The 2025 Iowa legislative session has officially come to an end as of 6:30am this morning.
This session highlighted the essential role of community colleges while introducing substantial new policy updates. Community Colleges for Iowa and the hard work of our members secured a $7.5 million increase in State General Aid for FY2026, continuing a multi-year strategy to correct inequities in Iowa's funding formula. While this fell short of our $12 million ask, it reflects the priority legislator's place on our critical role in education and workforce training. Our request for a $5 million boost to the Workforce Training and Economic Development (WTED) Fund was not fulfilled, leaving its real value over $4 million behind inflation-adjusted needs since 2015.
Throughout the session, we worked to defend local governance and achieved important wins, including the defeat or amendment of legislation that would have reduced the authority of Iowa's 124 locally elected trustees. At the same time, colleges must now implement several new compliance requirements: a DEI funding ban (HF 856), pregnancy accommodation mandates (SF 288), accreditation requirements (HF 295), and new immunization and open meetings policies (HF 299, HF 706). We will provide more information and support for implementation of these mandates in our legislative summary report.
As colleges prepare for FY2026, these legislative outcomes reflect both strengthened support and an increasingly complex operating environment. Community Colleges for Iowa remains committed to ensuring students across all regions have access to affordable, responsive education.
The governor has 30 calendar days to sign or veto any bills received during the last three days of session. If the governor does not sign or veto a bill within that 30-day period, it becomes law without a signature.
Now is a great time to thank legislators for their hard work this session. See our Quorum campaign for more details!