so we don’t see a need to change it so quickly; however, the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) would prefer this definition. The bill passed the House Education Committee and was moved to the unfinished business calendar in order to keep it alive past the second funnel deadline.
HF 189—Nonpublic School Student Extracurricular Participation: This bill requires public schools to allow resident nonpublic school students to take part in extracurricular activities not provided at the nonpublic school. Additionally, nonpublic school students will be allowed to take part at a contiguous school district if their resident district does not provide the activity. The bill also says enrollment counts for classification purposes will count the students from the nonpublic school as 25% of the school’s enrollment in grades 9-11.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we want districts to be able to make a local decision on sharing and providing extracurricular opportunities to nonpublic school students in their area. The bill passed the House by a vote of 63-33 and passed the Senate Education Committee.
HF 259/SF 388—Public Notice Requirements: This bill requires school boards to post meeting notices on their website in addition to posting in a physical location that is always visible, such as on a door or outdoor bulletin board. Additionally, it requires boards to post an amended agenda if changes are made and note what the changes are. It also requires boards to post a 24-hour cancellation notice unless there is a good cause making it impractical or impossible.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We think most districts are already posting notices on their website and the requirement is not overly burdensome. We have concerns about the 24-hour cancellation notice and ensuring boards don’t have to meet just to say the meeting is cancelled, which would be an inefficient use of resources. The bill passed the House by a vote of 94-1 and was moved to the unfinished business calendar in order to keep it alive past the second funnel deadline.
HF 299/SF 6—Immunization Exemptions: This bill requires school districts to post information about immunization exemptions on their website and provide the information in registration materials.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill because the requirements are reasonably easy for schools to meet. The bill passed the House by a vote of 58–30 and was moved to the unfinished business calendar in order to keep it alive past the second funnel deadline.
HF 315—Budget Guarantee for Districts Impacted by Natural Disaster: This bill would allow districts to remain on the budget guarantee for an additional year if they are in a declared natural disaster area.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We know districts that experience a natural disaster often have enrollment loss, and this will help mitigate those losses by providing continued funding. The bill passed the House by a vote of 88–1, the Senate Education Committee, and was referred to Ways and Means Committee.
HF 389—Student Abuse by School Employees: This bill was significantly amended by the House from its original form. It intends to move investigations of alleged student abuse by school employees to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Student abuse is defined in the bill as a nonaccidental injury suffered by the student as a result of actions or inaction by the employee, commission of a sexual offense, or an action by the employee that encourages a student to engage in prostitution.
HHS must notify the school district and the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) if they receive a complaint that constitutes an allegation of student abuse by a school employee. Districts must then place the employee on administrative leave and prohibit them from entering school property until the investigation is completed.
After receiving a complaint, HHS must:
Start an investigation within 24 hours
Complete the investigation within 30 business days
Upon completion, submit a report to the school district and the BOEE
HHS, in consultation with the Department of Education, will adopt rules to implement the bill, including investigation processes and procedures.
School districts must terminate an employee if an HHS investigation determines they committed student abuse. HHS and DE will develop a model policy for handling investigations.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We still have concerns about the feasibility of moving investigations of school employees to a different department, but we appreciate the improvements from the amendment to more narrowly define which cases will be investigated by HHS. The bill passed the House by a vote of 96-0 and was moved to the unfinished business calendar in order to keep it alive past the second funnel deadline.
HF 395—School Bus Driver Training Requirements: This bill allows entry-level driver training that meets the federal requirements to be accepted as long as the training includes passenger endorsement training and school bus endorsement training.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We hope this will offer some flexibility and make it simpler for bus drivers to meet the training requirements, so school districts can hire the drivers they need. The bill passed the House by a vote of 94-1 and passed the Senate Transportation Committee.
HF 517—Vacant School Building Demolition Grant Program: This bill would establish a fund to be used for demolition of vacant school buildings in towns with a population of less than 2,500.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. It is often more expensive to tear down a building than what the building is worth, so this helps smaller districts with that cost. The bill passed the House Economic Growth and Technology Committee and has been referred to the Appropriations Committee.
