This bill repeals Iowa's Board of Regents minority and women educators enhancement program (sections 262.81-82 of the Code). The program required regents institutions to recruit minority educators for faculty roles and create opportunities for women educators, while also developing tenure/promotion policies that address caregivers' needs. By repealing these sections, the bill removes these specific requirements from state law. The change directly affects regents institutions' hiring and faculty development practices related to these programs.
HF 2230 modifies Iowa teacher education and licensing rules to better prepare educators for diverse classrooms. Starting July 1, 2027, all teacher preparation programs must include at least 15 practice hours focused on supporting students with disabilities and English learners. Programs seeking English learner endorsements require 40 hours of specific training in teaching English to English learners. The bill also mandates a final assessment before graduation to measure teaching readiness, with the state department publishing program pass rates and support efforts starting in 2028. This directly affects teacher preparation programs, their students (future teachers), and the Board of Educational Examiners.
This bill requires all Iowa public and nonpublic high schools to include one semester of computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) education in their graduation requirements, beginning with the 2030-2031 graduating class. Starting in the 2023-2024 school year, schools must offer AI and computer science courses meeting state standards that cover AI concepts, ethics, societal impact, and foundational skills. The bill also mandates a statewide plan for teacher training by 2027, especially for smaller schools, and establishes online course options for districts. Additionally, it modifies science and math graduation units to allow limited AI instruction to count toward requirements.
HF 2012 allows Iowa residents with intellectual disabilities enrolled in approved comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs to access the state's tuition grants program. These programs, approved by the U.S. Department of Education, provide academic, career, and independent living instruction. Eligible students may receive grants covering up to two semesters of resident tuition and mandatory fees annually for a maximum of eight semesters. The grants are paid at the start of each semester by the educational institution, with refunds required if a student withdraws after receiving payment.
HF 2225 creates a tax credit for Iowa residents who paid nonresident tuition at state universities and later work in the state as health care professionals, teachers, licensed veterinarians, or professional engineers. The credit equals 100% of the difference between the nonresident and resident tuition rates they paid during their studies, available within three years of graduation while employed in Iowa. Unused credit can be carried forward for up to five years to offset future income tax, but it is not refundable and does not apply to nonresidents. The bill requires the Board of Regents to publish historical tuition rates online and applies retroactively to tax years starting January 1, 2026.
This bill modifies Iowa's transportation rules for students participating in open enrollment. It removes a distance restriction for smaller school districts (under 2,000 total students), allowing them to transport students from their residence to school regardless of proximity to the assigned school in the sending district, as long as the student's home is closer to the receiving district's school. For larger districts (2,000+ students), the bill maintains existing requirements (like contiguous district boundaries and prior vehicle use) but removes the distance limitation for transportation. The changes directly affect open enrollment students and the school districts that transport them. The bill does not alter the existing agreement requirement between sending and receiving districts for transportation.
HF 2242 prohibits Iowa's regents-controlled public universities from raising tuition for resident undergraduate students starting upon the bill's enactment and continuing until July 1, 2031. This directly affects in-state undergraduate students at institutions like the University of Iowa, Iowa State, and others under the state board of regents. The key provision requires the board of regents to enforce a tuition freeze during this period, with the prohibition automatically ending on the specified date. The bill takes immediate effect once signed into law.
This bill establishes a statewide common course numbering system for Iowa community colleges to improve transfer consistency, requiring standardized course codes, equivalent course identification, and use across all catalogs and transcripts by 2027. It mandates that all Iowa community colleges replace traditional remedial math and English courses with a corequisite model (supporting students in credit-bearing courses) by the 2028-2029 academic year. Additionally, it requires K-12 students to complete sequential coursework in multiple career and technical education (CTE) content areas (like health sciences, business, or manufacturing) to prepare for high-demand, high-skill, and high-wage occupations. The bill directly affects Iowa community colleges, K-12 schools, and students by standardizing transfer pathways and aligning CTE programs with workforce needs.
SF 2003 prohibits Iowa public school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools from offering any program, curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, or instruction related to gender theory or sexual orientation to students in grades seven through twelve. The bill amends existing education laws to extend a current prohibition (previously limited to grades K-6) to cover all middle and high school students. Key mechanisms require schools to comply with this restriction when developing or implementing human growth and development instruction, including health education standards. The policy change directly affects school curricula and instructional materials in the specified grades.
HF 2236 modifies Iowa's tuition grants program to expand eligibility for students at accredited private colleges and universities. It revises definitions to include "accredited private institutions" in key sections, ensuring these schools qualify for state financial aid programs like the Iowa Tuition Grant and teacher shortage loan programs. The bill also requires institutions to post required textbook lists online 14 days before each term and creates a new teacher shortage forgivable loan program for students in designated teacher shortage areas. These changes directly affect students attending private colleges, public institutions, and community colleges participating in Iowa's state aid programs.
