Education

died · Iowa · House Apr 21, 2025

HF 163: A bill for an act relating to school safety by requiring the creation of threat assessment teams and authorizing information sharing between certain governmental agencies.

HF 163 aims to enhance school safety by requiring the creation of multidisciplinary threat assessment teams in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools. These teams will coordinate resources to assess and intervene when K-12 students exhibit behavior that may pose a threat to school safety. The bill also authorizes "covered entities," including schools, the judicial branch, and criminal justice agencies, to share records and information about students at risk of mental illness or posing a significant threat, to ensure access to appropriate services or safety. Additionally, it provides civil liability immunity to individuals who, in good faith, report or investigate credible dangers of serious harm on school property.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances school safety via threat assessment teams, directly protecting K-12 educational environments and student well-being as part of education policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Testing & Assessment

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in committee · Iowa · House May 12, 2025

HF 883: A bill for an act providing for access to feminine hygiene products in public school restrooms and making an appropriation.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly appropriates state funds (2025-2028) to reimburse school districts for feminine hygiene products, directly funding a public service through state budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires free feminine hygiene products in school restrooms for grades 6-12, ensuring student access and well-being, with state funding for implementation.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill funds free feminine hygiene products in schools, improving access to essential health supplies for students, aligning with public health access goals through state appropriation.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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in committee · Iowa · Senate May 14, 2025

SSB 1240: A bill for an act making appropriations from the sports wagering receipts fund, and including effective date provisions.

SSB 1240 appropriates funds from the sports wagering receipts fund for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025. It allocates $14 million to the Department of Education to supplement the compensation of non-salaried education support personnel in school districts. School districts must report staff information by July 1, 2025, to receive these funds, which will be distributed based on student enrollment. Additionally, the bill appropriates $8 million to the Department of Public Safety for its public safety equipment fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $14M to education support staff and $8M to public safety from sports wagering receipts, directly funding public services using dedicated tax revenue.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $14M from sports wagering fund to supplement non-salaried education support staff compensation, directly funding school personnel under education department.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAllocates $14M to supplement compensation for non-salaried education support personnel, directly supporting wages under Labor & Employment topic.85% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding

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passed · Iowa · House Apr 16, 2025

HF 315: A bill for an act relating to budget adjustments by school districts affected by a natural disaster.

HF 315 modifies the process for budget adjustments available to Iowa school districts impacted by natural disasters. Currently, school districts can receive a budget adjustment based on the difference between their current and 101% of their previous year's regular program district cost. This bill introduces an additional year of budget adjustment for districts that have already received an adjustment and were affected by a federally declared major disaster or state disaster emergency in the base year or the year prior. This additional adjustment would be equal to the amount of the district's budget adjustment from the base year.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill enables additional budget adjustments for school districts post-disaster, supporting fiscal management of public education funding without tax changes.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides additional budget adjustment year for disaster-affected school districts, ensuring continued funding stability and support for K-12 education infrastructure after natural disasters.92% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding

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signed · Iowa · House Jun 11, 2025

HF 437: A bill for an act establishing a center for intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa.

HF 437 establishes a Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa. The bill creates a formal unit within the university dedicated to supporting academic freedom, free expression, and open inquiry on campus. It directly affects the University of Iowa by requiring the institution to develop and maintain this center as part of its operations. The law was passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor on June 11, 2025, making it effective immediately.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes a Center for Intellectual Freedom at University of Iowa to directly support academic freedom and open inquiry in higher education, advancing core educational values.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

introduced · Iowa · Legislature

1458XD: Department of Education, Purple Heart School Program (1458XD) - Education, Department of

This Iowa bill (1458XD) requires the state Department of Education to create and run a "Purple Star School Initiative." It recognizes Iowa schools that demonstrate commitment to supporting military-connected students and their families. Schools applying for recognition must show they provide specific resources like counseling, academic support, or family engagement programs. The goal is to increase the availability of such support across all Iowa schools. The initiative focuses on voluntary recognition, not mandatory changes for schools.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes a voluntary program recognizing schools supporting military-connected students with resources like counseling and academic support, enhancing student program access and expanding educational support services.95% confidence

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introduced · Iowa · Legislature

1461XD: Career Education, Development and Industry Credentials (1461XD) - Education, Department of

This bill requires Iowa's Department of Education to create and maintain a list of industry-recognized credentials (like job certifications) for high school students (grades 9-12) aligned with career and technical education programs. School districts must report students who earn these credentials and recognize them by affixing a state-developed seal to high school transcripts or providing a certificate with the seal. It also updates middle school curricula to include career planning in grades 5-6 and career exploration in grades 7-8, focusing on local job opportunities and career pathways. The policy directly affects Iowa public school students, districts, and the Department of Education, with no new state funding required.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires career credentials in curriculum, recognizes industry certs on transcripts, expands student career pathways through K-12 integration.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education K-12 Education

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 14, 2025

HF 9: A bill for an act establishing the school security personnel grant program within the department of education and making appropriations.

HF 9 creates a state grant program to help school districts hire security personnel. It requires school districts with over 8,000 students to employ at least one security officer (either a private security officer with a weapons permit or a school resource officer) at each high school campus. The bill establishes a matching grant program for districts with fewer than 1,000 students, providing up to $50,000 annually to offset security costs. Funds for this program are held in a dedicated state fund that remains available year-to-year, ensuring ongoing support for small districts.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates state grant program funding school security personnel, directly increasing school district resources for safety under education funding.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

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in committee · Iowa · House Jan 27, 2025

HF 135: A bill for an act providing for a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees at regents institutions and community colleges for certain sanitation workers and their children.

HF 135 provides tuition and mandatory fee waivers at Iowa's regents institutions and community colleges for sanitation workers and their children. To qualify, a sanitation worker must have been employed for at least one year within the past five years by a county, city, township, or their contractor, with primary duties involving residential or commercial waste collection or transport. The waiver also covers the child of such a worker, though institutions may require documentation of the worker's employment. This policy directly affects eligible sanitation workers and their dependents seeking higher education in Iowa.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tuition waivers for sanitation workers' children at public colleges, expanding higher education access through fee reduction.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides tuition waivers for sanitation workers (a specific labor group) and their children, expanding educational benefits as workforce support.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · Iowa · Senate Jan 28, 2025

SF 88: A bill for an act requiring boards of directors of school districts and the authorities in charge of accredited nonpublic schools to adopt policies related to excusing the absences of students enrolled in grades nine through twelve for civic or political events.

SF 88 requires Iowa public school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to create policies allowing students in grades 9-12 to miss school for civic or political events without penalty. Schools must grant at least one excused absence per year for such events, with students required to give advance notice to an administrator and complete a short assignment demonstrating what they learned. The policy specifically covers activities like voting, attending political forums, serving as poll workers, or participating in public comment periods. Crucially, these absences will not count toward chronic absenteeism or truancy records.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires schools to allow excused absences for civic/political events, promoting civics education and student engagement in democratic processes without penalty.90% confidence

Tags Elections

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