HF 579—Dropout Prevention Equity: This bill would allow districts that are capped below the 5% amount for dropout prevention funds to increase their percentage over time. Districts would be required to hold an election that would allow them to increase their dropout prevention by .5% each year, up to the 5% maximum.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. While this would not be our ideal solution to achieving equity in dropout prevention funds, it is a mechanism that does allow districts to increase their spending on dropout prevention. The bill passed the House by a vote of 92–4, passed the Senate Education Committee, and has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee
HF 623—Governor's Continuum of Care Proposal: This bill is the governor’s combination of childcare and preschool proposal. The bill creates a “community-based provider” that can participate in the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program. The funding will go directly to the provider, instead of through the school district like existing community partners. These community-based providers must adhere to all the same standards as a school district preschool, including the requirement to have a licensed teacher.
The bill also creates Child Care Continuum Partnership Grants, which will be grants awarded to partnerships between statewide voluntary preschool program providers and childcare centers. These grants are intended to create a full day of programming and care for children, which removes a barrier to attendance for working parents who can’t leave work to take their child from school to childcare in the middle of the day.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We would still prefer a plan that increases preschool funding through a 1.0 weighting for full-day programming, but this bill is a step in the right direction and offers more access to high-quality preschool. The bill passed both the House and Senate Education Committees and was moved to the unfinished business calendar in order to keep it alive past the second funnel deadline.
HF 768—Filing Complaints with IPIB: This bill extends the time someone can file a complaint about an open meeting or open records violation with the Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB) from 60 to 90 days.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. After hearing IPIB’s explanation that they hope to use the extra time to resolve cases informally, we feel more comfortable with the extended timeline. The bill passed the House State Government Committee, the Senate State Government Committee, and was moved to the unfinished business calendar in order to keep it alive past the second funnel deadline.
HF 787—TSS fixes, Out-of-State Placement Costs, Minimum Teacher Salaries, TeachIowa: This bill, proposed by the governor, offers some technical clean-up related to last year’s increase in the required minimum teacher salary. It removes the tier system and instead provides the exact amount of teacher salary supplement (TSS) to districts that is required to meet the statutory minimum salaries. It allows school districts to correct their BEDS data to accurately reflect teachers’ years of service, which could provide more TSS funding if teachers move to veteran status and require a higher salary.
The bill modifies when a school district of residence is required to pay out-of-state placement costs for a student. The district will only be responsible for the educational costs of the student, not the entire cost. Additionally, if the cost is more than what the district generates in special education weighting for the student, the Department of Education will cover the additional cost.
The bill clarifies that if a retired teacher returns to teach, they are only required to be paid $50,000, rather than the veteran teacher minimum. This ensures those teachers can continue to draw their IPERS while returning to teaching.
Finally, the bill restores the TeachIowa job posting site that was replaced by the IowaWORKS site several years ago.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We like all the commonsense fixes throughout the bill and appreciate that they were made as districts navigate the new teacher salary minimums. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0. A small technical amendment by the Senate sent the bill back to the House for their concurrence.
HF 835/SF 368—Mandatory Seizure Disorder Training: This bill would require training for school personnel related to seizure disorders. At least one person in every school building, starting July 1, 2025, would be required to administer medication to a student experiencing a seizure. A school nurse would meet this requirement. All school personnel, by December 31, 2026, would be required to receive training on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of seizure and steps for seizure first aid.
An amendment has been added to create a workgroup made up of people from both education and healthcare that would establish a schedule of mandatory training for school personnel. Additionally, any time there is a training someone wants added, the group will consider if it is necessary and how it would be added to the schedule of existing trainings.
IASB has been registered opposed to the bill because it increases the number of mandatory trainings for teachers; however, the amendment is a good compromise and something we have been pushing for several years. Now that the workgroup is added to the bill, we are in favor. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee and the House by a vote of 95-2.
HF 865—Bullying and Harassment Definition: This bill changes the definition of bullying and harassment by removing the words “based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student.” Bullying and harassment must be targeted and repeated behavior.
IASB is registered undecided. We’re not sure why the change is needed but think districts will still be able to protect students from bullying and harassment in all forms, even with the new definition. The bill passed the House by a vote of 64-33 and passed the Senate Education Committee.
HF 883—Feminine Hygiene Products in Schools: This bill requires districts to put feminine hygiene products in half of school bathrooms that serve students in grades 6-12. There is an appropriation to fund this mandate through the 27–28 school year.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. This is a need for students, and we appreciate that it’s a funded mandate. The bill passed the House Education Committee and was referred to House Appropriations.
