HF 787—TSS fixes, Out-of-State Placement Costs, Minimum Teacher Salaries, TeachIowa: This bill offers some technical clean-up related to last year’s increase in the required minimum teacher salary. It removes the tier system and instead provides the exact amount of teacher salary supplement (TSS) to districts that is required to meet the statutory minimum salaries. It allows school districts to correct their BEDS data to accurately reflect teachers’ years of service, which could provide more TSS funding if teachers move to veteran status and require a higher salary.      

The bill modifies when a school district of residence is required to pay out-of-state placement costs for a student. The district will only be responsible for the educational costs of the student, not the entire cost. Additionally, if the cost is more than what the district generates in special education weighting for the student, the Department of Education will cover the additional cost.      

The bill clarifies that if a retired teacher returns to teach, they are only required to be paid $50,000, rather than the veteran teacher minimum. This ensures those teachers can continue to draw their IPERS while returning to teaching.     

Finally, the bill restores the TeachIowa job posting site that was replaced by the IowaWORKS site several years ago.     

IASB is registered in support of the bill. We like all the commonsense fixes throughout the bill and appreciate that they were made as districts navigate the new teacher salary minimums. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0 and passed the House by a vote of 83-1. Governor Reynolds signed the bill into law on June 6, 2025. 

HF 835—Mandatory Seizure Disorder Training: This bill would require training for school personnel related to seizure disorders. At least one person in every school building, starting July 1, 2025, would be required to administer medication to a student experiencing a seizure. A school nurse would meet this requirement. All school personnel, by December 31, 2026, would be required to receive training on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of seizure and steps for seizure first aid. 

 Additionally, the bill creates a workgroup made up of people from both education and healthcare that would establish a schedule of mandatory trainings for school personnel. Any time there is a training someone wants added, the group will consider if it is necessary and how it would be added to the schedule of existing trainings.    

IASB has been registered opposed to the bill because it increases the number of mandatory trainings for teachers; however, the addition of the workgroup is a good compromise and something we have been pushing for several years. Now that the workgroup is added to the bill, we are in favor. The bill passed the House by a vote of 95-2 and passed the Senate by a vote of 49-0. Governor Reynolds signed the bill into law on May 27, 2025.