Advocacy in Action
This page is your home for all things legislative and advocacy related. We have an update from our lobbyist at the Capitol each week, summaries of important bills, and then steps for you to get involved!
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IASB®'s Public Policy Agenda
Iowa Legislature
2025 Bill Summaries
Under the Golden Dome
Well, it’s over. The first funnel deadline has (slightly) cleared the calendar of bills that don’t have the support to move on. Having said that, there are plenty of bills that did survive because “we want to continue the conversation”. From the first day of session until February 19, there were 865 subcommittees, averaging 40 a day. That’s an astonishing pace. Our goal was basically to survive and deal with the bills that passed after the funnel deadline. It was virtually impossible to offer much input with the number of subcommittees.
The House and Senate have reached an agreement on SSA. The House passed the agreement on Thursday with a 58-35 vote. Five Republicans voted against the agreement—Rep. Cisneros, Ingels, Lohse, Mommsen, and Moore. The agreement does this:
Sets the SSA rate at 2%.
Replaces property taxes resulting from the budget guarantee with state money (one year only).
Provides a 2% increase in transportation equity and caps the amount a district can receive at $1 million.
Provides $7 million for paraeducator salaries (a reduction from $14 million).
Creates a second count date of January 15. A district’s certified enrollment would be determined by taking the average of the October and January count.
Changes state aid payments from monthly to quarterly payments.
The legislature’s attention will now turn to floor debate as they try to keep bills alive for the second funnel deadline on March 20. A bill has to pass one chamber and a committee in the other chamber to remain alive.
We will likely see the start of more serious discussions about property taxes. Three very different proposals will make that an interesting conversation.
A complete list of bills that remain alive and those that died (at least for now) can be found here.
Under the Golden Dome Video
Advocacy Action of the Week
Contact your senators and tell them to vote no on SF 2390, unless changes are made. It would require districts to adopt a cardiac emergency response plan and buy AEDs for each school building. The overall idea is a good one, but we have concerns about implementation:
The bill outlines a very prescriptive response plan. Share with your legislator that you already have an established emergency response plan and could adapt to include how to respond to a cardiac emergency.
There is no funding in the bill to purchase AEDs. If a grant program or another funding source was guaranteed, it would be easier to meet the requirement of an AED in each building.
While it’s important to ensure the safety of everyone in our buildings, legislators need to understand the practical implications of what their proposals would require in each district.
SAVE Revenue Loss Tool
Governor Reynolds has released her property tax proposal. The bill is a fairly comprehensive change to the system and includes provisions related to school districts, most notably the amount of SAVE dollars that will be diverted to property tax relief through the Property Tax Equity and Relief Fund (PTER). Her proposal intends to increase the amount of SAVE revenue going to PTER to 30% by 2030. For comparison, 7% of SAVE revenue currently goes into PTER. To see the impact of this proposed legislation on your district, use our new SAVE Revenue Loss Tool.
Bills on the Move
SF 2201—Supplemental State Aid (SSA): This is the updated deal made on SSA for this year. It includes:
2% increase in overall new money.
Budget guarantee covered by state aid for 199 districts that would be eligible at this SSA level. It amounts to $42.9 million.
Transportation equity; the payment to a district will be capped at $1 million.
Education support personnel salary supplement: $7 million
Establishes a second count date of Jan 15. Districts would average their two enrollment counts to establish their basic enrollment.
State aid payments would be sent out quarterly, beginning in July.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate that this is higher than the Senate’s original proposal, but the overall funding is not enough to keep up with the increasing costs districts are facing, from utilities to meeting increased minimum teacher salaries. The bill passed the House by a vote of 58-35.
HF 2189/SF 2365—Notice Requirements for Construction Contracts: This bill requires public entities, like a school district, to provide written notice to contractors and subcontractors within 14 days of accepting a final bid. There is no liability if a district does not comply.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We think contractors can already attend a board meeting or look at board meeting minutes to receive this information, but it is not a large burden on districts. The bill passed the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.
Division I: Allows the teacher salary supplement (TSS) state cost per pupil funding to follow a student to a charter school.
Division II: Allows charter school employees to participate in IPERS, if the charter school satisfies all federal requirements for participation.
Division III: Allows charter school students to participate in extracurricular activities in their resident district in the same manner as nonpublic school students do now.