HF 884—Allowing Chaplains in Schools: This bill would allow school districts to employ a chaplain to provide support and services to students. Districts cannot require the chaplain to have a license or certification issued by the BOEE. They will be required to undergo a background check. Districts cannot require students to utilize the chaplain’s support or services. A chaplain cannot serve in place of a school counselor.
IASB is registered against the bill. We don’t think we should allow anyone in our schools to work with students without proper licensure or certification from the Board of Educational Examiners. The bill passed the House by a vote of 57-39 and passed the Senate Education Committee.
HF 949—Duties of County Auditors: This bill makes changes to the duties and responsibilities of county auditors, including some of the duties auditors are required to perform on behalf of school districts, like apportioning property taxes to school districts, among other things.
IASB is registered against the bill because those auditor responsibilities must be performed and are listed in other areas of code relating to schools. There is a proposed amendment that will be added to the bill on the Senate floor that will remove the sections of the bill impacting school districts, which was our preference from the beginning. The bill passed the House by a vote of 61-32 and passed the Senate Local Government committee.
HF 1009—Paying for School Security Costs from Management Fund: This bill would allow school districts to use money from the management fund to pay for school security infrastructure, which could include weapons detection or door monitoring systems. The fund could also be used to pay for school resource officers or private security.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. This is another avenue for districts to be able to pay for school security, which is often expensive. The bill passed the House Ways and Means Committee.
SF 64—Budget Guarantee for Districts Impacted by Natural Disaster: This bill would allow districts to remain on the budget guarantee for an additional year if they are in a declared natural disaster area.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We know districts that experience a natural disaster often have enrollment loss, and this will help mitigate those losses by providing continued funding. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee and has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee.
SF 175—Human Growth and Development Curriculum Requirements: This bill would require school districts to provide instruction on fetal development with a video, ultrasound, or real images in grades 5-12. An amendment on the House floor requires that the instruction not be provided or produced by an entity that performs or promotes abortion.
IASB is registered opposed to the bill, as we are on all curriculum mandates. We are opposed to the process rather than the content. We think the legislature should develop broad requirements, like human growth and development, the State Board of Education then develops content standards and local school districts should be able to choose a curriculum to meet those standards. The bill passed the House by a vote of 60-31. It will be sent back to the Senate for their consideration on the amended version.
SF 176—Extracurricular Participation for Online Students: The bill allows students who are open enrolled to an online school to participate in their resident district’s extracurricular activities only if the online school does not offer them. The bill clarifies that these students can participate in two activities per semester.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we don’t see this having a large impact on districts. It passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0 and passed the House Education Committee.
SF 206—Use of Management Levy for Recruitment and Retention Incentives: This bill allows school boards to decide to use their management fund for teacher recruitment and retention incentives. The incentive cannot be more than 10% of the initial teacher salary and can only pay the incentives for five budget years. The board also must choose between using the fund for early retirement benefits or the recruitment and retention incentives.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. Addressing the staff shortage is a top priority for school districts, and this is a great opportunity for districts to attract and keep strong teachers. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee and was referred to the Senate Ways & Means Committee.
SF 273—Grooming Definition: This bill changes the definition of grooming again after changing it last year. The new definition now reads: “any pattern of behavior, which in light of all relevant circumstances, constitutes actions to entice or entrap a student with the intent to take advantage of such student for the benefit of the individual engaging in the pattern of behavior, including but not limited to by engaging in a sex act with the student.”
IASB is registered in support of the bill. The definition is clear while addressing the concerns of the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) that grooming was only applicable if it ended in a sex act. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 45-2 and was moved to the unfinished business calendar in order to keep it alive past the second funnel deadline.
SF 445—Governor's Continuum of Care Proposal: This bill is the governor’s combination of childcare and preschool proposal. The bill creates a “community-based provider” that can participate in the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program. The funding will go directly to the provider, instead of through the school district like existing community partners. These community-based providers must adhere to all the same standards as a school district preschool, including the requirement to have a licensed teacher.
