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Since this newsletter was last issued, two of the Department’s bills have made progress in the House. House File 2153, proposing efficiencies to the Bureau of Iowa College Aid reporting requirements for state-funded postsecondary scholarship programs, passed off the House floor on February 20 by a vote of 95-0 and goes to the Senate. HF2150 proposes to further streamline the transitional coaching authorization by removing a duplicative course requirement. The bill was advanced by the House on Wednesday, February 28 by a vote of 63-32. It now goes to the Senate.
The House took up HF2612 on Thursday, February 29. This bill is based on the Governor’s Area Education Agency bill introduced at the start of session and maintains several key priorities introduced in the original version, including:
- Providing local school districts with greater control in the provision of special education and related services delivered through the Area Education Agencies.
- Reenforcing the Department’s oversight role for special education services as required under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and state law by re-establishing the Division of Special Education within the Department and consolidating oversight responsibility within the Division.
- Expanding the focus on outcomes for special education students within the Area Education Agency accreditation process.
The bill, as amended, passed out of the House by a vote of 53-41 and now goes to the Senate.
The House also held subcommittees on two bills focused on school safety - HSB692 and HSB728. The latter is focused on providing flexibility and support to the Perry Community School District in response to the tragic shooting on January 4, 2024. This bill reaffirms much of the work conducted by the Department in partnership with Perry CSD leadership over the past several weeks, such as waiving several state assessments and required instructional time, issuing an extension of state reporting deadlines, and requesting on behalf of Perry CSD a waiver from federal assessment requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and data reporting requirements.
After spending most of the last two weeks on floor work, we will see an uptick in subcommittee and committee work next week to consider bills received from the opposite Chamber. Currently, the Senate Education committee is scheduled to meet at 10:00 on Thursday, March 7.
Eric St Clair
Legislative Liaison
Iowa Department of Education
Grimes State Office Building
515-326-0274
eric.stclair@iowa.gov
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