All Bills

The bill provides that scholarship awards paid pursuant to the program shall not exceed the total cost charged by the institution attended by the national guard member for the educational program. The bill provides that the eligibility of applicants and scholarship award amounts to be paid shall be certified by the adjutant general to the college student aid commission, and all amounts that are or become due to a community college, accredited private institution, or institution or higher learning under the control of the state board of regents under the program shall be paid to the college or institution by the college student aid commission upon receipt of certification by the president or governing board of the educational institution as to accuracy of charges made, and as to the attendance and academic progress of the individual at the educational institution. The bill authorizes the adjutant general to expend funds appropriated for purposes of the national guard service scholarship program, which remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year for which the funds were appropriated in the following fiscal year for purposes of the national guard service professional qualification scholarship program. 

The bill provides that the amount of the scholarship awards shall not exceed the difference between the tuition rate at the institution attended by the national guard member less any financial aid the national guard member receives under certain specified federal programs. 

The bill requires the act of giving notice of a meeting of a governmental body to include (1) advising the news media who have filed a request for notice with the governmental body as provided under current law, (2) posting the notice in a prominent and conspicuous place that is designated annually by the governmental body, in a manner such that the notice is visible at all times, and (3) posting the notice on any associated internet site as specified in the bill. The bill requires a governmental body to provide notice if a meeting is canceled. 

Strikes references to the Higher Learning Commission. 

The bill requires community colleges to adopt a policy that requires the community college to include in any communication to students that is related to immunization requirements information regarding exemptions to such requirements. 

The bill requires DE to accept proof that a person successfully completed ELDT as completion of an approved course of instruction for school bus drivers so long as that ELDT contains passenger endorsement training curriculum and school bus endorsement training curriculum. The bill does not change the requirement for a person employed as a school bus driver to successfully complete a DE-approved course of instruction for school bus drivers at least every 24 months. 

The bill requires a newly elected or appointed public official who is a member of a governmental body to complete a course of training regarding the responsibilities of the governmental body and the governmental body's members not later than the 90th day after the date the member takes the initial oath of office or assumes responsibilities. The bill requires the Iowa public information board to ensure that the training is made available. The bill requires the board or other entity providing the training to provide a certificate of course completion, which the governmental body must make available for public inspection. The bill provides that if a member fails to complete the required training, the failure does not affect the validity of an action taken by the governmental body. The bill's provisions relating to a course of training do not apply to the judicial or legislative branches of state government or any entity, officer, or employee of those branches, or to the governor or the office of the governor. 

The bill requires the board of barbering and cosmetology arts and sciences to create an establishment training program. The bill requires an establishment participating in the program to comply with all facility and minimum equipment requirements, safety and infection control provisions, inspection requirements, management requirements, and establishment licensing renewal requirements. The bill allows a party prevailing in an action based on an injury alleged to have occurred in an establishment participating in the program to recover reasonable attorney's fees and receive other equitable relief as determined by the court. The bill allows an instructor employed by a school of barbering and cosmetology arts and sciences to perform barbering and cosmetology arts and sciences services at the school for compensation while not instructing services. The bill also prohibits the board from approving a program of study that is substantially duplicative of an approved program currently operating in this state. 

Commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2025, the bill requires school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt policies regarding student use of personal electronic devices during school hours. The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code section 25B.3. 

The bill requires the dental board to adopt rules for the implementation of the bill and makes conforming changes. 

The bill prohibits state entities from expending any moneys appropriated by the general assembly or any other moneys derived from bequests, charges, deposits, donations, endowments, fees, grants, gifts, income, receipts, tuition, or any other source to establish, sustain, support, or staff a diversity, equity, and inclusion office, or to contract, employ, engage, or hire an individual to serve as a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. The bill authorizes the attorney general to bring an action against a state entity for a writ of mandamus to compel the state entity to comply with these prohibitions. The bill takes effect upon enactment. 

Division I - Reporting Requirements

The bill modifies provisions related to community colleges submitting data from the most recent fiscal year to the community colleges bureau to instead require the data to be submitted directly to DE. 

Division III - Community College Instructors: Employment Contracts

The bill provides that an instructor or faculty member who provides instruction to students enrolled in the community college that results in community college credit hours for the students, and such instruction constitutes more than one-half of the instructor's or faculty member's workload, is a teacher; however, neither an adjunct instructor, a continuing education instructor, nor a noncredit instructor is a teacher. 

CTE offers students the opportunity to gain the academic, technical, and employability skills necessary for true career readiness. 

The bill establishes a state percent of growth of 2 percent for the budget year beginning July 1, 2025. Code section 257.16B provides for school district property tax replacement payments. The bill modifies the property tax replacement payment calculation for budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2025. 