The bill also creates Child Care Continuum Partnership Grants, which will be grants awarded to partnerships between statewide voluntary preschool program providers and childcare centers. These grants are intended to create a full day of programming and care for children, which removes a barrier to attendance for working parents who can’t leave work to take their child from school to childcare in the middle of the day. A Senate amendment pushed the implementation timeline back to the 2026-27 school year, to allow for more time to set up the partnerships.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We would still prefer a plan that increases preschool funding through a 1.0 weighting for full-day programming, but this bill is a step in the right direction and offers more access to high-quality preschool. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 33-14.
SF 510/HF 845—Elective Social Studies Courses in Religious Scripture: This bill would establish standards for elective social studies courses on religious scripture, specifically the Bible. It does not make this an offer and teach requirement, but rather allows a district to decide if they want to offer such a course. A recommendation could come from the district’s school improvement advisory committee.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate that it is a “may” instead of a requirement to offer this type of course, and we think if a study of one religion is allowed, we should be able to offer other religions, as well. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee and was moved to the unfinished business calendar in order to keep it alive past the second funnel deadline.
SF 525/HF 851—Nutrition Instruction, School Meals: This bill adds instruction on nutrition to the health curriculum for all grade levels that must emphasize the importance of animal- based protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables. Additionally, CTE courses in the agriculture strand must include instruction related to food production and the benefits of local sourcing. An amendment by the House pushes the implementation of this curriculum to July 1, 2026.
The bill also directs the Department of Education to request a waiver from the requirements of the national school lunch program to exempt Iowa from certain requirements for school lunch and breakfast, like sodium limits, whole grain requirements and fruit and vegetable variety. They would also seek permission to substitute or modify federal requirements for state-specific guidelines to align with Iowa’s dietary recommendations.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate a focus on student nutrition and teaching students the importance of a good diet, but we are concerned about the potential loss of federal funds for school food programs if a waiver is granted. The bill passed the House by a vote of 60-36 and was moved to the unfinished business calendar in order to keep it alive past the second funnel deadline.
Sent to the Governor
HF 190—State Assessment for Online Schools: This bill allows schools that provide education online to administer the statewide assessment online in the same way their students take all other tests.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. There are good guardrails, like proctors, around the bill that ensure integrity. The bill passed the House by a vote of 86-11 and passed the Senate by a vote of 44-2. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
HF 316—Career Exploration Curriculum & Industry-Recognized Credentials Recognition: This bill requires school districts to begin teaching career planning and pathways in grades 5 and 6. Additionally, it establishes a diploma seal to recognize students who have earned an industry-recognized credential that is aligned with their CTE coursework.
IASB is registered undecided. We like the idea of recognizing students for their CTE accomplishments through a diploma seal, but we have concerns about quickly implementing new curriculum on career exploration to younger students. The bill passed the House by a vote of 60–28 and passed the Senate by a vote of 45-0. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
HF 392—Allowing Year-Round School Calendars: This bill would allow school districts to apply to the Department of Education for a waiver allowing a year-round school calendar through 12th grade. Currently, year-round calendars are limited to preschool through 8th grade.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it allows local control and flexibility when setting the school calendar. The bill passed the House by a vote of 91–1 and passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0. It will now be sent to the governor for her signature.
HF 393—Calculating Dropout Rate: This bill says that a student who drops out of school, returns, and drops out again will only be counted once in a school’s dropout rate, rather than counting them as a dropout both times.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. Districts work hard to get students to return to school and shouldn’t be punished if that student decides to drop out again. The bill passed the House by a vote of 89–2 and passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
HF 471—Concussion Protocol Providers: This bill adds that someone who holds a doctorate in psychology with specialty training in neuropsychology or concussion management as a licensed health care provider can administer care when concussion protocol is required.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we welcome any qualified providers to assist districts with concussion protocol. The bill passed the House by a vote of 97-0 and passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
HF 706—Open Meetings Fines and Mandatory Training: This bill increases fines for violations of open meetings laws to between $500 and $2,500. If the violation is knowingly committed, the fines increase to between $5,000 and $12,500.
Additionally, it requires training for newly elected public officials, including school board members, on open meetings and open records laws. The training must be 1-2 hours and can be provided by IPIB or another approved provider, like IASB. The bill is written to ensure school board members would be allowed to complete this training at our annual convention, even if they haven’t been officially seated on the board.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. The increased fines are very steep for unpaid school board members, but we can agree that training on open meetings and open records laws is important, and we already provide this information to our members. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 34-13 and passed the House by a vote of 83-10. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
HF 782—Cell Phone Policies: This bill is the governor’s proposal to require all school districts to implement a policy to restrict cell phone use during instructional time. The bill would require policies to include:
Devices that would be available to use for instructional purposes.
