Education

passed · Iowa · House Apr 30, 2026

HR 116: A resolution commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.

HR 116 is a resolution that formally recognizes the 250th anniversary of the United States founding on July 4, 2026. It encourages residents, schools, and organizations in Iowa to participate in commemorative events and strengthens civics education to highlight principles like federalism and liberty. The bill does not change laws or allocate funding; it serves as a symbolic statement of appreciation for American history.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens civics education by highlighting principles like federalism and liberty, directly enhancing educational content.75% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Apr 21, 2026

HSB 778: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, state board of regents, and department of workforce development, and modifying provisions related to the Iowa special education council, the school budget review committee, and the calculation of basic enrollment, and including applicability provisions.

This bill allocates state funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to support various education agencies, including the Department for the Blind, the Department of Education, and the Department of Workforce Development. The legislation provides specific funding for administrative operations, teacher quality programs, early childhood services, and initiatives aimed at expanding work-based learning and career technical education. Additionally, it authorizes money for statewide student assessments and establishes a clearinghouse to promote job training opportunities for students.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly allocates state funds to support education agencies and essential programs, directly advancing the budget topic.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates state funds for education agencies, teacher quality programs, and student assessments.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill funds workforce development and career technical education, expanding work-based learning opportunities for workers.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget Career & Technical Education School Funding Special Education Workforce Development

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passed · Iowa · House Apr 28, 2026

HF 2764: A bill for an act relating to school district budgeting by modifying provisions relating to proposed property tax amounts.

This bill modifies Iowa school district budgeting rules to address timing issues with property tax proposals. It establishes a specific public hearing date no earlier than March 20 of the preceding year, ensuring residents have time to provide testimony before tax amounts are finalized. Under new provisions, if state growth percentages are not set by March 5, school districts must limit their proposed budget growth to match the previous year's rate. Additionally, while most local governments can only lower proposed tax amounts after a public hearing, school districts are granted the ability to increase them if enrollment data or new laws require it. These changes aim to provide clearer timelines and flexibility for school districts during the budget process.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens school district budgeting by ensuring timely public hearings and preventing arbitrary budget cuts due to delayed state growth percentages, thereby protecting school funding stability.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding

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signed · Iowa · House May 26, 2026

HF 2754: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to charter school approval, contracts, funding, and operations, services provided to charter schools by area education agencies, charter school student participation in extracurricular activities provided by public schools, the Iowa public employees’ retirement system, education savings accounts, independent accreditation, teacher training and licensure, the statewide voluntary preschool program, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, open enrollment, school tuition organizations, private instruction, and innovation zone schools; making appropriations; and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This comprehensive education bill modifies various aspects of Iowa's public school system, with a primary focus on charter schools, funding, and student services. It establishes the state board of education and the University of Northern Iowa as the sole entities authorized to approve new charter schools, while also defining how these schools can be created within or outside existing public school districts. The legislation mandates that all schools provide specific information regarding immunization exemptions to parents and requires the development of state-wide resources to support mathematics proficiency and civics education. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for teacher licensure, education savings accounts, and funding allocations, aiming to standardize oversight and operational requirements across different types of educational institutions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill includes appropriations and modifies funding mechanisms for charter schools and education services, indicating support for the budget topic.75% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes state board and UNI as sole charter approvers, mandates immunization info, and includes appropriations, indicating structural support and funding for education.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Pensions Early Childhood Higher Education School Choice

died · Iowa · Senate Apr 30, 2026

SF 2482: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, and state board of regents.

This bill provides state funding for the fiscal year 2026-2027 to support the Department for the Blind, the Department of Education, and the State Board of Regents. The appropriations cover a wide range of educational services, including salaries for staff, career and technical education programs, early childhood initiatives like birth-to-age-three services and Head Start projects, and resources for student assessments and literacy monitoring. Specific funds are also allocated to expand work-based learning opportunities, support school food service programs, and assist high school students in taking college-level summer classes. Additionally, the legislation includes money for specialized support for infants and toddlers with medical needs and for implementing performance reporting systems for school districts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly provides state funding and appropriations for essential education services and departments.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly provides state funding for education departments, staff salaries, and student programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Early Childhood Higher Education School Funding

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died · Iowa · Senate Apr 27, 2026

