Education

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 12, 2025

SF 286: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the national board certification pilot project and establishing the advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program within the college student aid commission, and including effective date provisions.

SF 286 modifies Iowa's national board certification program for teachers and creates a new tuition reimbursement program for dyslexia specialist training. It establishes the "advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program" administered by the College Student Aid Commission (CSAC), providing tuition reimbursement to Iowa teachers working toward an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement. Eligible teachers must be employed by an Iowa school district, charter school, nonpublic school, or education agency and can receive reimbursement for up to two years, covering actual tuition costs (capped at total costs incurred). The program is funded through dedicated state appropriations that roll over annually if unspent, with CSAC reporting annually on participation and outcomes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates tuition reimbursement for dyslexia specialist training, supporting teacher development and student access to specialized education services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice

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died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 122: A bill for an act relating to school districts that share the operational functions of a school resource officer, and including applicability provisions.

HF 122 increases funding for Iowa school districts that share operational functions with other entities, specifically raising the supplementary weighting for sharing a school resource officer (SRO) from 2 to 4 pupils. This policy change directly affects school districts sharing SRO services (or other eligible roles like counselors or special education directors) for at least 20% of the school year. The bill provides additional state funding by assigning districts extra weighted pupils based on shared functions, with SRO sharing now earning 4 pupils instead of 2. The change applies to school budget years beginning July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases state funding for school districts by raising supplementary weighting for shared SRO services, directly allocating additional state resources for public education.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases state funding for school districts sharing SRO services by raising weighted pupil count from 2 to 4, directly advancing school resource allocation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding School Safety Special Education

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died · Iowa · House Mar 14, 2025

HF 60: A bill for an act relating to budget adjustments by school districts affected by a natural disaster.

HF 60 would allow Iowa school districts impacted by federally or state-declared natural disasters to receive an additional year of budget adjustment funding. Specifically, if a disaster occurred in the base year or the year before, districts would get a second adjustment equal to the amount they received in their base year. This applies to districts already eligible for standard budget adjustments under existing law. The bill directly affects school districts in Iowa that experience qualifying natural disasters with official disaster declarations. (Note: The bill was withdrawn on March 14, 2025, and did not become law.)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides additional funding for school district budget adjustments after natural disasters, supporting fiscal management of public education budgets.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides additional funding for Iowa school districts impacted by natural disasters, ensuring continued financial stability for education operations and addressing school finance needs.95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Mar 3, 2026

HF 327: A bill for an act creating an advanced registered nurse practitioner preceptor tax credit available against the individual income tax, and including applicability provisions.

HF 327 creates a tax credit for Iowa residents who serve as clinical preceptors for advanced registered nurse practitioner students. The credit provides $1,000 per clinical preceptorship (involving at least 100 hours of supervised learning) with a maximum $2,000 annual credit, directly affecting licensed nurse practitioners who mentor students without compensation. To qualify, preceptors must be employed at the clinical site, selected by the nursing program, and have at least one year of mentoring experience. The credit is refundable if it exceeds tax liability, and preceptors must document student details including hours and program information. The bill applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates tax credit reducing taxable income for qualifying preceptors, aligning with tax relief indicators for middle-income professionals in public service roles.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides tax credit to incentivize nursing preceptors, supporting higher education workforce development in healthcare education.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates tax credit to incentivize nurse practitioner mentorship, expanding healthcare workforce training and improving access to care.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Healthcare Workforce

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 3, 2025

SF 391: A bill for an act creating an advanced registered nurse practitioner preceptor tax credit available against the individual income tax, and including applicability provisions.

This bill creates a $1,000 tax credit per clinical preceptorship for Iowa-licensed advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) who provide uncompensated clinical instruction and supervision to nursing students. To qualify, ARNPs must be employed at the clinical site, have at least one year of preceptor experience, and document student details including hours of supervision and expected graduation year. The credit is refundable and capped at $2,000 annually per preceptor. It applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2026, and requires the Department of Revenue to report annual credit usage to the legislature.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates refundable $1,000 tax credit for ARNPs providing clinical instruction, reducing tax burden and incentivizing healthcare education through fiscal policy.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides tax credit to ARNPs for clinical instruction of nursing students, directly strengthening higher education training and educational access in healthcare education.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates tax credit to incentivize nurse practitioners to train students, expanding healthcare workforce capacity and improving patient access to care.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce

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died · Iowa · House Mar 21, 2025

HF 1: A bill for an act relating to the eligibility of students enrolled in nonpublic schools to compete in extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions provided by public schools, and including effective date provisions.