How parents can communicate with students during the school day.
How parents can communicate with students during an emergency.
Protocols the school will follow to securely store a student’s device.
Discipline that will be used if a student uses their device during classroom instruction or an assessment.
A process for a parent to petition for the student to have access to their device during the day if it is for a legitimate reason related to the student’s physical or mental health.
Accommodation for students with an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan.
The Department of Education will give guidance on the cell phone policy and how school districts must update their emergency operations plans to incorporate changes because of it. The Department of Education must provide model policies by May 1, 2025.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We know many districts have already taken the time to thoughtfully implement cell phone policies that work in their district, and we were hoping new legislation would not require them to make changes to those policies. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 49-0 and passed the House by a vote of 92-4. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
HF 784—Governor's Math Instruction Bill: This bill, proposed by the governor, aims to increase the number of students in grades K-6 who are proficient in math. The bill lays out a plan, similar to the literacy bill passed last session. The Department of Education will:
Develop and distribute resources for schools to provide families to practice math at home.
Provide professional development to teachers at schools most in need of support.
Develop a comprehensive state mathematics plan designed to increase proficiency. The House amended the bill to require the plan to be developed by July 1, 2025.
Provide a list of math screeners to identify K-6 students who need extra support.
School districts will be required to assess all K-6 students at least three times a year to determine their level of math proficiency. If a student is persistently at risk, meaning they haven’t met grade-level benchmarks on two consecutive screeners, schools will:
Assess the student’s proficiency in math at least every other week and implement interventions and supports.
Develop a personalized math plan to identify the supports needed.
Provide small group interventions if the student is not meeting expectations and making progress.
Provide intensive interventions if the student is not increasing proficiency.
These interventions will be provided until the student performs at benchmark on the statewide assessment in math or two consecutive screeners, whichever occurs first.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. This plan helps support the goal to increase math proficiency in young students across the state. The bill passed the House by a vote of 82-15 and passed the Senate by a vote of 46-1. It will now be sent to the governor for her signature.
HF 870—Release Time for Religious Instruction: This bill allows school districts to adopt a policy that would award credit to students who complete a course in religious instruction that does not take place at the school. Students will not be counted absent if the instruction requires them to be gone for no more than five hours per week. The House amended the bill to remove the option to award credit for this instruction.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. With the removal of the option for credit, the bill reaffirms that students can miss school for religious instruction for up to five hours per week and clarifies that they must make up any work missed. The bill passed the House by a vote of 95-2 and passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
SF 167—Supplemental State Aid (SSA): The legislature agreed to a final deal on supplemental state aid (SSA), which sets the rate at 2%. This is $62.7 million in new money and $157 per pupil, which makes 157 districts eligible for the budget guarantee. In addition to new money through SSA, the legislature also provided funding for:
5% increase in transportation equity, which will provide extra funding for transportation to 197 districts.
$5 toward district cost per pupil equity. The legislature has not funded district cost per pupil (DCPP) equalization for several years, so this investment would decrease the maximum difference between DCPP and state cost per pupil from $140 to $135. The goal is to erase that differential over time.
Increasing the operational sharing cap from 21 to 25. This would allow districts to share more positions and still receive extra funding.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. While we acknowledge that 2% is not enough for districts to meet rising costs, the added funding through transportation equity, DCPP, and increased operational sharing opportunities are welcome benefits for districts. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 32-15 and passed the House by a vote of 60-36. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
SF 275—Purple Star Initiative: This bill allows the Department of Education to establish a Purple Star School Initiative that recognizes schools that have demonstrated a commitment to serving military-connected students.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it’s a good initiative to recognize schools’ effort in this area. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 41-0 and passed the House by a vote of 96-0. It will now be sent to the governor for her signature.
SF 277—Chronic Absenteeism Fixes: This bill aims to correct and fix some of the issues that have come up because of last year’s legislation aimed at addressing chronic absenteeism.
