Education

SF 275 requires the Director of the Department of Education to develop and administer a "purple star school initiative." This initiative is designed to recognize and support schools that provide specific resources and services for military-connected students and their families. The bill tasks the Department of Education with creating the program's framework and overseeing its implementation across the state.

This bill modifies the Iowa National Guard service scholarship program, which helps eligible Iowa National Guard members pay for college tuition. It establishes that scholarship awards cannot exceed the difference between a student's tuition and any financial aid they receive under specific federal military programs (10 U.S.C. §2007). Additionally, the bill removes a provision that previously prohibited scholarship eligibility or award determinations from being based on a National Guard member's unit, drill location, or whether they are in the Army or Air National Guard.

House File 117 establishes the National Guard Service Professional Qualification Scholarship Program, directly affecting members of the Iowa National Guard. This program provides scholarships to eligible Guard members pursuing specific educational programs at community colleges, state universities, or accredited private institutions. The scholarships are for programs leading to a "credential," such as a postsecondary certificate or competency-based qualification, but do not cover associate or higher degrees. The Adjutant General approves eligible educational programs and determines individual eligibility, with the College Student Aid Commission administering the scholarship payments, which cannot exceed the total program cost.

This bill requires Iowa school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt policies by July 1, 2025, that restrict student use of personal electronic devices during classroom instructional time. The Department of Education will develop model policies for schools to consider. These policies must identify methods for parents to communicate with students during school hours and emergencies, establish disciplinary actions for violations, and outline secure storage protocols for devices. They must also include provisions allowing students to maintain access to devices for legitimate physical or mental health reasons, or as required by an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan. Additionally, school districts are mandated to revise their emergency operations plans by July 1, 2025, to align with these new policies on electronic device use.

This bill defines "sex" in Iowa law as a person's biological sex observed or clinically verified at birth, based on reproductive systems, and specifies that "gender" is a synonym for "sex" rather than "gender identity." It requires birth certificates to designate sex based on this definition at birth and eliminates the ability to change a person's sex designation on their birth certificate. The bill clarifies that state