Education

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 23, 2026

SF 2044: A bill for an act relating to the responsibilities of school districts and charter schools related to the discipline of students who cause violent or nonviolent disruptions.

SF 2044 requires Iowa school districts and charter schools to adopt specific discipline policies for students causing violent or nonviolent disruptions. These policies must include behavior correction strategies, require parent consent before counseling, and establish placement review committees to determine when students can return to classrooms after removal. Schools must also provide alternatives like therapeutic classrooms, document individualized education plans for students with disabilities, and comply with federal disability and privacy laws. The bill standardizes discipline approaches while ensuring schools address disruptions through structured, documented processes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates discipline policies with therapeutic classrooms and IEP documentation, enhancing support for students with disabilities per education topic.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 28, 2026

SF 2061: A bill for an act establishing a nonpublic school safety infrastructure grant program and making appropriations.

SF 2061 creates a dedicated fund within Iowa's state treasury to provide competitive grants for school safety and security infrastructure projects at accredited nonpublic schools. Starting fiscal year 2027, $1 million annually will be transferred from the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education Fund into this new program. The Department of Education will administer the grant program, using funds exclusively for defined safety infrastructure improvements at eligible nonpublic schools, with unawarded funds rolling over to future years. The bill establishes clear rules for grant eligibility, application processes, and project types without specifying outcomes or policy preferences.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $1M annually from existing fund for school safety grants, directly funding a specific program through state budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates $1M annual grant program for nonpublic school safety infrastructure, directly funding school safety improvements under education finance.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

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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

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education

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died · Iowa · House Mar 2, 2026

HF 2092: A bill for an act relating to the statewide preschool program by modifying provisions relating to eligibility, funding, and compulsory attendance and including applicability provisions.

HF 2092 expands Iowa's statewide preschool program to include eligible five-year-olds who turn five between March 15 and September 15 of the school year, in addition to existing four-year-olds. It modifies eligibility rules so children must be four by September 15 (or five by that date for the new group) to qualify for state funding, and clarifies that children already counted for funding in prior years cannot be counted again. The bill also updates compulsory attendance rules to treat enrolled preschoolers as school-age, and changes references to "four-year-olds" to "young children" throughout related statutes. These changes apply to school budget years starting July 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands preschool eligibility requiring increased state funding allocation for additional participants under school finance provisions, directly advancing public service funding.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands preschool access to include eligible 5-year-olds, increasing early childhood educational opportunities and aligning with school finance provisions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood School Funding

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 19, 2026

SF 2121: A bill for an act relating to social studies instruction provided to students enrolled in grades seven through twelve, and including applicability provisions.

SF 2121 requires all Iowa schools serving grades 7-12 (including public school districts, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools) to provide specific social studies instruction. It mandates at least half a semester of civics and U.S. government content for grades 7-8, and increases the required civics unit for grades 9-12 from half to one full unit. The bill specifies that this civics instruction must cover voting procedures, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and U.S. government structure, with assessments on constitutional knowledge. These requirements apply to all schools starting in the 2028-2029 school year.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates increased civics curriculum requirements for grades 7-12, strengthening educational content standards per bill's explicit content expansion95% confidence

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 4, 2026

HF 2052: A bill for an act relating to community-based providers in the statewide voluntary preschool program for four-year-old children.

HF 2052 allows Iowa school districts to partner with community-based preschool providers (like local daycares or non-profits) under Chapter 28E agreements. It requires school districts to enter these agreements with any community provider that requests one, enabling them to provide preschool instruction as part of the state's voluntary program for four-year-olds. The bill specifically prohibits these agreements from limiting the number of eligible children who can receive instruction through community providers. This expands access to preschool options for families by ensuring school districts cannot restrict participation with community-based providers. The policy directly affects school districts, community preschool providers, and families seeking early education for four-year-olds.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands preschool access by requiring school districts to partner with community providers, enabling more children to enroll in the statewide voluntary program without limiting eligible participants.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 30, 2026

HSB 531: A bill for an act prohibiting an increase in the amount of tuition and mandatory fees charged to resident undergraduate students at regents institutions for a period of time and including effective date provisions.

This bill prohibits Iowa's public universities (regents institutions) from raising tuition or mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students starting immediately upon enactment and continuing through July 1, 2031. It directly affects resident undergraduate students at these institutions by preventing any tuition or fee increases during this period. The key mechanism requires the Board of Regents to enforce this freeze, with the prohibition automatically ending on July 1, 2031. The bill takes effect as soon as it is signed into law.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationPrevents tuition hikes for in-state undergrads at Iowa regents institutions, enhancing affordability and access to higher education without funding cuts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 10, 2026

HF 2211: A bill for an act relating to the eligibility of students enrolled in nonpublic schools to participate in show choir and marching band provided by public schools, and including effective date provisions.

HF 2211 requires Iowa public school districts to allow students enrolled in nonpublic schools to join public school show choir or marching band if those activities are offered by the public school but not by the nonpublic school. This applies to students living within the public school district or in a neighboring district, based on agreements between school districts and nonpublic schools. Nonpublic school students participating under this bill must pay the same fee as public school students, with no higher fees allowed. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates public school inclusion of nonpublic students in band/show choir, expanding extracurricular access and participation opportunities within K-12 education.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 10, 2026

HF 2004: A bill for an act relating to nonpublic school student participation in extracurricular interscholastic activities provided by public schools.

HF 2004 allows students enrolled in nonpublic schools to participate in public school extracurricular activities like sports, theater, show choir, and band under specific conditions. Nonpublic school students must live within the public school district or a contiguous district, and the activity cannot have been offered by their nonpublic school in the past two years or be covered by another existing agreement. Public school districts may charge nonpublic students the same fee as public students for participation, and these students must follow the public school's conduct rules. The bill ensures nonpublic students meet the same eligibility requirements as public school students for these activities.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands educational access by enabling nonpublic school students to participate in public school extracurricular activities, enhancing program inclusivity without restricting existing offerings.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 6, 2026

HSB 588: A bill for an act relating to agriculture, including by providing for the powers and duties of the department of agriculture and land stewardship, including the promotion and regulation of commodities and products; the regulation of the transportation of agricultural commodities; the use of agricultural land; and taxation, including property taxes, excise and sales taxes, and income taxes; making penalties applicable; and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This bill establishes the "Choose Iowa" program to promote state-grown agricultural products. It creates membership for farms and businesses producing Iowa commodities, allowing them to use a promotional logo on products. The bill also creates two new reimbursement programs: schools and school districts receive 50% matching funds for purchasing eligible Iowa-grown food (meat, dairy, produce, etc.), and Iowa food banks get matching funds up to $50,000 annually for buying local products. Additionally, it allocates $1.75 million annually for biodiesel infrastructure at retail fuel sites and specifies department administration for these programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates new reimbursement programs for schools and food banks, increasing state funding for public services without tax changes.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides 50% matching funds for schools to purchase Iowa-grown food, directly funding school nutrition programs as part of education support.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Procurement

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