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HF 389 Iowa House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

A bill for an act relating to student abuse by school employees.

HF 389 creates a new process for investigating student abuse by school employees in Iowa. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services (DHS) to investigate reports within 24 hours and complete investigations within 30 business days. Schools must immediately place accused employees (including teachers, vendors, and volunteers) on administrative leave during investigations, and must terminate employment if DHS confirms abuse. This directly affects public and nonpublic schools, their employees, and the DHS, replacing current procedures with a standardized, time-bound system for handling such reports.
Issues: ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates swift investigations and termination of abusive school employees, directly protecting student safety in educational settings.95% confidence
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Jun 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 13, 2025 Last action Jun 16, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Reprinted · 6 edits
MODERATE
This bill was significantly reprinted and expanded from its original version. The original bill focused on child abuse by school employees, while the reprinted version broadens the scope to include 'student abuse' and adds new definitions and procedures. The changes reflect a more comprehensive approach to addressing abuse by school employees, including vendors and volunteers, and establish clearer investigation timelines and reporting requirements.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from 'child abuse' to 'student abuse' and now includes vendors and volunteers in addition to traditional employees. The bill also reorganized the statutory structure and added new definitions to clarify who is covered under the law.
DEFINITION

Changed the title from 'child abuse' to 'student abuse' and added new definitions for 'school employee' that now include vendors, their employees, agents, and volunteers under school direction.

Added new definitions for 'Board of educational examiners', 'Department', 'Investigation', 'Public school district', and 'Student' to clarify the bill's terminology.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific investigation timelines requiring the department to commence investigations within 24 hours and complete them within 30 business days.

Added requirements for immediate administrative leave and prohibition from school property for employees subject to ongoing abuse assessments.

Added requirements for schools to report student abuse to both the Department of Health and Human Services and law enforcement when the alleged abuse would constitute a criminal act.

ENFORCEMENT

Expanded enforcement procedures to include mandatory referral to law enforcement when abuse constitutes a criminal act, with specific notification requirements to licensing boards.

Floor votes · House Mar 19, 2025

How they voted

97–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 100
Mar 19, 2025
D Democratic33
32 Yea 1
96% Yea
R Republican67
65 Yea 2
97% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
14
Key actions
2
Committee
1
Amendments
4
Jun 16, 2025
Committee
Referred to Education.
upper
Mar 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House, yeas 96, nays 0.
lower
Mar 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment H-1128 adopted, as amended.
lower
Mar 19, 2025
Introduced
Amendment H-1133 to amendment H-1128 filed, adopted.
lower
Mar 18, 2025
Introduced
Amendment H-1128 filed.
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Introduced
Amendment H-1091 filed.
lower
Feb 13, 2025
Introduced
Introduced, placed on calendar.
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.