The bill defines "reasonable accommodations" as including but not being limited to taking additional health and safety measures; allowing a student to reschedule tests and assignment due dates that are missed for reasons related to the student's pregnancy; allowing a student to take a leave of absence; and excusing absences for reasons deemed medically necessary due to the pregnancy. The bill prohibits an institution from requiring a student enrolled in a course of study or research activity to take a leave of absence, withdraw from a program, or limit the student's participation in academic activities solely due to pregnancy. The bill requires an institution to make reasonable accommodations to a pregnant student to allow the student to complete a course of study or research. The bill requires an institution to allow a student who is pregnant or has recently given birth an additional amount of time to take examinations, complete a degree, or complete a candidacy for a degree up to the longer of a period consistent with the policies of the institution or 12 months from the date originally scheduled for examination or completion, unless a longer period is medically necessary. The bill requires an institution to allow a student who is pregnant or has recently given birth a period of up to 12 months to take a leave of absence unless there is a medically necessary reason for a longer leave of absence. The bill allows a student who is residing in student housing through the institution that elects to take a leave of absence due to pregnancy or recent birth to reside in student housing during the student's leave of absence. The bill requires the state attorney general to maintain a system to receive and investigate complaints from students alleging a violation relating to pregnancy and recent birth accommodations. The bill requires the attorney general to forward complaints it has determined as founded to the United States department of education's office for civil rights to allow for an investigation into the institution's compliance with the federal Higher Education Act of 1965. The bill requires an institution to maintain a written policy for students on pregnancy discrimination and procedures for addressing pregnancy discrimination complaints. The bill requires an institution to prominently post notice of the protections afforded to pregnant students and students who have recently given birth under the federal Higher Education Act of 1965 on the institution's internet site. The bill requires an institution to provide information concerning the protections afforded to pregnant students and students who have recently given birth under the federal Higher Education Act of 1965 through the institution's medical center and student health center to a student upon the student's request and when otherwise appropriate. The bill requires an institution to assign responsibility for pregnancy and parenting support and protection to a staff member of the institution. 

The bill provides that, commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2026, all individuals seeking a high school equivalency diploma, as a condition of graduation, must attain a passing score on an assessment that consists of the multiple-choice questions contained in the most recent version of the civics test developed by the United States citizenship and immigration services. 

A public corporations shall retain from each monthly payment not more than 3% of that amount that is determined to be due according to the estimate of the architect or engineer. Current Code states 5%. 

The Senate proposed a 19% increase to corrections education funding. 

Things of Note: 

• 0% increase to offender reentry program. 

Things of Note: 

• $7.5M increase to SGA
• $200,000 cut to PACE (due to termination of sector partnerships)
• $125,000 transfer of the workforce preparation outcome reporting system from DE to IWD
• $200,000 cut to the Regents Innovation Fund

Division III - Business Incentives for Growth Program: 

The bill creates a business incentive for growth program (BIG program), effective January 1, 2026, to provide tax incentives to eligible businesses. 

Division IV - Elimination of the High Quality Jobs Program: 

The bill repeals the high quality jobs program on June 30, 2026, and provides for fulfillment of agreements entered into under the program on or before December 1, 2025. The sections of the bill creating the business incentives for growth program take effect on December 31, 2025. 

Division X - Targeted Jobs Withholding Credit Modifications: 

The targeted jobs withholding credit is provided to certain employers in pilot project cities equal to 3 percent of the gross wages paid by the employer to each employee pursuant to a withholding agreement entered into on or prior to June 30, 2027. For withholding agreements entered into on or after the effective date of this division, the bill reduces the withholding credit provided to an employer from 3 percent of gross wages paid to employees to 1.5 percent of gross wages paid to employees. The bill repeals the targeted jobs withholding credit from the Code on January 1, 2038. The division takes effect upon enactment. 

Division XV - Research and Development Tax Credit Program: 

The bill creates a research and development tax credit program to be administered by the authority. The tax credit is available against the individual and corporate income taxes. The bill makes the credit available to businesses primarily engaged in advanced manufacturing, bioscience, insurance and finance, and technology innovation. A business is required to submit a preapplication. A business must be certified by the authority to be eligible. Each year after becoming a qualified business during the five-year period, the bill requires the qualified business to submit an application to the authority for the tax credit. Any tax credit in excess of the qualified business's tax liability is refundable. The maximum amount of research and development tax credits the authority may issue each fiscal year shall not exceed $40M. 

Division XVII - Major Economic Growth Attraction Program: 

The bill permits an eligible business that is entitled to a sales and use tax refund pursuant to the major economic growth attraction program to receive the sales and tax refund on a quarterly basis rather than annually over a five-year period. 

Fiscal Note: Legislative Services Agency