Division IV: Designates charter schools as a local education agency (LEA) for federal purposes, which allows them to receive federal funds.
Division V: Allows the Iowa Finance Authority to assist charter schools and accredited nonpublic schools with purchasing and reconstructing school buildings. It creates a revolving loan fund for charter schools to purchase and develop school buildings. The same type of revolving loan fund will be created for accredited nonpublic schools. It also requires the Iowa Finance Authority to work with charter schools and accredited nonpublic schools to create and fund a bond program to acquire and develop school buildings.
Division VI: Requires a school district to enter a 28E sharing agreement for preschool if a community provider requests it. It also limits the authority the state or a school district would have over the community providers. The bill is somewhat unclear on whether this would mean community providers have to meet the same standards as other providers of the statewide voluntary preschool program.
Division VII: Allows a parent to request an ESA for the second semester if requested between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15. The ESA will only be half of the normal ESA amount if requested for only the second semester.
Division IX: This section emphasizes that the state does not have authority over nonpublic schools to require them to modify programming or standards.
Division X: Requires the Department of Education to convene a task force to study the required teacher trainings required by state law and to make recommendations to change current law to make the trainings more manageable.
IASB is registered against the bill. We have serious concerns about removing authority and regulations surrounding community-based providers of statewide voluntary preschool. Additionally, we think TSS money should stay with the school district because we use it to meet minimum teacher salary requirements and must retain staff, even if one or two students choose to attend a charter school. The bill passed the House and Senate Education Committees.
SF 2403—Whole Grade Sharing and Reorganization Incentives: This bill extends the incentives for whole grade sharing or reorganization through 2031, meaning districts who approve either whole grade sharing or reorganization by July 1, 2031, will be eligible for the incentives.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. These incentives help districts through the process of reorganization. It passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2413—Civics and U.S Government Instruction: This bill requires at least a half-semester of civics and U.S. government instruction during grade 7 and 8.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. It will require districts to add instruction in 7th and 8th grade, but this is preferable to adding additional graduation requirements at the high school level. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
HSB 676/SF 2406—Governor’s Charter School Proposal: Governor Reynolds has proposed her own bill related to charter schools and their students:
Teacher salary supplement (TSS) state cost per pupil funding will follow a student who goes to a charter school.
Charter school students will generate media and educational services funding for the AEA, with that money flowing directly to the AEA, in order to receive AEA services.
Allows charter school students to participate in extracurricular activities in their resident district in the same manner as nonpublic school students do now.
School districts must offer driver education to resident charter school students. The charter school will be responsible for paying the district’s costs related to providing the course to their students.
IASB is registered against the bill, mainly because of the TSS money that will follow students to a charter school. Districts will still need that money to pay required minimum teacher salaries, even if one or two students choose to attend a charter school. The bill passed the House and Senate Education Committees.
HSB 725/SF 2407—Department of Education Reports: This bill combines several reports issued by the Department of Education into the annual Condition of Education report. It also requires the Department of Workforce Development to provide wage data and return on investment information to evaluate secondary and post-secondary outcomes.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We can appreciate the DE wanting to streamline their reports but want to ensure continued access to data throughout the year. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2390—Cardiac Emergency Response Plans: This bill, proposed by the American Heart Association, requires school districts to establish a cardiac emergency response team and plan to respond to cardiac emergencies on school property. It would require automated external defibrillators (AED) at every building to meet the requirement of getting an AED to an individual experiencing cardiac arrest within three minutes.
A competitive grant program is established to offset the costs of implementing the plan; however, there is no money appropriated to the fund.
IASB is registered against the bill. We aren’t against having a plan altogether, but the cost could be prohibitive for many districts. We think the plan could be adding to existing emergency response plans in districts, and would be more supportive if funding was made available for all districts to purchase AEDs. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2404—Pilot Program for Alternative Attendance Centers: This bill would direct the Department of Education to establish a pilot program in one rural and one urban school district that would create an attendance center to provide educational services, including special education services, to eligible students. These students would include special education students and students whose emotional or behavioral needs interfere with their ability to be successful in the regular classroom. The funding would come from a district’s special education allocation that normally goes to the AEA for those services.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We think it is well-intentioned and aims to provide an alternative learning environment for students who need it, just like therapeutic classrooms. We don’t think the funding should come from the 90% allocation districts receive to contract with the AEA, as it hurts the AEA’s ability to provide services. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2044—Addressing Violent and Disruptive Student Behavior: This is the Senate’s proposal to address student behavior issues. The first section of the bill requires school districts to adopt policies that:
Create an oversight review committee at each attendance center, made up of two teachers selected by the other teachers in the building and a staff member selected by the principal.