The bill directs the Department of Education to develop model policy to provide county attorneys, which should ensure more consistent enforcement. It removes the requirement that schools send a letter by certified mail to parents or guardians when a child becomes chronically absent, instead requiring it to be sent by email, ordinary mail, or delivered in person. It adds exemptions to the chronic absenteeism policy, including for military service or attending a wedding or funeral. The bill also clarifies that the consequences for being chronically absent, including a school engagement meeting, will only be initiated if the absences are impacting a student’s academic achievement.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We know there are other fixes that might be required to improve the effectiveness of the new chronic absenteeism law, but this is a step in the right direction. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0 and passed the House by a vote of 93-0. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
SF 278—Robotics Organizations: This bill requires the Department of Education to provide resources to school districts to ensure their robotics clubs and organizations meet federal standards. This will allow those clubs to receive federal money to support their organization.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it offers federal funding and opportunities for students interested in robotics. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 46-0 and passed the House by a vote of 95-0. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her signature.
SF 369—Civics Test as a Graduation Requirement: This bill would require students to obtain a 60% score on a test that uses questions from the U.S. citizenship test to graduate or earn a GED. Students could take the test as many times as needed to earn a passing score. The Department of Education will distribute a 100-question test for school districts to use. A Senate amendment moves the implementation of this requirement to the 2026-27 school year.
IASB is registered against the bill because it imposes a graduation requirement and requires districts to use a specific test. While we support the goal of civics education, local school districts should be able to choose how they want to assess students. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 38-7 and passed the House by a vote of 60-33. It will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her consideration.
SF 583—School Safety Assessment Teams: This bill allows school districts to set up a school safety assessment team that would be a collaboration between local law enforcement, mental health providers, social workers, and the school to provide resources and intervene when a student poses a safety risk to the school, employees, or other students.
IASB is registered for the bill. We support the overall intent of the bill and appreciate that it is a local decision to set up the school safety assessment team. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 48-0 and passed the House by a vote of 91-0. The bill will now be sent to Governor Reynolds for her signature.
Signed by the Governor
HF 785—Charter School Board Members: This bill allows one charter school board member to be a non-Iowa resident but requires that they are a U.S. citizen.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. Although we believe all charter school board members should be Iowa residents, just as school board members live in the communities they represent, this change doesn’t fundamentally impact how charter schools are run or change any transparency or accountability standards for charter schools. The bill passed the House by a vote of 60-36 and the Senate by a vote of 32–15. Governor Reynolds signed the bill into law on April 25, 2025.
SF 171—Reorganization and Dissolution Timeline: This bill extends the timeline for completing a school district dissolution or reorganization to allow the process to be completed without repeating in steps that have already been taken, like required public hearings and votes.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it helps Orient-Macksburg finish their dissolution process after July 1 of this year. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 44-0 and the House by a vote of 92-0. Governor Reynolds signed the bill into law on March 12, 2025.
SF 574—Retention Fees for Public Improvement Contracts: This bill will allow school districts and other public entities to withhold 3%, rather than the current 5%, in retainage fees during a construction project. These fees are designed to ensure that work is completed on a project.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we appreciate that school districts will still have recourse with contractors through a retainage fee. It passed the Senate by a vote of 45-4 and passed the House by a vote of 90-4. Governor Reynolds signed the bill into law on April 25, 2025.
