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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2026 Bill Summaries
Under the Golden Dome
This week was the second funnel deadline. As a reminder, a bill must pass one chamber and a committee in the other chamber to remain alive. This excludes budget and tax bills but as always, nothing is ever really dead until the legislature adjourns sine die.
So where do things stand? For complete information, check out the updated bill summary list to see a complete listing of what is alive. Here’s a quick overview:
A bill to change school board elections to the November general election passed the House but died in the Senate.
The governor’s “MAHA” bill remains alive in the Senate and includes several provisions which IASB opposes:
Increases physical activity requirements for K-12.
Requires participation in an extracurricular activity to graduate.
Requires the state to submit a waiver from federal school lunch requirements (could cost districts statewide $23 million).
Places limits on screen time in K-5 which don’t account for current educational methods.
Two different bills remain alive, dealing with disruptive and violent students. The bills are similar but do have significant differences. The Senate bill establishes a committee of teachers to determine whether or not a student can return to the classroom. IASB and other education groups have pushed back on this provision as being unworkable.
The bill to require cameras in special education classrooms died.
Bills to limit the ability of school districts to invest in ISJIT remain alive. Both bills were placed on the unfinished business calendar. This is a procedural move that keeps bills alive that didn’t survive the second funnel deadline.
IASB’s bill to provide some flexibility and regulatory relief, including allowing TSS funds to be transferred to the general fund, died in the Senate. The bill passed the House unanimously but was never considered by the Senate Education Committee.
Property taxes were also a focus this week. The House Ways & Means Committee passed their version of property tax relief. The original bill was replaced by new language. Highlights include:
Exempts school districts from the 2% revenue limitation that is applied to cities and counties.
Provides a second bond election date on the June primary election date.
Provides a longer runway to reach a 30% diversion of SAVE funds to property tax relief. The new language would reach a 30% diversion by 2035.
Extends SAVE through 2070.
Imposes a 35% cap on districts’ UAB.
Changes the approval of a request for on-time funding to the SBRC from a “shall” to a “may”.
IASB continues to work with leaders in both chambers and the governor’s office to address our concerns about the impact of the SAVE diversion. It’s important to note that there is no agreement between the three at this point.
Under the Golden Dome Video
Read IASB Lobbyist Emily Piper's write up above and stay tuned for next week's Under the Golden Dome video!
Advocacy Action of the Week
Contact your senators and ask them to vote no on HF 2676, unless significant changes are made. This is the legislature’s “Make America Healthy Again” proposal, but amendments have added several education proposals that are either unworkable or costly, including:
A waiver from the federal government to allow Iowa to determine what a “nutritionally adequate meal” is for the school breakfast and lunch program. This could cause the state to lose federal funding for school food programs, estimated at $23 million.
A requirement for districts to adopt a policy to limit screen time for K-6 students. You can suggest that instead the legislature put together a study on the impact of school technology to learn, what, if any, limitations should be adopted by school districts.
Burdensome PE and physical activity requirements:
30 minutes of physical education every day for students in grades 1-8.
120 minutes of physical activity every week that is not PE for students in grades K-8.
High school students (9-12) would be required to participate in an extracurricular or cocurricular activity to graduate.
Explain to senators that this will likely require:
Schools to hire more PE teachers and convince more teachers to become coaches.
More space in school buildings if PE is required every day.
More transportation costs if more students are participating in extracurriculars that require travel.
There are legitimate reasons why students can’t or don’t participate in extracurricular or cocurricular activities.
SAVE Revenue Loss Tool
The House has amended its property tax reform bill. Similar to the Governor’s proposal, the bill is a 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). While the Governor’s proposal intends to increase the amount of SAVE revenue going to PTER to 30% by 2030, the new House proposal would increase the amount of SAVE revenue going to PTER to 30% by 2035. For comparison, 7% of SAVE revenue currently goes into PTER.
To see the impact of this proposed House legislation on your district, use our updated SAVE Revenue Loss Tool.
Bills on the Move
SF 273—Grooming Definition: This bill amends the definition of grooming to read: any pattern of behavior, which in light of all relevant circumstances, constitutes actions to entice or entrap a student with the intent to take advantage of such student for the benefit of the individual engaging in the pattern of behavior, including but not limited to by engaging in a sex act with the student.
