Education

signed · Iowa · House May 6, 2026

HF 703: A bill for an act concerning information regarding certain state and federal student loan programs.

HF 703, the "Increasing Student Financial Aid Awareness Act," requires Iowa's Student Loan Liquidity Corporation to provide the Bureau of Iowa College Aid with annual estimates of federal direct PLUS loan interest rates and comparisons between state and federal loan terms. The Bureau must analyze this data to determine if Iowa's college family or partnership loans offer lower interest rates than federal PLUS loans. If they do, the Bureau must publish a clear online statement explaining this difference and require all Iowa colleges to include this information in financial aid offers to students. This bill directly affects Iowa students, families, and higher education institutions by improving transparency around loan options and ensuring they receive standardized comparisons of state and federal student loan rates.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationPromotes educational access by informing students of lower-cost state loan options, reducing financial barriers to higher education85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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 | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 30, 2026

HF 2725: A bill for an act relating to education reporting, including the sharing of unit-level wage data for secondary and postsecondary program evaluation, the establishment of the condition of education report, consolidating certain required reports, modifying responsibilities for the future ready Iowa last-dollar scholarship report, modifying Iowa workforce development data-sharing provisions, and creating a return on investment reporting system to be overseen by the Iowa student aid commission.

HF 2725 requires Iowa's Department of Workforce Development to share unit-level wage data (like job titles, earnings, and locations) with the Department of Education for evaluating secondary and postsecondary education programs. It establishes an annual "condition of education report" due April 1 each year, consolidating multiple existing reports, and creates a statewide return on investment (ROI) reporting system overseen by the Iowa Student Aid Commission. Public colleges and universities must submit program-level data - including costs, completion rates, graduate earnings, and job placement - to the Commission for public publication. Institutions failing to comply may lose eligibility for state financial aid programs, though federal aid remains unaffected. The bill directly affects public colleges, students seeking program transparency, and state agencies managing education data.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes data-driven reporting systems (condition of education report, ROI tracking) to evaluate program effectiveness and inform education funding decisions, strengthening accountability and outcomes.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 19, 2026

HF 2336: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the protected speech and expression rights of students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools and the duties of the department of education, and providing civil penalties.

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates schools to comply with federal standards protecting student religious, political, and ideological expression, requiring policies and training to safeguard these rights, thus supporting educational freedom and student expression in sc...90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 19, 2026

HF 2487: A bill for an act concerning restrictions on certain activities relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory by state entities and public institutions of higher education.

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.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts curriculum content on DEI/CRT in higher education courses, limiting academic freedom and required educational content per bill's explicit language.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 19, 2026

HF 2362: A bill for an act relating to tuition charged to resident undergraduate students enrolled at regents institutions.

HF 2362 requires Iowa's regents institutions to establish a policy preventing tuition increases for resident undergraduate students during their subsequent years of enrollment after the first year, starting with enrollments beginning in 2027 or later. It directly affects in-state undergraduate students who begin their first academic year at a regents institution in 2027 or later, freezing tuition for up to three additional years. Key exceptions include students who transfer to a higher-tuition institution (allowing the new school to charge more) or those who complete their degree in fewer than four years using transfer credits. The policy does not apply to any academic years beyond three consecutive years after the student's first year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationFreezes tuition for in-state undergrads at regents institutions, reducing financial barriers and enhancing access to higher education.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 19, 2026

HF 2244: A bill for an act relating to social studies instruction provided to students enrolled in grades seven through twelve, and including applicability provisions.

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates expanded civics/U.S. government instruction in grades 7-12, strengthening social studies curriculum requirements per bill's explicit language.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 18, 2026

HF 2649: A bill for an act establishing a pilot program that authorizes eligible community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees.

HF 2649, the "REACH Act," creates a pilot program allowing eligible Iowa community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees in specific high-demand fields like nursing, IT, and education. To qualify, colleges must be at least 50 miles from existing bachelor's programs and limit offerings to three degrees per institution, with upper-level courses taught on campus (not online). The bill requires annual reporting on enrollment, student outcomes, and workforce alignment to the state education department and legislature. It directly affects community colleges in rural or underserved areas seeking to expand local higher education options without replacing university programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands access to bachelor's degrees in high-demand fields through community colleges, aligning with workforce needs and increasing educational opportunities.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill enables community colleges to offer nursing degrees (a healthcare field), expanding workforce pipeline for healthcare services.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates workforce-aligned degree pathways in high-demand fields (nursing, IT, education), directly advancing employment standards through education-to-career pipeline development.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly authorizes community colleges to offer IT bachelor's degrees as a high-demand field, directly advancing technology workforce development through education.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 11, 2026

HF 2510: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the social studies instruction provided to students enrolled in grades one through twelve and the educational programs provided by the institutions of higher education under the control of the state board of regents.

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates specific curriculum content including founding documents, Holocaust education, and civics, strengthening educational standards per bill language.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 11, 2026

HF 2226: A bill for an act relating to the bachelor of science in nursing program at the university of Iowa, including priority for admission and reporting requirements.

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates admission priority for Iowa high school graduates in nursing program, expanding local access to higher education.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

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