Dead Bills
HF 810—Modified Supplemental State Aid Amounts Based on Open Enrollment
HF 737—Establishing the School Health-Related Emergency Response Plan Competitive Grant Program
HF 733—Relates to School Bus Driver Instruction
HF 734—Instruction in United States Government for Grades 9–12
HSB 282—Federal Immigration Cooperation
HSB 283—BOEE Issued Certificates to Provide Instruction
HF 716—Health Care Coverage of Certain Nonstate Public Employees and Officials
HSB 276—Modifying the Minimum Amount of Instruction Provided
HSB 278—Physical Education Requirements for Grades 7–12
HF 629—Enrollment of Children of Military Families
HF 585—Severance Payments for School Administrator Employment Contracts
HF 586—Response to Fire Alarms Activated on School Grounds
HF 587—Establishment of a Junior Fire Fighter Program
HF 552—Chronic Absenteeism and School Engagement Meetings
HF 553—Use of Revenues from the District Management Levy for School Security Personnel
HF 564—Contracts for the Construction of Public Improvement
HF 501—School District Dissolution Proposals and Election Dates for Mergers
HF 502—Activities Administration Authorization Established by the BOEE
HF 535—Review of Iowa’s Public Education System
HF 536—Firearm, Hunting and Wildlife Instruction
HSB 228—Individual Property Tax Statements Mailed to Owners and Taxpayers
SF 410—Public Comment Periods During Board Meetings
HSB 212—Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Requirements
SSB 1164—Technology, Engineering or Manufacturing Instruction
HF 445—Modifying Education Savings Account (ESA) Application Periods
SF 344—Giving Community Organizations Reasonable Access to School Property
SF 364—Modifying the Periods to Bring Certain Civil Actions by Victims of Sexual Abuse
SF 321—Prohibiting the Expenditure of Certain Public Moneys for Dues or Membership Fees to High School Organizations
SF 332—Transportation for Open Enrolled Students
SF 335—Prohibiting Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and DEI Instruction
HF 371—Organization Requirements for High School Athletic Contests and Competitions
HF 407—Payment of Certain Moneys Received from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund
HF 332—Requiring Administrators to Provide Instruction
HF 335—Moneys Deposited into Student Activity Funds
HF 336—Holocaust Instruction for Students and Teachers
HF 215—Child Sexual Abuse and Assault Awareness and Prevention
HF 221—Bond Issuance Limitations
HF 253—Computer Science Instruction Requirements
HF 262—Teacher Minimum Salary Budget Adjustments
SF 204—Private and World Language Instruction Modifications
SF 177—Ability to Examine School Public Records
SF 178—Civil Actions Against School Board Members and Superintendents
SF 181—Requirements for Electronic Resources in Grades K–12
SF 186—Executive Officers of School Boards
HF 150—Prohibiting Standards-Based Grading
HSB 97—Gulf of America and Mount McKinley in Classroom Instruction
SSB 1056—IPERS Investments
HF 119—Content, Career and Technical Secondary Authorizations
HF 121—Home and Community-Based Services Waivers
HF 113—Expenditures From Certain Funds by Small School Districts
HSB 84—Prohibits Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Instruction
SF 115—Human Growth and Development Course Enrollment
SF 116—Exposing Minors to Obscene Performances
HF 101—Bond Sale Amount Limitations
SF 82—Relates to Bonds Issued by a School District in Anticipation of Revenue
SSB 1026—Membership of Teacher Quality Committees
SF 60—Calculation of Minimum State Foundation Aid for School Districts
HF 67 & HF 11—Earliest Possible Start Date for School Districts
HSB 10—Who May Provide Health Services to Students
HF 8—Student Access to Broad-Spectrum Cannabidiol Products
HF 9—School Security Personnel Grant Program
SF 34—K–5 Physical Activity Requirements
SSB 1013—Primary Elections for School Board Members
HSB 31—School Start Date
HF 166—Displaying National and State Motto, Silent Time
HF 212—Restricting Certain Food Additives in School Food:
HF 272—Advanced Dyslexia Specialist Endorsement Competitive Scholar Program
HF 369—Agriculture Education Grant Program
HF 400—Public Records Requests
HF 515—Increased Weighting for Operational Sharing of School Resource Officers
HF 520—Civics Instruction
HF 521—Obscenity Exemptions Repeal
HF 522—Using Therapeutic Classroom Funds for Nutritional Items
HF 769—Alcohol on School Property
HF 789—Teacher Salary Supplement (TSS) to Charter Schools
HF 791—Firearm Safety Instruction
HF 858—Concussion Training
HF 859—Reduction in Force Policies
HF 888—Homeschool Regulations & World Language Changes
HF 898—Absenteeism Exemption for Military Service
HF 900—Denying Open Enrollment Request for ELL Students
HF 906—Remove Certified Mail Requirement for Chronic Absenteeism
HF 929—Publishing Educational Materials
SF 8—Use of Pronouns
SF 168—Shared Operational Functions Exemptions
SF 172—Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Instruction
SF 205—School Start Date
SF 274—Accepting Cash Payment at School Events
SF 286—Advanced Dyslexia Specialist Endorsement Competitive Scholar Program
SF 389—Public Records Requests
SF 444—Sharing and Reorganization Incentives
SF 448—Bus Driver Training Requirements
SF 516—Impact of Technology on Cognitive Function
SF 518—Required Administrative Leave for School Employees
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Des Moines, IA 50312
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14.2.2024.7