HF 1 would require Iowa public school districts to allow students enrolled in nonpublic schools (who live within the district or a contiguous district) to immediately participate in public school athletic competitions, provided the school districts and nonpublic schools have a written agreement. Nonpublic school students would pay the same participation fee as public school students, and their participation would not affect how public schools are classified for athletic competitions. The bill also ensures these students meet residency requirements for athletic eligibility under existing rules. This bill directly affects nonpublic school students seeking to join public school sports teams and the school districts managing those programs. (Note: The bill was withdrawn on March 21, 2025.)

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands educational access by mandating public school athletic inclusion for nonpublic school students, aligning with topic's 'educational access' focus.92% confidence

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died · Iowa · House Mar 26, 2025

HF 583: A bill for an act relating to sex and gender, including those and related terms for purposes of statutory construction, indications of a person’s sex on certain vital records, gender identity under the Iowa civil rights Act, and school curricula related to gender theory.

HF 583 defines "sex" biologically at birth as male or female based on reproductive systems for legal purposes. It requires birth certificates to list the sex assigned at birth (male/female), limits changes to medical documentation, and clarifies that "sex" in anti-discrimination laws refers to biological sex, not gender identity. The bill also specifies that "gender" in legal contexts should not be used as a synonym for gender identity and includes provisions affecting school curricula related to gender theory. These changes directly impact how vital records are maintained, civil rights enforcement, and educational materials in Iowa.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts school curricula by limiting gender theory content and defining 'sex' biologically, directly restricting educational content related to gender identity in schools.92% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Mar 27, 2025

HF 271: A bill for an act establishing the comprehensive transition and postsecondary program scholarship program and making appropriations.

HF 271 creates a scholarship program providing up to $5,000 annually for Iowa residents with intellectual, developmental, or learning disabilities who are enrolled in approved comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs (college programs designed for students with disabilities). The College Student Aid Commission, working with vocational rehabilitation services, will administer the program, requiring annual applications and prioritizing Iowa residents. Funds for the program will be held in a dedicated state treasury account that carries over each year instead of reverting to the general fund. This bill establishes the program structure and funding mechanism but requires separate annual appropriations from the legislature to operate.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly makes appropriations to fund a new scholarship program, increasing state budget expenditure for educational support of disabled students.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates $5,000 annual scholarships for Iowa students with disabilities in college programs, expanding higher education access and funding for a specific group.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 31, 2025

HF 269: A bill for an act prohibiting certain requirements for students and faculty at regents institutions relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory and including applicability provisions.

HF 269 prohibits Iowa's public universities (regents institutions) from requiring students to take courses or faculty to use teaching materials related to diversity, equity, inclusion, or critical race theory as part of degree requirements. The bill bans institutions from constraining students' course choices to meet such requirements or mandating faculty to incorporate specific content or participate in related training as part of evaluations or promotions. Limited exemptions exist only for programs explicitly focused on racial, ethnic, or gender studies, and students cannot be forced to take these courses for other degrees. The law takes effect for academic years starting July 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits mandatory DEI/critical race theory curriculum at public universities, restricting academic content and course requirements per bill language.95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Apr 3, 2025

HF 402: A bill for an act establishing completion of a course on American history and civil government as a requirement for the completion of a baccalaureate degree program at a public institution of higher education.

HF 402 requires all students earning a bachelor's degree at Iowa's public colleges and universities to complete a three-credit survey course on American history and civil government beginning in the 2027 academic year. The course must cover U.S. founding documents (like the Constitution and Declaration of Independence), the historical development of American government, constitutional principles, and landmark Supreme Court cases. It must fulfill general education social science requirements and cannot be repeated if a student transfers between Iowa public institutions. The bill aims to ensure all graduates have foundational knowledge of U.S. governance and civic history.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates a required American history/civics course for bachelor's degrees, strengthening civic education curriculum in higher education.95% confidence

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