Education

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 19, 2025

HSB 86: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to school concussion and brain injury policies.

This bill (HSB 86) amends Iowa's school concussion policy law to expand the definition of "licensed health care provider" to include psychologists with doctorates and specialty training in neuropsychology or concussion management. It directly affects schools, athletic associations, and healthcare professionals involved in student-athlete concussion protocols. The key change allows these psychologists to authorize a student's return to sports after a concussion, alongside existing providers like doctors and physical therapists. This update ensures more healthcare professionals can participate in evaluating and clearing student athletes for safe return to play, as required under existing concussion management protocols.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands concussion management authority for school athletes, enhancing student safety protocols within K-12 school operations.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands qualified healthcare providers for concussion management, improving access to specialized care in schools.90% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 28, 2025

SF 78: A bill for an act relating to certain specified skilled trades, including modifying provisions related to department of workforce development internship programs, the Iowa summer youth corps program, college student aid commission programs, the senior year plus program, the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics collaborative initiative within the innovation division of the department of education, and curricula provided in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools to include the skilled trades, and including applicability provisions.

SF 78 integrates skilled trades into Iowa's education and workforce programs. It requires school districts, nonpublic schools, and charter schools to include specific trades - like welding, carpentry, electrical work, and HVAC - into curricula. The bill creates internship programs with 1:1 wage matching (up to $5,000 per intern) for students in skilled trades or STEM fields, funded by the Department of Workforce Development. It also establishes regional STEM/trades networks and collaborative initiatives to expand program access statewide. These changes directly affect students, schools, and employers in Iowa's skilled trades sectors.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires skilled trades integration into K-12/college curricula, funds STEM/trades internships via workforce development, and establishes education department-led networks.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentCreates paid internships with wage matching for skilled trades, funding workforce development programs to advance worker training and employment pathways.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Workforce Development

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 28, 2025

HF 103: A bill for an act relating to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education governed by the board of regents and community colleges.

HF 103 requires Iowa's public universities and community colleges to provide reasonable accommodations to students who are pregnant or recently gave birth. This includes allowing rescheduling of assignments and exams, granting up to 12 months for completing coursework or degrees (or longer if medically necessary), and permitting leave of absence without penalty. Institutions must also maintain written policies, post protections online, assign a staff contact for pregnancy-related support, and allow students to keep housing during leave. The law mandates that schools cannot force students to withdraw or limit participation due to pregnancy and establishes a complaint process through the Attorney General.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires accommodations for pregnant students in higher ed, ensuring educational continuity without penalty. Directly protects access and retention for affected students.95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 30, 2025

SSB 1022: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to shared operational functions and school district supplementary weighting.

This bill modifies Iowa school funding rules for districts sharing certain staff services. It changes which staff positions count toward a school district's annual funding limit of 21 "additional pupils" in their budget. Starting July 1, 2025, funding for master social workers, independent social workers, mental health professionals, and school resource officers will no longer count toward this limit. This allows districts to hire more of these staff members without reducing their total funding allocation for other programs. The bill directly affects Iowa public school districts receiving shared-service funding under current law.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExcludes mental health/social staff from budget caps, enabling districts to hire more without reducing total funding for essential school services.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllows districts to hire more mental health/social staff without counting toward funding limits, expanding access to student support services without reducing overall school budgets.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly removes funding limits for mental health professionals in schools, enabling increased hiring without budget reduction, directly advancing mental health services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding School Safety Student Health

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 10, 2025

HSB 57: A bill for an act relating to accreditation of postsecondary educational institutions, prohibiting adverse action by accrediting agencies against certain postsecondary educational institutions for compliance with state law, providing remedies, and including effective date provisions.

This bill, the "Accreditation Autonomy Act," prohibits accrediting agencies from taking adverse actions (like revoking accreditation) against Iowa public colleges and universities for complying with state law or refusing to violate it. It defines "accrediting agency" as a non-governmental entity and "public institution of higher education" as state-regulated colleges or community colleges. If an agency violates this rule, affected institutions can sue for injunctive relief and damages equal to the prior year's federal financial aid, plus legal fees. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProtects public colleges from accreditor penalties for complying with state law, strengthening institutional autonomy in higher education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Financial Aid

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 13, 2025

HSB 56: 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.

This bill requires all students at Iowa public colleges pursuing a bachelor's degree to complete a mandatory 3-credit survey course in American history and civil government starting in the 2027 academic year. The course must cover foundational U.S. government principles, historical development of republican institutions, key founding documents (like the Constitution and Declaration of Independence), landmark Supreme Court cases, and comparative government systems. It specifies required readings including the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and ensures the course fulfills social science general education requirements. Students transferring between Iowa public institutions will not need to repeat the course.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates required American history/civics course, enhancing higher education curriculum standards per bill's explicit requirements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 17, 2025

HSB 51: A bill for an act relating to tuition, degree programs, employment, and related matters pertaining to students enrolled at regents institutions.

HSB 51, the "College Affordability Act," requires Iowa's regents institutions to implement several affordability measures for in-state undergraduate students. It caps annual tuition and mandatory fee increases for in-state residents at 3%, mandates that first-year resident tuition remain unchanged for subsequent years (for students starting in 2026 or later), and requires each institution to offer at least one bachelor's degree program completed in three years by 2027. The bill also establishes a "work plus" program where employers cover tuition and fees during part-time employment semesters, requiring a formal agreement between students, employers, and institutions. These provisions directly affect in-state undergraduate students at Iowa's public universities and aim to reduce long-term education costs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCaps tuition increases at 3%, freezes first-year rates, mandates 3-year degrees - enhancing affordability and access for in-state students.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 24, 2025

HF 553: A bill for an act authorizing the use of revenues from the district management levy for the employment or retention of school security personnel and including applicability provisions.

HF 553 allows Iowa school districts to use revenues from their district management levy (a local tax) to hire or keep school security personnel. Specifically, it authorizes funding for school resource officers (per federal definition), private security officers with a weapons permit, reserve peace officers, or certified peace officers. The bill applies to school budget years starting July 1, 2025, expanding the current allowable uses of this levy revenue. This change directly affects school districts seeking to fund security staffing through existing local tax revenues.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes use of local tax revenues for school security personnel, directly enhancing school safety infrastructure within K-12 education policy.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding School Safety

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 25, 2025

SF 235: A bill for an act relating to obscenity exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions.

SF 235 repeals Iowa Code section 728.7, which currently provides legal exemptions for public libraries and schools. This exemption protects the use of educational materials and art exhibitions in libraries, schools, and youth programs from being classified as obscene under Iowa's obscenity laws. The bill removes this specific protection, meaning libraries and schools would no longer have this explicit legal shield when handling materials that might be deemed obscene under general obscenity laws. The repeal would directly affect public libraries, schools, and educational programs that previously relied on this exemption for their material use.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRemoves legal exemption protecting schools/libraries from obscenity charges, risking restrictions on educational materials and academic freedom.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Libraries

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 26, 2025

HF 445: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to application periods for the education savings account program.

HF 445 modifies Iowa's education savings account program by creating two application windows for parents or guardians of eligible students attending nonpublic schools. It allows applications for the full school year (due Jan 1-June 30) or for a semester (due Dec 1-Dec 20). Applications submitted for a semester receive only 50% of the standard payment amount (instead of 100%), while school-year applications receive the full amount. The bill affects families seeking funds to cover qualified educational expenses like tuition, tutoring, or materials.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands access to education savings accounts with flexible application windows, increasing funding options for nonpublic school families while maintaining full-year funding eligibility.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice

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