HB 609 requires Iowa's workforce development board to create a statewide initiative addressing cyber and AI workforce needs, including developing K-12 curriculum standards for AI/cyber literacy, fostering university-industry partnerships for internships and degree programs, and establishing grant programs for training (subject to funding). It mandates the state board of education to set statewide AI/cyber literacy standards for all students from kindergarten through higher education, prioritize federal funding to bridge K-12 and college pathways, and create a voluntary school certification program based on self-attestation and limited department review. The department of education must also develop a community awareness program featuring a digital resource hub for at-risk groups and targeted educational content for demographics like seniors and law enforcement. These provisions apply directly to public schools, colleges, private industry partners, and community education efforts across Iowa.
This bill requires all Iowa schools serving grades 7-12 (including public districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zones) to provide specific social studies instruction. It mandates at least one-half semester of civics and U.S. government instruction in grades 7-8, and increases required instruction to one full unit (including voting procedures, constitutional study, and the Bill of Rights) for grades 9-12. The bill expands current requirements to cover additional school types and specifies exact curriculum content. It applies to school years starting July 1, 2028.
This bill prohibits Iowa public school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools from offering any program, curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, or instruction about gender theory or sexual orientation to students in grades seven through twelve. It extends an existing ban that previously applied only to kindergarten through sixth grade to cover all middle and high school students. The law requires schools to remove such content from their human growth and development curriculum, which must instead focus on age-appropriate, research-based topics like health, safety, and disease prevention as outlined in other sections of the law. This is a direct policy change affecting school curricula in 7th-12th grades across participating schools.
This bill requires Iowa regents institutions to mandate that all undergraduate students complete introductory survey courses in American history and American government, each worth at least three semester hours of credit. These courses must fulfill general education requirements in social sciences or humanities and cannot focus exclusively on subgroups of Americans. The requirement applies to students starting at these institutions in academic years beginning July 1, 2028, and excludes students in designated three-year degree programs. The centers for civic education at Iowa’s three regents universities must annually designate qualifying courses to meet this standard.
This bill allows Iowa high schools to offer an elective junior firefighter program for students in grades 11 and 12. Schools must design the program to prepare students for firefighter I certification, either using a national curriculum or partnering with local fire departments, while teaching safety, teamwork, and emergency services skills. Students must submit a parental waiver if under 18 and complete all program requirements to sit for certification testing, though certification cannot be issued before age 18 even if they pass the exam early. The program may be offered as an extracurricular activity or part of career and technical education.
HF 220 would have required Iowa public school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to allow eighth-grade students who meet their academic standards to participate in high school athletic programs (grades 9-12). The bill's key provision, added as Section 280.13D, mandated that schools permit these students to join extracurricular sports teams provided for older grades. It directly affected eighth graders meeting academic requirements and school administrators responsible for athletic program rules. The bill was withdrawn on March 14, 2025, after committee approval.
This bill (1454XD) modifies two key aspects of Iowa's charter school system. First, it removes a requirement that non-resident charter school board members must live in Iowa, allowing them to serve without state residency. Second, it expands student access to community college concurrent enrollment programs: charter school students (including those in online charter schools) can now participate through their school district (for traditional charter schools) or their home district (for online charter schools). These changes directly affect charter school governing boards and students seeking college-level courses while in high school. The bill updates existing provisions without altering overall school funding or academic standards.
HF 76 requires Iowa public and private schools to include specific content about pregnancy and fetal development in health and human growth curricula for students in grades 7-12. The bill mandates that this instruction cover human biology related to pregnancy, fetal development inside the womb, and include a 3-minute high-definition ultrasound video showing early organ development. It also requires a computer-generated animation demonstrating fertilization and every stage of fetal development with key milestones. These provisions apply to all school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools offering the required courses.
This bill clarifies that Iowa students enrolled in online open-enrollment programs can participate in their district's sports, clubs, and other extracurricular activities only if the online school does not sponsor those same activities. It limits participation to two activities per school year unless the district approves additional ones, and requires these students to follow the same eligibility, conduct, and other rules as in-person students. The change updates existing law to prevent conflicts where online schools might sponsor competing activities, ensuring consistency for district-sponsored programs. This is a technical clarification to the education code, not a new policy.
This bill prohibits Iowa community colleges from offering barbering and cosmetology programs if a state-licensed private school already operates in the same "merged area." It specifically blocks the state education director from approving such programs for community colleges when a licensed school of barbering/cosmetology exists in the area. The law requires community colleges to continue existing programs for current students enrolled before the bill's effective date until they complete or leave the program. The policy aims to prevent duplication of services with licensed private institutions.
