Education (Higher Education)

died · Iowa · Senate Apr 27, 2026

SF 2221: A bill for an act requiring the board of educational examiners to establish additional endorsements for instruction related to fine arts, mathematics, and science.

SF 2221 requires Iowa's Board of Educational Examiners to create new teaching certifications (endorsements) for high-need subjects: fine arts, mathematics, and science. These new endorsements would allow teachers to instruct in these specific areas, but applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university to qualify. The requirement to hold a bachelor's degree and the entire new endorsement system will expire on July 1, 2030. This bill directly affects teachers seeking certification in these subjects and school districts needing qualified staff.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates new teaching endorsements for high-need subjects (arts/math/science), strengthening educator qualifications in critical areas per bill's explicit purpose.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

Track

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

Sub-Topics Higher Education

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 5, 2026

HF 2288: A bill for an act relating to vaccination exemptions for certain students in clinical rotations and the qualification of postsecondary schools as eligible institutions for Iowa tuition grants.

This bill requires Iowa postsecondary schools offering health science programs (like nursing or medical training) to provide students with clinical rotation placements where they can skip certain vaccination requirements, upon request. It directly affects health science students needing clinical training and the schools they attend. Schools that fail to comply lose eligibility for Iowa tuition grants, which fund student financial aid. The law defines "clinical rotation" as supervised, credit-bearing healthcare training in facilities and updates eligibility rules for tuition grant programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnables health science students to complete required clinical rotations by waiving certain vaccination requirements, enhancing educational access for program completion.85% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill permits vaccination exemptions for healthcare students, weakening public health vaccine requirements for clinical training programs.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid Public Health

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 16, 2026

SF 2321: A bill for an act repealing the education savings account program.

This bill repeals Iowa's education savings account program, which provided state-funded vouchers to families for nonpublic school expenses like tuition, tutoring, and learning materials. It removes the program from state law (repealing Section 257.11B) and adjusts related funding calculations in school finance codes to exclude students who previously used these accounts. The program directly affected families enrolling children in nonpublic schools who received these state-funded payments. The bill makes no new funding changes but eliminates the program's structure and its impact on school district cost formulas.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill repeals state-funded education savings account program, removing it from law and adjusting school finance to exclude voucher users, directly defunding this spending program and reducing government expenditure.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRepeals state-funded vouchers for private schools, removing public funding from nonpublic education programs.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SF 2424: A bill for an act relating to vaccination exemptions for certain students in clinical rotations and the qualification of postsecondary schools as eligible institutions for Iowa tuition grants, and providing civil penalties.

SF 2424 requires Iowa postsecondary schools offering health-related degree programs (like nursing) to identify clinical rotation placements where students can be exempt from vaccination requirements during their training. This directly affects healthcare students seeking clinical placements and accredited private colleges that must comply to maintain eligibility for Iowa tuition grants. Schools failing to provide such exemptions or respond to student reports of violations by September 30 face losing tuition grant eligibility and a $5,000 civil penalty. The bill enforces this through a student reporting process to the Attorney General, with penalties tied to annual compliance deadlines.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires vaccination exemptions for clinical rotations in health programs, enabling student access to training and maintaining tuition grant eligibility - directly supports educational access for healthcare students.85% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareAllows vaccine exemptions for healthcare students in clinical rotations, restricting immunization requirements for healthcare training settings.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Public Health

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 19, 2026

SF 2303: A bill for an act providing for a review of undergraduate general education requirements and core curricula at regents institutions and authorizing elimination of certain required courses and course requirements.

SF 2303 requires Iowa's state board of regents to review all undergraduate general education requirements and core curricula at public universities (regents institutions) by fall 2028. The review specifically directs institutions to identify required courses containing diversity, equity, inclusion, or critical race theory-related content, with the board having discretion to order the elimination of such courses. The board must establish all necessary policies by December 31, 2026, to implement this review process. This bill directly affects course requirements at Iowa's public universities and aims to modify general education curricula through a state-mandated review.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill mandates review to identify and potentially eliminate DEI/CRT-related courses, restricting curriculum content and academic freedom in higher education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2026

HSB 716: A bill for an act providing for a waiver of resident tuition at community colleges for dependents of first responders.

This bill, HSB 716 (the "First Responder Dependent Education Act"), provides a tuition waiver for Iowa residents who are dependents of active first responders (law enforcement officers, firefighters, or emergency medical care providers). To qualify, dependents must enroll in an associate degree program related to public safety or a high-demand job, meet college admission requirements, and submit proof their parent/guardian is an active first responder in Iowa. The waiver covers remaining resident tuition after federal/state aid and grants, lasting up to two years, but requires dependents to remain Iowa residents for five years after graduation - repayment is required if they leave early without valid reasons like death or disability. The policy directly affects dependents of first responders pursuing specific career-focused education at Iowa community colleges.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition waiver for dependents of first responders in public safety/high-demand programs, increasing access to higher education through direct funding support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Feb 18, 2026

SSB 3163: A bill for an act relating to education programs and systems, including career and technical education expenditures and definitions, statewide lower division general education framework and common course numbering systems, and the implementation of a statewide corequisite model in Iowa community colleges.

This bill establishes a statewide framework for career and technical education (CTE) in Iowa high schools and community colleges. It requires high schools to offer computer science instruction aligned with CTE standards and mandates students complete sequential CTE courses across six defined career pathways (e.g., health sciences, business, agriculture). For community colleges, it implements a common course numbering system to simplify transfer between institutions by 2027 and replaces traditional remedial math/English courses with corequisite models by the 2028-2029 school year. The bill directly affects Iowa high school students, community college students, educators, and school districts through new curriculum requirements and funding alignment with high-demand, high-wage occupations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates CTE courses and computer science in high schools, standardizes community college transfers - strengthens career education framework95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Curriculum Higher Education

Track

passed · Iowa · House Mar 26, 2026

HF 2547: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to career academies, the collective statewide articulation agreement between community colleges and the state board of regents, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, and individual career and academic plans, and by requiring the state board of regents to submit a report related to establishing a performance-based funding model for the institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents.

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens career pathways, ensures course alignment, enables seamless credit transfer, and requires job-focused planning - directly advancing educational access and program quality per bill summary and subjects.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Higher Education K-12 Education

Track

introduced · Iowa · House Feb 20, 2026

HF 2654: A bill for an act providing for a waiver of resident tuition at community colleges for dependents of first responders.

HF 2654 creates a tuition waiver for Iowa community college residents who are dependents of first responders (law enforcement officers, firefighters, or emergency medical providers). To qualify, dependents must enroll in an associate degree program related to public safety/emergency response or a high-demand job, meet college admission requirements, and provide proof their parent worked as a first responder for at least six years (currently active or retired). The waiver covers remaining resident tuition after subtracting federal/state aid and scholarships, limited to two academic years. Dependents must remain Iowa residents for five years post-graduation; failure to do so requires repayment of the waived tuition, with exceptions for death or disability.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition waiver for first responders' dependents in community college, expanding access to higher education through financial support.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

Track