HF 543 requires Iowa public school districts to provide free sanitary napkins and tampons in at least half of restrooms serving students in grades 6-12, with products regularly refilled. It directly affects school districts and students in those grades by ensuring access to essential hygiene products without cost. The bill appropriates state funds to reimburse districts for compliance costs from 2025 through 2028, with districts submitting documented expenses for reimbursement. After June 2028, school foundation aid will fund ongoing compliance, ending the state appropriation.
This bill modifies Iowa school funding rules for districts sharing certain staff services. It changes which staff positions count toward a school district's annual funding limit of 21 "additional pupils" in their budget. Starting July 1, 2025, funding for master social workers, independent social workers, mental health professionals, and school resource officers will no longer count toward this limit. This allows districts to hire more of these staff members without reducing their total funding allocation for other programs. The bill directly affects Iowa public school districts receiving shared-service funding under current law.
HF 212 requires school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools offering breakfast or lunch programs to follow specific food standards. It mandates using natural fats and oils (like butter, olive oil, or coconut oil) instead of margarine in school meals and bans the use of certain ingredients - including artificial dyes (like blue dye 1 and red dye 40), brominated vegetable oil, and margarine - in meals served to students. The bill also prohibits selling beverages containing these banned ingredients during school functions unless sold off-site or after 30 minutes past the school day’s end. These rules apply to all schools with meal programs starting July 1, 2027.
House File 883 requires public school districts to provide free feminine hygiene products, such as sanitary napkins and tampons, to female students in grades six through twelve. These products must be accessible in women's restrooms within school buildings and refilled regularly. The bill appropriates state funds to the Department of Education from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2028, to reimburse school districts for the full cost of compliance. After this period, school districts will cover these costs using state school foundation aid.
SF 113 modifies Iowa school curriculum and library policies. It requires all public school districts and charter schools to provide age-appropriate human growth and development education (including STD and HPV information) in grades K-12, and mandates school library programs to contain only age-appropriate materials. The bill establishes penalties for violations, including written warnings for first offenses and potential disciplinary hearings for repeated violations by school staff. It defines "age-appropriate" to exclude explicit sexual content and requires school libraries to maintain diverse, updated collections supporting curriculum needs. The law directly affects school districts, charter schools, and their employees in implementing these educational and library standards.
SF 102 requires all licensed K-12 school staff in Iowa with regular student contact to complete two annual, evidence-based mental health trainings by July 1, 2026. It mandates separate training on educator mental wellness (to occur within the first 60 days of the school year) and student social-emotional wellness with mental health symptom identification (to occur in January or February). Both trainings must follow nationally recognized best practices, and the state board of education will set qualifications for trainers. This bill directly affects school personnel holding licenses or certifications from Iowa's board of educational examiners.
This bill requires Iowa school boards to establish a process for appointing student liaisons who serve as nonvoting representatives at board meetings. School districts must create an application and selection process, and if applicants meet the criteria, the board must appoint at least one student to this role. The student liaison attends regular board and committee meetings (but not discipline-related sessions), accesses nonconfidential materials, and advocates for student perspectives on education policies. The Department of Education must provide school districts with a model application and selection process to guide implementation.
This bill requires Iowa school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to provide free breakfast and lunch programs to all students whose families earn at or below 300% of the federal poverty level starting July 2025, increasing to 400% for 2026-2027, and becoming universal (no income limit) beginning July 2027. It appropriates state funds to cover costs not covered by federal programs, ensuring meals meet nutrition standards. The bill directly affects all eligible schools and their students, expanding access to free meals while mandating compliance with federal and state nutrition rules. The state board of education must adopt rules to administer these provisions, effective upon enactment.
HF 263 requires all physically able students in kindergarten through fifth grade at Iowa public and accredited nonpublic schools to engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily, separate from required physical education classes. Schools must ensure this activity occurs unless a student is suspended, expelled, absent (including due to illness), or circumstances like inclement weather or early dismissal prevent it. The bill explicitly prohibits using physical education class to fulfill this 30-minute daily activity requirement. It applies directly to K-5 students and school staff responsible for implementing the activity schedule.
HF 333 requires Iowa public school districts to provide free feminine hygiene products (such as tampons and sanitary pads) in at least half of the restrooms serving students in grades 6-12, with regular refilling. The bill applies directly to all Iowa public schools educating middle and high school students. It appropriates state funds from 2025-2028 to reimburse school districts for the full cost of compliance, with the Department of Education managing the reimbursement process. The funding ends June 30, 2028, after which schools would use other state aid for ongoing costs.
