Education (Student Health)

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 11, 2026

HF 2392: A bill for an act implementing requirements related to the health instruction and health education instruction provided to students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools in grades one through twelve.

HF 2392 requires all Iowa public school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to include specific health education components for students in grades 1-12. The law mandates evidence-based instruction on nutrition (including reading labels), physical activity, and heart health, with two student assessments per semester. Schools must also conduct blood pressure and heart rate checks using privacy protections and report results to the state education department. This applies to all K-12 schools, with implementation funded through existing state education aid.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates evidence-based health education curriculum components (nutrition, physical activity, heart health) for K-12, enhancing student health education programs and requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Health

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SF 2328: A bill for an act relating to school lunch programs provided by school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.

SF 2328 requires all Iowa public school districts, charter schools (under chapters 256E and 256F), and innovation zone schools to provide free lunches to every student in attendance, regardless of family income, starting July 1, 2026. The bill appropriates state funds from the general fund to the Department of Education to cover costs not covered by federal school lunch program funds. It mandates that schools comply with existing free lunch program requirements under section 283A.6 and directs the state board of education to create administrative rules. The law takes immediate effect upon enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates state general fund dollars to cover free lunch program costs, directly increasing public service funding under budget appropriations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates universal free school lunches for all students, appropriates state funds to cover costs, and expands access to school meal programs under education funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Student Health

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 17, 2026

HSB 719: A bill for an act establishing the school health-related emergency response plan competitive grant program within the department of education, making appropriations, and including applicability provisions.

HSB 719 establishes a competitive grant program within Iowa's Department of Education to help schools develop cardiac emergency response plans. It requires participating schools (including public districts, nonpublic schools, and charters) to implement specific safety measures like placing AEDs accessible within three minutes, training staff in CPR/AED use, and conducting annual emergency drills. The grants, funded through a new state treasury account, offset costs for creating these plans but must supplement, not replace, existing school funding. The program applies to all schools starting with the 2027-2028 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates state-funded grants for schools to implement cardiac emergency response plans, including AEDs and staff training, directly enhancing school safety infrastructure and student protection within education.92% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding School Safety Student Health

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signed · Iowa · Senate May 19, 2026

SF 2219: A bill for an act requiring boards of directors of school districts, governing boards of charter schools, and authorities in charge of accredited nonpublic schools to adopt policies related to exempting student absences for school-sponsored activities, programs, competitions, and projects.

This bill requires school districts, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools to adopt policies that exempt student absences for 4-H club or FFA activities from unexcused absence records. The policies must also allow students to make up any missed classwork due to these absences. It applies directly to all covered schools in Iowa, ensuring consistent treatment for students participating in these agricultural education programs. The requirement standardizes how schools handle absences related to 4-H and FFA activities without penalizing student participation.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires schools to exempt absences for 4-H/FFA activities, enabling student participation in agricultural education programs without academic penalty.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 16, 2026

HF 2454: A bill for an act relating to the employment of temporary licensed mental health counselors by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools.

HF 2454 creates a temporary license for mental health counselors who have met all licensing requirements except the postgraduate supervised clinical experience. This allows school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to hire such temporary counselors to provide mental health services to students under a qualified supervisor. The temporary license is valid for three years and renewable, with fees set by the licensing board to cover administrative costs. Schools must ensure these counselors work under supervision as defined by the board.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows schools to hire temporary mental health counselors, directly enhancing student mental health services and educational support programs in K-12 settings.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables schools to hire temporary mental health counselors, expanding student access to mental health services under supervision.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Medical Licensing Mental Health

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passed · Iowa · Senate Mar 26, 2026

SF 2319: A bill for an act relating to the inclusion of the your life Iowa program on public school internet sites.

This bill requires Iowa public schools serving students in grades 7-12 to list the "Your Life Iowa" suicide prevention program's contact information (phone, text numbers, and website) as a resource on their school websites. It also mandates that schools issuing student ID cards to grades 7-12 must include this information on the cards, with schools serving grades 5-6 allowed to optionally include it. The law directly affects students in these grade levels by making suicide prevention resources more accessible through school-issued materials and online platforms. It does not change existing suicide prevention services but ensures schools proactively share this specific resource.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates schools to include suicide prevention resources on websites/ID cards, enhancing student access to mental health support within educational environment.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates inclusion of suicide prevention program resources on school websites/ID cards, directly expanding student access to mental health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 21, 2026

SF 2004: A bill for an act authorizing the expenditure of funding from the secure an advanced vision for education fund for certain insurance costs.

This bill amends Iowa's school infrastructure funding law to allow school districts to use SAVE Fund money for increased insurance costs tied to hiring individuals with professional permits to carry weapons under Iowa Code §724.6(1)(a)(3). It directly affects school districts by expanding the definition of "school infrastructure" to include these specific insurance expenses. The key mechanism is updating the statutory definition to explicitly cover such costs, making them eligible for reimbursement from the SAVE Fund. The bill does not create new requirements but clarifies existing fund usage for a defined category of insurance expenses.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands existing SAVE Fund use for school infrastructure insurance costs, promoting fiscal responsibility without new appropriations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands school infrastructure funding to cover insurance costs for weapon-carrying permit holders, enabling reimbursement for safety-related expenses under existing SAVE Fund.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Government Spending School Safety Student Health

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 4, 2026

SSB 3041: A bill for an act requiring boards of directors of school districts, governing boards of charter schools, and authorities in charge of accredited nonpublic schools to adopt policies related to excusing student absences for 4-H club or FFA activities.

This bill requires all Iowa public school districts, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools to adopt policies that automatically excuse student absences for participation in 4-H club or FFA activities. Schools must grant excused absences when students miss class for these programs and allow them to make up any missed work. The policy applies to all students involved in 4-H or FFA-sponsored activities or projects, ensuring consistent support for agricultural education participation. It directly affects school boards and administrators responsible for attendance policies. The law mandates these specific requirements without adding new exceptions or altering existing attendance rules.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates excused absences for 4-H/FFA participation, directly enhancing student access to agricultural education programs and ensuring consistent support for educational activities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 27, 2026

HF 2051: A bill for an act providing for supplementary weighting for school districts that share school and career specialists.

HF 2051 adds "school and career specialists" to the list of positions school districts can share with other entities (like other districts or political subdivisions) to qualify for extra state funding. It directly affects Iowa school districts that share these specialists for at least 20% of the school year. The key provision assigns each shared school and career specialist role a supplementary weighting equivalent to funding for two additional students, increasing resources for districts that collaborate on these services. This policy targets specialists who support at-risk students with career planning, life skills, and postsecondary transitions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases state funding for school districts by adding supplementary weighting for shared specialists, directly advancing school finance appropriations.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill increases school funding via supplementary weighting for shared specialists, directly advancing resource allocation for K-12 districts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Student Health

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 29, 2026

SF 2007: A bill for an act relating to school districts that share the operational functions of a school resource officer, and including applicability provisions.

SF 2007 increases the supplementary funding weight for Iowa school districts that share the operational functions of a school resource officer with a political subdivision (such as a city or county) for at least 20% of the school year. The bill raises the weight from two to five pupils per shared function, providing additional state funding to eligible districts to redirect resources toward student programming. This change applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, and directly affects school districts meeting the sharing criteria. The policy clarifies that districts may qualify for this increased funding even if the shared functions differ between the district and the political subdivision.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases state funding for school districts by raising supplementary weight from 2 to 5 pupils per shared resource officer function, directing funds toward student programming.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases state funding for school districts sharing resource officers, redirecting resources to student programming via higher supplementary funding weight (2→5 pupils).95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding School Safety Student Health

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