SSB 1241 addresses state government finances and appropriations, primarily for the fiscal year 2025-2026. It modifies funding for education by limiting the appropriation for nonpublic school pupil transportation and setting instructional support state aid to zero. The bill also reallocates over $21 million from the Iowa Economic Emergency Fund for school foundation aid and reduces overall funding for school districts and area education agencies by $25 million. Furthermore, it allows certain state employee salary adjustments to be funded from unappropriated special funds. The bill also includes several corrective provisions to existing state laws.
House File 1055 is a state finance bill that makes various adjustments to appropriations and transfers for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025. It limits funding for nonpublic school pupil transportation and sets instructional support state aid to zero for that fiscal year, directly affecting schools. The bill also allows salary adjustments to be funded from unappropriated moneys in specific state special funds. Additionally, it transfers over $21 million from the taxpayer relief fund to the general fund to support school foundation aid, and reduces amounts for school districts and area education agencies by $25 million. The bill also includes technical corrections to other state laws.
SF 235 repeals Iowa Code section 728.7, which currently provides legal exemptions for public libraries and schools. This exemption protects the use of educational materials and art exhibitions in libraries, schools, and youth programs from being classified as obscene under Iowa's obscenity laws. The bill removes this specific protection, meaning libraries and schools would no longer have this explicit legal shield when handling materials that might be deemed obscene under general obscenity laws. The repeal would directly affect public libraries, schools, and educational programs that previously relied on this exemption for their material use.
SF 282 prohibits Iowa's regents institutions (public universities) from requiring students to take courses or faculty to participate in activities related to diversity, equity, inclusion, or critical race theory as part of any degree program. It bans forcing students to enroll in such courses for general education, majors, or certificates, and prevents institutions from tying faculty evaluations, promotions, or pay to including related content in courses. Exemptions are allowed only for programs explicitly titled as focusing on racial, ethnic, or gender studies, but students cannot be forced to take these programs to meet other degree requirements. The law takes effect for the 2026-2027 academic year.
This bill modifies how Iowa school districts receive supplemental funding based on open enrollment. It sets a 35% threshold for open enrollment (students from outside the district) to qualify for aid, requires districts to hold a public hearing before applying, and caps aid at 50% of the net enrollment increase multiplied by specific per-pupil costs (like teacher salaries and professional development). Districts where over half of open-enrollment students use private online instruction are excluded. The changes apply to school budgets starting July 1, 2025, and repeal a prior tax levy limitation.
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.
HF 187 modifies Iowa's education savings account program eligibility rules. It requires that students attending nonpublic schools must have household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty guidelines to qualify for payments, starting July 1, 2024. The bill removes a prior provision that would have eliminated this income requirement for school years beginning July 1, 2025. This change directly affects Iowa students in nonpublic schools seeking state-funded education savings accounts. The bill takes effect upon enactment.
This bill requires all Iowa high school students in grades 9-12 to pass the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization civics test (60% correct) as a condition for graduation, starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It also applies to individuals seeking high school equivalency diplomas. Schools cannot charge fees for administering the test, and students may retake it as many times as needed to pass. The law affects all public and accredited nonpublic high schools in Iowa and their students.
SSB 1028 requires Iowa public and nonpublic schools (including charter and innovation zone schools) to include specific content about fetal development in health and human growth curricula for all students in grades 1-12. The bill mandates that instruction include "human development inside the womb," high-definition ultrasound videos showing fetal organs, and computer-generated animations depicting prenatal development from fertilization. Schools must use medically accurate, research-based materials verified by major health organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This policy directly affects all K-12 schools in Iowa by changing curriculum requirements for health and human development education.
HF 199 repeals Iowa's education savings account program, which provided state funds to cover tuition and related expenses for students attending nonpublic schools (including tutoring, materials, and therapy). The bill removes Section 257.11B of the Iowa Code, ending eligibility for this funding starting July 1, 2025. It also updates related funding formulas in Sections 257.10 and 422.7 to exclude students using these accounts. The repeal directly affects nonpublic school students and families previously enrolled in the program. The bill makes no new funding changes beyond eliminating this specific program.
