HF 2492 adds career and technical education (CTE) instructors to the list of positions eligible for shared operational functions that qualify for extra school district funding. School districts sharing CTE instructors (defined as licensed teachers with specific endorsements in grades 5-12) with other districts or political subdivisions for at least 20% of the school year will receive a supplementary funding boost of three pupils per shared function. This change expands existing funding rules, which previously covered roles like counselors and special education directors, to specifically include CTE instructors. The bill aims to redirect resources toward student programming by incentivizing shared staffing arrangements.
SF 2336 requires Iowa's community colleges, state-regents institutions (like universities), and public school districts to annually report antisemitism incidents and investigations to state education boards by September 1 each year. It mandates these institutions to prohibit antisemitism in the same manner as other discrimination under federal and state law, and to update student and staff conduct codes to explicitly ban antisemitic harassment or discrimination against Jewish people. The bill also requires the state board of regents to annually review institutional policies on antisemitism and include findings in their report. These requirements apply directly to all covered educational institutions across Iowa.
This bill modifies Iowa's adoption of the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) to exclude specific sections and add exemptions. It exempts kitchen countertop outlets from ground-fault protection requirements (unless serving countertops), removes arc-fault circuit breaker mandates for single-family homes and townhouses, and prohibits outlets near bathtubs/showers. Local governments cannot adopt stricter electrical codes, and future code changes must include cost analyses for consumers. The bill expires upon Iowa’s adoption of the 2026 NEC edition.
HF 2487 restricts state entities and public higher education institutions in Iowa from requiring content related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory in undergraduate general education courses. It mandates that the state board of regents review all such required courses by fall 2028, identify those containing this content, and have discretion to direct institutions to eliminate them. The bill empowers the attorney general to investigate alleged violations, issue subpoenas for records, and seek enforcement through courts, with institutions required to reimburse legal costs. It also sets a December 2026 deadline for the board to establish required policies.
HF 2592 allows Iowa cities, counties, and other local governments to invest up to 25% of their public funds in joint investment trusts. Before investing, governing bodies must provide written acknowledgment that funds in these trusts are not insured, guaranteed, or collateralized, and that losses could occur based on trust performance. The bill also clarifies that uninsured portions of public funds may be invested in insured deposits or certificates of deposit at federally insured credit unions. Violating these provisions would constitute a breach of fiduciary duty, potentially leading to civil, criminal, or administrative penalties.
HF 2590 directs Iowa's Department of Management to sell the state-owned communications network as soon as feasible. It requires the sale to include a 10-year guarantee that existing authorized users (like government agencies and schools) can continue receiving network services on reasonable terms. The department must submit quarterly progress reports starting October 2026 and provide a detailed sale plan 10 days before closing. Proceeds from the sale will go to the state general fund, and the bill removes previous restrictions that limited how the network could be used or resold. The sale authorization takes effect immediately, while other changes to network rules take effect July 1, 2027.
This bill allows public schools and accredited nonpublic schools to hold practice-oriented scrimmages with nonaccredited home school sports organizations. It requires a written agreement covering safety protocols, date/location, and liability coverage before any scrimmage, with both parties assuming responsibility for their participants. Scrimmages cannot count toward official records, standings, or eligibility, must be voluntary, limit duration/intensity to practice standards, and cannot charge admission or use play-by-play commentary. The bill specifically defines "nonaccredited home school sports organization" as groups serving students in unaccredited private instruction settings.
This bill modifies Iowa's charter school laws by eliminating innovation zone schools entirely and centralizing authorization under the state board of education. It requires charter schools to operate as nonprofits, mandates specific curriculum resources (like math plans and civics tests), and ensures charter school students can participate in public school extracurricular activities. The bill directly affects charter schools, school districts, and students by changing how charter schools are authorized, funded, and required to provide educational services. Key provisions include the state board as the sole authorizer, new requirements for math and civics resources, and removing all references to innovation zone schools from the code.
SF 2386 sets a 5% cap on administrative costs (indirect costs) charged to state-funded grants in Iowa, effective July 1, 2026. It applies to all state departments awarding grants and grant recipients, including nonprofits, schools, and local governments. The bill requires grants to separately list direct and indirect costs in budgets, mandates documentation for all indirect cost calculations, and prohibits reclassifying indirect costs as direct costs to bypass the cap. Departments must enforce the limit during grant approval and monitoring, and disallowed costs must be recovered.
HF 2361 requires Iowa's regents institutions (like the University of Iowa, Iowa State, and UNI) to mandate that undergraduate students complete introductory survey courses in American history and American government as part of their general education requirements. Each course must be at least three semester hours and fulfill social sciences or humanities requirements, with institutions granting equivalent credit for similar prior coursework. The policy applies to students starting in academic years beginning July 1, 2028, and excludes three-year degree programs. Additionally, three university centers must establish lecture series promoting civil dialogue on American republic issues and submit annual reports to state leaders.
This bill (SF 2413) requires all Iowa schools serving grades seven and eight - including public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools - to include at least one-half semester of instruction on U.S. government as part of their social studies curriculum. It expands current law, which previously only mandated civics instruction, by adding specific requirements for U.S. government education in those grades. The policy applies to all eligible schools for the 2028-2029 school year and later. The change ensures students receive dedicated time on U.S. government structure and function, alongside existing civics content.
HF 2647 allows retail alcohol licensees (like liquor stores) owned by the same business to transfer unopened alcoholic beverages between their own locations. It clarifies that these transfers are not considered "deliveries" under existing rules and specifies that inventory ownership shifts to the receiving location only after the alcohol is physically placed there. Licensees must keep detailed records of each transfer (date, quantity, type) for three years and make them available for inspection. The bill directly affects multi-location businesses holding identical retail alcohol licenses, streamlining internal stock movement without requiring new delivery permits. It does not change rules for deliveries to homes or other non-owned locations.