IASB is registered in favor of the bill, but we want to ensure the definition is clear and narrowly defined. The bill passed the Senate last session and passed the House Education Committee this year.
HSB 596—House Property Tax Proposal: The House Ways and Means Committee approved an amended property tax proposal, emphasizing that this won’t be the bill’s final form. Sections impacting school districts include:
Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) extended through 2070.
Increases the transfer of SAVE funds to the Property Tax Equity and Relief Fund (PTER) to 30% by 2034.
Adds an additional bond election date each year in June.
Districts’ unspent authorized budget (UAB) cannot exceed 35%.
Districts must adopt a policy to define a targeted range and maximum UAB.
Cities and counties will be subject to a 2% revenue growth cap, but school districts will not be subject to this same limitation.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill as this conversation continues and evolves. We have concerns with the increase in SAVE revenues going to property tax relief, but we appreciate that all school district rate-limited levies are not impacted in this proposal. The bill passed the House Ways and Means Committee.
HF 2591—Open Enrollment and Transfer Athletic Eligibility: This bill changes the period of time an open enrolled or transfer student must sit out before participating in athletics. Currently, students must sit out for 90 school days, but this bill changes it to 140 calendar days.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill but understand the purpose is to account for school districts on a four-day school week. The bill passed the House by a vote of 90-0 and passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2231—Community-Based Provider Rules: This bill provides new guidelines for community-based providers of preschool and the school districts they partner with:
School districts must enter into a sharing agreement with a community provider if the community provider requests it.
The sharing agreement cannot limit how many students can attend preschool at the community provider.
School districts cannot make the community provider modify their standards for admission or educational programming.
School districts and the state cannot impose regulations on the community provider that aren’t necessary for the provider’s participation in the preschool program.
Community providers must be given the maximum amount of freedom to provide education for their students, consistent with state and federal law.
IASB is registered against the bill. It doesn’t allow for school district choice in who to partner with to provide high-quality preschool. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 30-14 and passed the House Education Committee.
SF 2086—Junior Firefighter Programs: This bill allows a school district to enter an agreement with their local fire department to offer a junior firefighter program to students in 11th and 12th grade. The bill outlines what the program must include if a district chooses to offer the program. It must be taught by fire service training bureau personnel.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. It gives districts the choice of whether to offer a program and doesn’t mandate it. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0 and passed the House Labor and Workforce Committee.
SF 2428—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.
Principal must determine if a violent disruption that required removal warrants suspension, expulsion, or an alternative learning environment.
If the teacher requests it, a guidance counselor, mental health professional, or behavioral interventionist must be made available to address the immediate trauma experienced by the class as a result of another student’s behavior.
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.
The second section to the bill 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.
If a teacher removes a student with an IEP from their classroom, they will be required to:
- Ensure proper documentation is provided to the student’s IEP team, which includes:
Date and time of the removal.
Actions of the student before, during and after the removal.
Actions of the school district employees before, during, and after the removal.
Description of the less restrictive means attempted as an alternative to removal.
Future approaches to the student’s behavior.
Time and manner in which the school district notified the parents of the removal.
- Participate in the student’s next IEP meeting and have the opportunity to provide suggestions for changing the student’s IEP
A student’s IEP team is required to meet “expeditiously” after the student’s removal from the classroom to determine if an alternative educational location is best for the student.
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 ongoing conversations to ensure any new policy can work in school districts while protecting all students and teachers. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 45-0 and passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2686—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 why 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 by a vote of 95-0.
HF 2670—Summative Assessment Changes, Curriculum Changes: This bill would add social studies to the summative assessment requirements. It would be administered in grades 8 and 11.
It would make small changes to the health curriculum requirements, making instruction on physical fitness, food and nutrition, and personal health required. The bill originally removed the prescriptive personal finance literacy curriculum requirements from code; however, an amendment by the Senate Education Committee added this back into the bill.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. The changes are not overly burdensome, but we wish the removal of personal finance literacy curriculum in code was still included. The bill passed the House by a vote of 59-33 and passed the Senate Education Committee as amended.
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 by a vote of 90-0 and passed the Senate Education Committee.
