Education

passed · Iowa · House Mar 26, 2026

HF 2538: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the duties of the department of education, the discipline of students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools who exhibit disorderly conduct in the classroom, the responsibilities and powers of the department of education, school district teachers, and other educational staff related to students who have individualized education programs or plans under section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act, and school district professional development plans, and authorizing teachers to request a meeting of a student’s individualized education program team.

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.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill mandates suspensions for 'disorderly conduct' and ties school grades to safety metrics, restricting student behavior rather than advancing educational support.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Special Education

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passed · Iowa · House Mar 16, 2026

HF 2488: A bill for an act prohibiting private institutions of higher education that participate in the Iowa tuition grant program from establishing diversity, equity, and inclusion offices.

HF 2488 prohibits private colleges in Iowa that receive Iowa Tuition Grants from establishing or maintaining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices. The bill defines a DEI office as any unit creating or promoting policies related to race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, but excludes legal compliance offices, academic departments, student recruitment, and student organizations. Private institutions violating this could lose eligibility for the tuition grant program starting the next academic year. The law allows institutions to report disputes to the attorney general, who can suspend grant access if violations aren't resolved within 30 days.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits DEI offices at private colleges receiving tuition grants, restricting diversity initiatives in higher education curricula and campus policies.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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signed · Iowa · House Apr 30, 2026

HF 2539: A bill for an act repealing certain programs and other matters relating to higher education.

HF 2539 repeals multiple existing higher education programs and administrative requirements in Iowa. It specifically eliminates the Regent’s Minority and Women Educators Enhancement Program, the College Bound program, laboratory schools, and related reporting obligations. The bill also modifies a reporting requirement for the college student aid commission regarding program implementation. These changes remove specific state-funded initiatives and streamline administrative processes for institutions governed by the state board of regents.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRepeals state-funded higher education programs (Minority Educators, College Bound), eliminating funding and initiatives supporting access/diversity in higher education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SSB 3109: A bill for an act requiring school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to provide success-sequence education in grades seven through twelve.

This bill requires all Iowa public school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to incorporate "success-sequence education" into grades 7-12 curricula. It defines this instruction as covering evidence-based milestones (like earning a high school diploma, securing full-time employment, and marriage) and research on marriage benefits and outcomes for children of divorced parents. The content must be included in social studies for grades 7-8 and in health education/personal finance for grades 9-12. The bill specifies that existing state school foundation aid funds will cover implementation costs, with no additional state funding required.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates specific curriculum content on marriage/divorce research, restricting academic freedom in education curricula as required by law.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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introduced · Iowa · House Feb 6, 2026

HF 2324: A bill for an act prohibiting school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools from entering into certain specified contracts with public libraries and hosting mobile libraries.

HF 2324 prohibits Iowa school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools from entering agreements with public libraries that let students use school-issued ID cards to access library materials. It also bans these schools from allowing mobile libraries (vehicles owned/operated by public libraries that transport books) to host events on school property where students can check out books. The bill defines "public library" as city-established libraries or library districts, and "mobile library" as a vehicle used to transport educational materials. These restrictions apply directly to all K-12 schools in Iowa seeking to collaborate with public libraries or host mobile library services. The law aims to prevent specific types of partnerships between schools and public libraries.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits school access to library resources via student IDs and mobile libraries, limiting student educational access and collaboration with public libraries.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Libraries

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vetoed · Iowa · Senate Jun 2, 2026

SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program.

This bill requires students (or their parents/guardians if minors) to reimburse school districts for community college courses taken through concurrent enrollment programs if the student fails the course. Specifically, if a student fails a class offered by a community college or taught by its instructor, the school district can request payment equal to the amount it paid the college for that specific course. The policy applies to high school students enrolled in Iowa's district-to-community college sharing program, which allows them to earn college credits while in high school. This change modifies existing rules under Code section 261E.8 to shift the financial responsibility for failed courses back to the student or family.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationImposes financial penalty for course failure, restricting access to concurrent enrollment programs by creating disincentive for students to participate.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SF 2241: A bill for an act relating to charter school requirements, including reporting requirements, governance standards, financial accountability, and oversight by the state board of education.

This bill (SF 2241) sets new requirements for Iowa charter schools, directly affecting charter schools and their relationships with school districts. Key provisions include limiting charter schools to one per 10,000 students statewide per grade level (elementary/middle/high), mandating that governing boards include at least 50% parents of enrolled students and a school district representative, and requiring detailed annual reports on student enrollment, withdrawals, finances (including management fees), and academic performance. Charter schools must also comply with public fund restrictions and assessment reporting similar to traditional public schools. The state board of education will develop oversight standards to monitor academic, financial, and operational performance, with enhanced monitoring for underperforming schools.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill restricts charter school expansion (1 per 10k students) and imposes strict governance/oversight requirements, limiting their growth in the education system.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice Testing & Assessment

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SF 2060: A bill for an act relating to eligibility standards for certain education programs and tax provisions based on religious or sectarian use or purpose, and including retroactive applicability provisions.

This bill modifies Iowa's education and tax laws to ensure public funding for educational programs excludes religious instruction. It defines "property" to exclude facilities used for sectarian teaching, worship, or religious training, and requires courses for high school students taking college credit to be nonsectarian. School districts must verify comparable nonreligious courses aren't available before allowing students to enroll in eligible college courses at community colleges. Textbook funding for nonpublic schools must be for nonreligious materials, and districts must annually approve courses for academic rigor. The bill affects public school districts, community colleges, and accredited nonpublic schools in Iowa.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill restricts public funding for religious instruction by modifying tax laws, excluding sectarian facilities and requiring nonsectarian courses. This defunds religious use of public funds, directly limiting government spending per tax provisions.90% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts public funding for religious instruction in education programs, excluding sectarian use from tax provisions and requiring nonsectarian courses.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Higher Education K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Feb 16, 2026

HSB 537: A bill for an act prohibiting private institutions of higher education that participate in the Iowa tuition grant program from establishing diversity, equity, and inclusion offices.

This bill prohibits private colleges and universities in Iowa that participate in the state's tuition grant program from establishing or maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices. It defines a DEI office as any unit creating or promoting policies related to race, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation, but excludes legal compliance offices, academic departments, student recruitment, and student organizations. Institutions failing to comply risk losing eligibility for the tuition grant program starting the next academic year, with a 30-day window to correct violations or provide documentation. The law explicitly allows DEI-related activities that align with federal or state law, accreditation standards, or academic instruction.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits DEI offices in participating colleges, restricting diversity initiatives in higher education policy per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SF 2072: A bill for an act relating to state entities, including by modifying provisions related to prohibited diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and officers and to trainings and curricula regarding specific defined concepts provided by school districts.

SF 2072 prohibits state entities and school districts in Iowa from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or curricula covering specific "defined concepts." It requires termination of employees who violate these prohibitions, revocation of professional licenses for licensed individuals, and imposes civil fines of $50,000 or $100,000 on affected schools or state entities based on their budget size. The bill allows students, alumni, or employees to sue school districts for violations, with prevailing parties triggering these penalties. It directly affects school staff, state employees, and licensed professionals (like teachers or attorneys) who work in programs deemed non-compliant.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits DEI curricula and programs in schools, restricting educational content and academic freedom per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

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