Authorize a teacher to remove a student for a nonviolent disruption and put the student under the principal or their designee’s supervision for at least 30 minutes.
Prevent the principal from returning the student to the classroom without the teacher’s consent.
The principal must inform the teacher of the student’s discipline.
If a student is removed more than once in a school year, the teacher, principal, guidance counselor, parent, and student will have a meeting to discuss the student’s behavior and establish a behavioral plan to correct it, including an alternative learning environment.
Require a teacher to remove a student for a violent disruption and place them under the supervision of the principal and have the teacher’s consent to return the student.
Principal must determine if a violent disruption that required removal warrants suspension, expulsion, or an alternative learning environment.
A nonviolent disruption can be: disorderly conduct, abusive or profane language, bullying, or repeatedly disruptive behavior. A violent disruption can be: injury, property damage, or assault.
An amendment by the committee added a second section to the bill, which relates to procedures following a disruption by a student with an individualized education plan. Principals are required to:
Carry out manifestation determination review meetings after a student is placed in a new learning environment.
Impose discipline according to policy if a student’s disruption is determined not to be a manifestation of their disability.
Perform functional behavior assessments as needed.
Adjust behavioral intervention plans as needed.
A student’s IEP team is required to meet within ten 10 days after the student’s removal from the classroom to determine if an alternative educational location is best for the student. The teacher who removed the student must be given the opportunity to provide input.
The IEP team must discuss:
Whether the student’s disability is such that their education cannot be achieved satisfactorily in regular classes.
Appropriateness of the student’s current educational programming.
If adjustments should be made to the IEP to address the disruptions.
If the student’s current location or an alternative learning environment would best provide the student with a free appropriate public education.
Accommodations the student requires and whether those can be provided in the general education environment.
The impact providing special education services in the general education environment will have on the student and other students in the classroom.
After considering least restrictive environment requirements, the team may determine the student’s education needs cannot be achieved in regular classes. The student must be placed in an alternative learning environment to best suit the student’s needs.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. It is a work in progress, and we appreciate the committee being willing to take suggestions on how to improve this legislation to ensure it can work in school districts while ensuring all students and teachers are protected. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
HF 2393—Flexibility for Categorical Funds: This bill would allow districts to use the money they receive for each resident student who is using an ESA for any general fund purpose, rather than the categorical fund that it was originally generated for.
IASB is registered in support because it allows more flexibility for districts to use this money as they need. It passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2218—Cameras in Special Education Classrooms: This bill requires districts to install cameras in all special education classrooms. All recordings must be consistent with privacy laws.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. While it can be beneficial to have video from classrooms, there would be a substantial cost for districts to meet this requirement without any additional funding provided. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2307—Provisional Coaching License: This bill creates a provisional coaching license issued by the Board of Educational Examiners. It still requires training courses, health-related trainings, and a background check.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. There has been little explanation for which this is needed since there is already a transitional coaching license available to fill gaps until a full coaching authorization can be obtained. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HSB 717—Flexibility and Deregulation: This bill makes several small but needed changes that provide some flexibility and regulatory relief for school districts:
Districts will only have to publish their list of claims in the newspaper, but not the purpose.
Salaries will only need to be published on the district website for 30 days instead of in the newspaper.
The Student Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC) will have an “including but not limited to” list of recommendations.
Electronic signatures will be allowed by the board president.
Teacher salary supplement funds will be allowed to be moved to the flexibility account.
Students who are chronically absent will not be allowed to open enroll, unless the receiving district approves it.
If a school board member chosen to be the district representative on a county conference board cannot attend, a different board member can attend in their place.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We were hoping to make more changes to provide regulatory relief, but this is a good start. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HSB 746—Summative Assessment Changes, Curriculum Changes: This bill would add social studies to the summative assessment requirements. It would be administered in 8th and 10th grades.
