2025 Legislative Session Bill Summaries
HSB 31—School Start Date: This bill would allow school districts to begin school as early as the first Tuesday after the state fair ends, instead of the current date of Aug. 23 as the earliest date to start the school year.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. It allows local control and flexibility for districts to decide a school calendar that best fits their needs. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HSB 45—Purple Star School 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 House Education Committee.
HF 69—Alcohol on School Property: This bill allows a school board to authorize the consumption or sale of alcohol at a non-school-related event on school property, provided that the group hosting the event has been issued a five-day retail alcohol license. School boards are prohibited from securing a retail liquor license. This applies only to groups unaffiliated with the school.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but an amendment provided clarity on who will be issued the alcohol license, which addressed our main concern. The bill passed the House State Government Committee.
HSB 77—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.
HF 88—Homeschool Regulations & World Language Changes: This bill removes the requirement that no more than four unrelated students are enrolled in independent private instruction with the same instructor as well as the prohibition on charging tuition for independent private instruction.
Additionally, the bill says world languages that use a “grammatical gender system” will not incorporate gender neutral language in instruction of those languages. An amendment by the committee removed changes to the tuition and textbook tax credit.
IASB is registered against the bill because we are concerned the removal of the requirement for the number of students who are unrelated and taking part in independent private instruction could lead to many small and unregulated schools. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HSB 157—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 .25% 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 Education Committee.
HF 163—Threat Assessment Teams: This bill allows school districts to set up a threat 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 undecided. We support the overall intent of the bill but have requested minor language changes to ensure the bill adheres to all FERPA requirements to protect student privacy. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 165—Citizenship Test Graduation Requirement: This bill requires students to obtain at least a 60% score on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Test.
IASB is registered opposed to the bill because it’s another requirement imposed on school districts, and we think the content is already taught through the regular civics curriculum. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 166—Displaying National and State Motto, Silent Time: This bill requires all school buildings to display both the national and state mottos in the main entryway. It also requires two minutes of silent time for students prior to saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
IASB is registered undecided, but we have concerns that this is another requirement on schools. Additionally, it’s not clear what the silent time is intended for or how it will be implemented. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
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.
HF 174—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 steps that have already been taken, like required public hearings and votes. The House bill was amended to match and become a companion bill to SF 16.
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, as amended, passed the House Education Committee.
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.
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 Education Committee.
HF 190—State Assessment for Online Schools: This bill allows schools that provide education online to administer the statewide assessment online and 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 Education Committee.
HF 212—Restricting Certain Food Additives in School Food: This bill would prohibit schools from buying food with certain ingredients, including red dye 40, yellow dye 7 and margarine. An amendment by the committee clarifies this would begin for the 2026–27 school year.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate a focus on student health when considering the foods they eat at school but have concerns about the availability and cost of foods that will meet these guidelines. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 259—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 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 State Government Committee.
HF 272—Advanced Dyslexia Specialist Endorsement Competitive Scholar Program: This bill creates a competitive scholar program designed to provide tuition reimbursement for teachers who want to pursue an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement. The reimbursement could cover as much as 75% of the tuition cost.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. Early literacy is a goal shared by all districts, and we are supportive of any program to ensure more teachers can help students with dyslexia reach proficiency. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 299—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 Health and Human Services Committee.
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 located 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 Education Committee.
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 established 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 Education Committee.
HF 369—Agriculture Education Grant Program: This bill establishes a grant program to provide funding to school districts to pay for a teacher that provides instruction in agriculture, food and natural resources. Money will still need to be appropriated to pay for the grant program.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it’s an opportunity for districts to expand their offerings in agriculture-related classes. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 389—Child Abuse by School Employees: This bill adds school employees to the list of people who can be subject to a child abuse complaint. This would require an assessment by the Department of Health Human Services. That assessment would then be reported to the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE). Employees who are subject to an ongoing child abuse assessment will be required to be placed on administrative leave.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We want to ensure bad actors are kept out of our schools, but we have questions on the full impact of adding school employees to the child abuse definition and involving another agency (HHS), when we already have the BOEE to investigate claims against school employees. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 391—Human Growth and Development Curriculum: This bill requires schools to incorporate instruction on fetal development in the curriculum for human growth and development for grades 7-12. Part of that instruction must include showing the “Baby Olivia” video or a similar video.
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 Education Committee.
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.
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 Education Committee.
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 Education Committee.
HF 400—Public Records Requests: This bill would require school districts to promptly respond to a records request and provide an approximate date on which the records will be available to the requestor and any anticipated costs associated with the request.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. These steps are already taken in most cases, and there are no specific timelines set out in the bill, so it would not be too burdensome for districts. The bill passed the House State Government Committee.
HF 471—Concussion 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 Health and Human Services Committee.
HF 514—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 House Education Committee.
HF 515—Operational Sharing for School Resource Officers: This bill would add school resource officers (SROs) as a position that can be shared and receive a supplementary weighting of five pupils.