HF 2490—Public Notice Requirements: This bill would require districts to post a public notice in a place designated for notices that is visible at all times, like the door or window of an administrative building, and posting the notice on the district website. If a posted agenda is changed, the district must mark the agenda as “amended” and identify which agenda item has been changed.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. This is best practice and already being done by most districts, so it won’t be a large burden moving forward. The bill passed the House by a vote of 88-1 and passed the Senate State Government Committee.
HF 2546—Statewide Data Collection System: This bill requires the Department of Education to issue a request for proposals to procure a data collection system that would allow them to facilitate data collection between their system and all the student information systems currently in use by school districts. The intent is to modernize data collection by the DE to make the process of collecting data and reports simpler.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate this approach rather than requiring all districts to have the same student information system and hope it will lead to more efficient data collection. The bill passed the House by a vote of 89-1 and passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2319—Your Life Iowa Information on Website: This bill would require school districts to publish information about Your Life Iowa on their district website.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We know the information is important for students to have, but district websites are required to have more and more information included on them, so we wonder how accessible this information will be. It passed the Senate by a vote of 44-0 and passed the House Education Committee.
SF 2335—Impact of Technology Study: This bill would direct the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services to convene a workgroup to examine the impact of school-provided technology on the cognitive function and academic performance of students.
IASB is registered in support of the bill. As we integrate more technology into instruction, it’s important to look at the impact on students. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 42-0 and passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2363—Open Enrollment for English Learners: If an English learner requests to open enroll, the receiving district must have a program to provide the special instruction required and the program must have space for the student. If the student is entering a general education classroom, the receiving district must have sufficient space. The bill also requires a sending district to send the funding that follows the EL student, including the weighting received for an English learner. If the cost to educate the student is more than that funding, the sending district must provide the difference.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate the consideration of receiving districts and what would be required if they allowed an English learner to open enroll. The bill passed the House by a vote of 89-1 and passed the Senate Education Committee.
SF 2218—Verification of Employee Identity and Authorization to Work: The bill would require the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) to verify that an applicant for initial licensure is legally authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, school districts must verify that employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We appreciate the Senate amending the bill to the current “authorized to work” rather than the original “lawful presence” language, as this is a significant difference when referring to employment. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 47-0 and passed the House by a vote of 78-16. An amendment that does impact school districts was added by the House, so the bill must return to the Senate.
SF 2219—Excused Absences for FFA and 4-H: This bill requires school districts to grant students an excused absence for FFA and 4-H activities. Districts must allow students to make up the classwork missed during these absences. The House Education Committee amended the bill to include all “school sponsored activities,” which would include FFA but not 4-H.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We think schools are already accommodating for these activities. We don’t like adding specific reasons for absences in code. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 46-0 and passed the House Education Committee as amended.
SF 2220—Talented and Gifted Programming, Advanced Math Pathways, Whole Grade Acceleration: This bill, proposed by the Department of Education, includes several different components.
- Talented and Gifted (TAG) Identification and Programming
Districts must establish procedures for identifying and serving TAG students.
The district must ensure all populations of students are properly screened and identified, including special education and English learners.
Provide programming and services that fit the educational talents of students.
Review the progress of TAG students each year.
- Advanced Math Pathway
Students will automatically be enrolled in advanced math if they perform at the advanced level on the statewide assessment or demonstrate proficiency in math coursework in grades 5-7.
Districts must provide a pathway designed to increase the number of students who complete higher-level math in high school.
- Whole Grade Acceleration
Districts will implement procedures for either subject or whole-grade acceleration.
Districts will automatically enroll students in the next most rigorous course in either math or English if a student performs at the advanced level on the statewide assessment in the subject.
IASB is registered undecided on the bill. We support providing programming to fit and challenge all students, but districts should be able to make these decisions on their own. An advanced math pathway requires upper-level math teachers, which are often hard to find, making this hard to implement effectively. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 44-0 and passed the House Education Committee.
HF 2547—Concurrent Enrollment: This bill removes the language that summer concurrent enrollment classes will be paid for subject to an appropriation. Instead, the summer courses will be included for weighting in the full school year’s calculation of students who took concurrent enrollment courses.
IASB is registered for the bill. We are supportive of all opportunities for students to take advantage of concurrent enrollment courses. It passed the House by a vote of 90-0 and passed the Senate Education Committee.
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