SF 2501: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to charter school approval, contracts, funding, and operations, services provided to charter schools by area education agencies, charter school student participation in extracurricular activities provided by public schools, the Iowa public employees’ retirement system, education savings accounts, independent accreditation, teacher training and licensure, the statewide voluntary preschool program, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, open enrollment, school tuition organizations, and innovation zone schools; making appropriations; and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This bill modifies various aspects of Iowa's education system, with a primary focus on updating regulations for charter schools, including their approval processes, funding, and operational requirements. It designates the state board of education and the University of Northern Iowa as the sole entities authorized to approve charter schools, while also clarifying definitions for terms like "public school district" and "founding group." The legislation mandates that schools provide parents with specific information regarding immunization exemptions and requires the development of state-wide resources to support mathematics proficiency and civics education. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for teacher training, preschool programs, and funding allocations, aiming to streamline oversight and standardize educational services across different school types.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill updates charter school regulations, clarifies definitions, and includes appropriations, indicating an intent to strengthen and fund the education system.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood Higher Education School Choice

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passed · Iowa · House Apr 20, 2026

HF 2755: A bill for an act relating to state participation in the federal tax credit program for individual contributions to scholarship granting organizations.

This bill directs the Governor of Iowa to opt into a federal tax credit program that allows individuals to receive tax breaks for donating money to scholarship-granting organizations. These organizations are nonprofits that provide financial aid for elementary and secondary education expenses, such as tuition and tutoring, to students in both public and private schools. To maintain eligibility for this program starting in tax years after January 1, 2027, the state's departments of revenue and education must follow federal rules and submit required information to the U.S. Treasury.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes a state tax credit program for education donations, promoting fiscal incentives and supporting educational funding.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enables tax credits for donations to scholarship organizations, expanding financial aid access for K-12 and private school students.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Tax Incentives Higher Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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signed · Iowa · House Jun 2, 2026

HF 2783: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, state board of regents, department of workforce development, and Iowa special education council.

HF 2783 allocates state funding for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to support various education agencies, including the Department for the Blind, the Department of Education, and the State Board of Regents. The bill provides specific amounts for salaries, operational expenses, and the hiring of full-time equivalent positions across areas such as general administration, career and technical education, and early childhood services. It also establishes new programs, including a statewide clearinghouse to expand work-based learning and summer college classes for high school students, while funding existing initiatives like birth-to-age-three services and statewide student assessments. This legislation directly affects school districts, educational institutions, and the agencies responsible for administering these programs throughout Iowa.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly allocates state funding for education agencies and operational expenses, directly advancing the budget topic.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates state funding for 2026-2027 to support education agencies, salaries, and operational expenses.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations State Budget Higher Education K-12 Education Special Education

in committee · Iowa · House Apr 27, 2026

HF 2760: A bill for an act creating an attorney loan repayment program, and making appropriations.

This bill creates a loan repayment program administered by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission to encourage attorneys to practice law in the state. Eligible participants, who must be licensed Iowa lawyers, agree to work in designated areas and provide a specific number of hours of indigent defense services in exchange for up to $10,000 per year in loan assistance for a maximum of six years. The program prioritizes attorneys working in rural counties and those who graduated from Iowa law schools, with a strict limit of 25 recipients annually. Additionally, the bill establishes a dedicated state fund for the program and ensures that the loan repayment assistance received is exempt from Iowa state income tax.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly creates a new program and includes specific appropriations to fund it, directly advancing the topic of government spending and budget allocations.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill funds indigent defense services, improving access to legal representation and strengthening the criminal justice system.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates a loan repayment program to encourage attorneys to practice in Iowa, supporting legal education access and rural legal services.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Higher Education

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passed · Iowa · House May 2, 2026

HF 2791: A bill for an act permitting an exchange of the cash reserve levy for another local levy within the school budget for certain school districts to correct for an extreme circumstance and including effective date provisions.

This bill allows certain Iowa school districts to temporarily exceed their usual cash reserve tax limits for the 2026-2027 school year if a single property tax correction caused their taxable value to drop by at least $100 million. To do this, the districts must offset the extra money raised for reserves by reducing other local property taxes, such as the management levy, ensuring the total tax amount remains within legal limits. The process requires the district to notify the Department of Management, which will then adjust the official tax rates to reflect these changes. This measure is designed to help districts maintain financial stability after a significant administrative error in property valuation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allows school districts to correct extreme tax valuation drops by temporarily increasing reserve levies, ensuring fiscal stability and protecting school budgets.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allows districts to exceed reserve limits to correct tax drops, ensuring financial stability and protecting school budgets.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax School Funding

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