IASB is registered to support the bill because it would expand the number of districts who could employ an SRO with the availability of incentives for sharing the position. The bill passed the House Education 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 520—Civics Instruction: This bill requires students to take one unit of U.S. government, increasing it from the current one-half unit requirement. It also requires instruction on civics to be included in that unit. This would begin in the 2026-27 school year.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. While we have some concerns about increasing the credit requirements, this bill is better than other bills about civics instruction and has a workable implementation timeline. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 521—Obscenity Exemptions Repeal: This bill removes the exemption for obscene material that may be used for educational purposes in a school.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We think the requirements for schools established in prior legislation, SF 496, covered this issue, so removing the exemption will not further limit what schools can provide to students. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 522—Using Therapeutic Classroom Funds for Nutritional Items: This bill would require therapeutic classroom funds to be used for assessing the nutritional needs of students, providing certain foods and restricting other foods and additives, and increasing student access to natural light. An amendment by the committee changes the “shall” to a “may,” so districts would not have to spend the funds on those items.
IASB is registered opposed to the bill because the limited funds that are available through the therapeutic classroom grants should be used for proven educational purposes to ensure the students can return to their normal classroom as soon as possible. We do appreciate the amendment to make this optional rather than required. The bill passed the House Education 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 167—Supplemental State Aid (SSA): First, the Senate passed their proposal of 2% SSA by a vote of 29-18 and sent it to the House for their consideration. The House conformed and made their bill identical to the Senate version so it could be substituted for the Senate version. This allows the House to work from the Senate version to prevent it from having to go back through the committee process. The House amended the bill to their SSA proposal, which is much better. After all the procedural maneuvering, the House’s SSA bill includes:
A 2.25% SSA rate. This amounts to $159 million in new money, but it would still mean 145 districts are on the budget guarantee.
$22.6 million in one-time funding. This money could be used by school districts for any general fund purpose.
$5.3 million toward transportation equity. These are the payments that help districts with large transportation costs. This bill would allow 215 districts to receive the payments.
$10 toward 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 $130. The goal is to erase that differential over time.
Increases the maximum number of shared positions from 21 to 25. This would allow districts to share more positions and still receive extra funding.
IASB is registered in support of the House’s SSA proposal. While we acknowledge that 2.25% is not enough, it is the best plan out there this year. The extra incentives in the bill will make a difference, and we are hopeful the Senate will agree. The bill passed the House by a vote of 58-35 and will now be sent back to the Senate.
SF 168—Shared Operational Functions Exemptions: This bill allows the weighting assigned to a master social worker, independent social worker, mental health professional or school resource officer to be exempt from the total weighting a school district receives through operational sharing.
IASB is registered in support of the bill because it allows districts to take advantage of more sharing opportunities without losing out on the added weighting. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
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. It will now be sent to the governor for her approval.
SF 175—Human Growth and Development Curriculum Requirements: This bill would require school districts to provide instruction in grades on fetal development with a video, ultrasound or real images. An amendment on the floor removed the requirement to teach this in grades 1-3, but it would be required for grades 4-12.
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 Senate by a vote of 31-13.
SF 205—School Start Date: This bill would allow school districts to begin the school year on the Monday preceding the last Monday in August, instead of the currently mandated Aug. 23.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. There are many school start date bills that have been proposed this year to allow more local control and flexibility, and this one is not tied to the state fair in any way. The bill passed the Senate 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.
SF 211—State Assessment for Online Schools: This bill allows schools that provide education online to administer the statewide assessment online and 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 Senate Education Committee.
SF 273—Grooming Definition: This bill changes the definition of grooming again after changing it last year. The original definition posed some problems and was not clear enough. An amendment by the committee significantly improved the definition to provide clarity. It 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.”
After the amendment, 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 Education Committee.
SF 274—Accepting Cash Payment at School Events: This bill would require school districts to accept cash as a form of payment at school events.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we think this should be a local decision on what forms of payment will be accepted at events. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 275—Purple Star School 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 Education Committee.
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.
First, 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 Education Committee.
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.
SF 286—Advanced Dyslexia Specialist Endorsement Competitive Scholar Program: This bill creates a competitive scholar program designed to provide tuition reimbursement for teachers who want to pursue an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement. The reimbursement could cover as much as 75% of the tuition cost. A committee amendment clarifies the funding source for the scholarship.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. Early literacy is a goal shared by all districts, and we are supportive of any program to ensure more teachers can help students with dyslexia reach proficiency. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
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 by the committee added the creation of 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.
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. An amendment by the committee instructs the Department of Education to distribute a 100-question test for school districts to use.
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 Education Committee.
SF 370—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 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.
Accommodations for students with an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan.
Additionally, the bill requires instruction on the effects of social media in grades 6-8. 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. An amendment by the committee requires the Department of Education to 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. We appreciate the amendment to make the timeline for implementation more workable. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 386—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 Senate State Government Committee.
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 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 State Government Committee.
SF 389—Public Records Requests: This bill would require school districts to promptly respond to a records request and provide an approximate date on which the records will be available to the requestor and any anticipated costs associated with the request.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. These steps are already taken in most cases, and there are no specific timelines set out in the bill, so it would not be too burdensome for districts. The bill passed the Senate State Government Committee.
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