This bill establishes a new fee structure for wire transmissions, which are defined as money transfers sent to or from locations outside the United States. Financial institutions and their authorized representatives must collect a $5 fee for transfers of $500 or less, plus an additional 2% charge on amounts exceeding $500. The collected fees are submitted quarterly to the state Department of Revenue, with 10% directed to the office to combat human trafficking and the remainder deposited into the state's general fund. The Department of Revenue, working with the Department of Public Safety, is responsible for enforcing compliance, and may recommend license suspensions or revocations for non-payment.
HF 2538 modifies Iowa's school performance grading system and student discipline rules. It requires schools to calculate performance grades using metrics like safety efforts (including suspending students for "disorderly conduct" like threats or classroom disruptions), academic growth, attendance, and parental engagement. The bill authorizes teachers to immediately exclude disruptive students from their classrooms and request principal involvement, with specific rules for repeat offenses (e.g., three exclusions in 30 days triggering suspension). It also mandates that charter and innovation zone schools follow the same discipline procedures as traditional school districts and allows teachers to request Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meetings for students with behavioral issues.
HF 2547 modifies Iowa's education policies to strengthen career pathways and college credit transfer. It requires community colleges to develop regional high-demand job lists (up to five per college) for career planning, updates career academy standards to ensure secondary courses align with postsecondary programs, and revises the statewide articulation agreement to allow seamless transfer of career-technical credits from community colleges to four-year institutions without uniform credit limits. The bill also adjusts funding weights for high school students taking community college courses (70% for career/tech courses, 50% for liberal arts) and mandates the state board of regents to report on implementing performance-based funding for public higher education institutions.
HF 2336 requires Iowa school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to comply with federal standards for student religious, political, and ideological expression. The bill mandates that schools annually distribute federal guidance on religious expression to all staff, offer related professional development, adopt model policies, and certify annual compliance. Schools that fail to follow these requirements face civil penalties of at least $5,000 per violation. This legislation directly affects all public K-12 schools in Iowa by establishing specific administrative duties to ensure student speech rights align with federal law.
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.
This bill requires all Iowa schools serving grades 7-12 (including public districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zones) to provide specific social studies instruction. It mandates at least one-half semester of civics and U.S. government instruction in grades 7-8, and increases required instruction to one full unit (including voting procedures, constitutional study, and the Bill of Rights) for grades 9-12. The bill expands current requirements to cover additional school types and specifies exact curriculum content. It applies to school years starting July 1, 2028.
HF 2510 modifies Iowa's K-12 social studies curriculum requirements. It mandates specific instruction on U.S. founding documents (including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers), "admirable Americans" like Lincoln and Douglass, and Holocaust education for both students and teachers. The bill requires grades 5-6 to study key historical documents, adds a semester of civics focusing on U.S. founding principles and government structures, and specifies that U.S. history instruction must emphasize "exceptional and praiseworthy history" using primary sources. It directly affects all public school students in grades 1-12 and their educators across Iowa.
HF 2226 requires the University of Iowa's Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to accept at least 80% of students who graduated from Iowa high schools. It mandates admission priority for these Iowa high school graduates and requires applicants to state whether they graduated from an Iowa high school or plan to work in Iowa after graduation. The university must submit annual reports to Iowa lawmakers showing acceptance rates for Iowa applicants and brief reasons for denials (while keeping personal data confidential under federal privacy laws). This bill directly affects nursing program applicants and the University of Iowa's admissions process.
HF 189 allows students enrolled in nonpublic schools (like private or religious schools) to compete in public school athletic programs. The bill establishes eligibility rules for these students to participate in interscholastic sports and competitions organized by public schools. It became law when the Governor signed it on June 6, 2025, directly affecting nonpublic school students and public school athletic departments. The law modifies existing rules to expand participation opportunities for this specific student group.
HF 516 creates priority access for residency and fellowship positions at the University of Iowa’s colleges of medicine and dentistry, directly affecting UI’s medical programs and their affiliated hospitals and clinics. The bill requires state-funded training programs to prioritize applicants from these UI institutions when filling medical residency and fellowship roles. Now law after Governor signed it on June 11, 2025, this policy change aims to strengthen UI’s medical education pipeline without altering broader admission standards for other institutions.