It would make small changes to the health curriculum requirements, making instruction on physical fitness, food and nutrition, and personal health required. The bill also removes the prescriptive personal finance literacy curriculum requirements from code. The half unit of personal finance is still required.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. The changes are not overly burdensome, and we appreciate the removal of personal finance literacy curriculum in the code. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2652—Play-Based Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten: This bill requires 90 minutes of play-based learning during each half day and at least 180 minutes during a full day of preschool. In kindergarten, it would require 45 minutes of play-based learning during each school day.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. We know the advantages of preschool for students both academically and socially, and play-based learning supports much of the social development of young learners, which makes them more prepared for school going forward. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HSB 677—Teaching Authorizations: This bill would establish, through rules, additional teaching authorizations for fine arts, math, science, and agriculture. This authorization would be similar to the CTE authorizations that have been added recently which allow for those with industry experience to become teachers.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. This is another avenue to address the teacher shortage, especially in these high-need areas. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2451—Limiting Technology Use and Digital Instruction: This bill limits digital instruction, which includes lessons, assessments, or instructional activities, to 60 minutes per school day for kindergarten through 5th grade students. Districts will have to adopt a policy on technology use for these grades, which will include a list of digital platforms and applications used for instruction.
Districts will also have to complete a technology adoption checklist before renewing a one-to-one digital device program at any grade level. It will include items like the instructional purpose of the device and the age appropriateness of the device and associated software.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we do not have any major concerns with the bill. It would require some changes from districts, but we think those changes could be beneficial for student learning. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 621—Firearms in School Vehicles and on School Property: This bill prohibits firearms in a school vehicle when transporting students, except if authorized by the school district. Additionally, a person could have a firearm in their vehicle while in the parking lot or driveway on the grounds of a school. The firearm must remain in the vehicle, and the vehicle must be locked if unattended.
IASB is registered undecided. We think the bill addresses problems we have heard about in districts – ensuring a trap shooting team can transport their firearms if necessary and parents or others concerned they will commit a crime if they have a firearm in their car during pickup or drop off times. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2623—School District Elections: This bill would move school board elections to even-numbered years, instead of their current odd-numbered years. It provides for transition time for current board members who may be affected by the change.
IASB is registered against the bill because we hope to keep school board elections as non-partisan as possible, which is much harder when the races are on the same ballot as the general election. The bill passed the House Local Government Committee.
HF 2544/SF 2336—Antisemitism Report: This bill requires school districts to compile a report identifying each complaint or incident of antisemitism that occurred in the past school year. Antisemitism must be treated in the same manner as other forms of discrimination prohibited by law. School districts must integrate a policy prohibiting antisemitic conduct into the district’s code of conduct for both students and employees.
IASB is registered for the bill. It passed the House and Senate Education Committees.
HF 2610/SF 2391—CTE Definitions, Common Course Numbering: This bill, proposed by the Department of Education, proposes changes to ensure the CTE content areas are aligned with a national framework. The DE will develop a common numbering system for all community college courses to make transferring credits easier.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. It passed the House and Senate Education Committees.
SF 176—Extracurricular Participation by Online Students: The bill allows students who attend an online school to participate in extracurricular activities in their resident district if the attendance center providing the online instruction doesn’t sponsor the activities. An amendment by the House Education Committee clarifies that students can participate in two activities per semester.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill, but we appreciate the clarity this bill provides on which students can participate in their resident district’s extracurricular activities. The bill, as amended, passed the House Education Committee.
SF 2351—Open Enrollment Denial for Chronically Absent Students: This bill allows a receiving district to deny an open enrollment request if the student is deemed chronically absent and currently required to participate in a school engagement meeting or absenteeism prevention plan. The student can transfer if the receiving district approves the request.
IASB is registered for the bill. We know some students are abusing the open enrollment process to avoid penalties for chronic absenteeism, and this helps to prevent some of that. Our hope would be to establish the same requirement for students requesting to open enroll to an online school. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee.
HF 2231/SF 2361—Civics Excellence Program and Seal: This bill directs the Department of Education to develop a civics excellence program that can lead a student to receive a civics seal on their high school diploma.
IASB is registered in favor of the bill. We appreciate that participating in the program will be voluntary from districts and want to recognize students who take an interest in civics. The bill passed the House Education Committee.
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