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The House and Senate held extensive floor debate this week, moving multiple policy bills between the Chambers and many on to the Governor. Four bills we are monitoring went to the Governor, including three of the administration’s high priority bills that are now eligible for signature - Senate File 318, SF391, and SF496.
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SF250: relating to disbursements from the computer science professional development incentive fund and including applicability provisions.
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SF318: relating to apprenticeships and establishing an Iowa office of apprenticeship and Iowa apprenticeship council.
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SF391: relating to education, including modifying provisions related to comprehensive school improvement plans, teacher librarians and guidance counselors, required days or hours of instruction in elementary and secondary schools, agreements between school districts and community colleges to teach certain courses, and required courses in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools, and authorizing school districts to offer sequential units in one classroom.
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SF496: relating to children and students, including establishing a parent’s or guardian’s right to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child, prohibiting instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools in kindergarten through grade six, and modifying provisions related to student health screenings, school district library programs, the educational program provided to students enrolled in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools, other duties of school districts and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools, competent private instruction, and special education.
The Senate Ways and Means committee advanced Senate Study Bill 1208, which incorporates several provisions related to the Education Savings Account program established under House File 68. This includes modifications to the tuition and textbook tax credit, total tax credits for the School Tuition Organization program, elimination of the nonpublic school textbook program, protocols for the reversion of funds in a students ESA account under certain circumstances, and other technical corrections.
As more bills pass through the Legislature and head for signature, I want to remind everyone that once session ends we will produce a comprehensive analysis of enacted legislation pertinent to the Department and field. This will provide initial guidance and signal any next steps that may be required. You can view examples of this guidance from previous years on the Department’s legislative resources page under guidance and updates on legislation.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Eric St Clair
Legislative Liaison
Iowa Department of Education
Grimes State Office Building
515-326-0274
eric.stclair@iowa.gov
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