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HF103
Support for Pregnant and New Parent Students in Iowa Colleges
Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 3:29 AM
In one sentence
This law requires state universities governed by the Board of Regents and community colleges to provide specific accommodations, such as extra time on tests and leaves of absence, for students who are pregnant or have recently given birth.
What it does
- Requires schools to allow reasonable changes like rescheduling missed tests due to pregnancy.
- Prohibits schools from forcing a student to leave their program just because they are pregnant.
- Allows up to twelve months of extra time for students to finish exams or complete their degrees, unless a longer period is medically necessary.
- Permits students to take a leave of absence for up to one year and return with the same academic standing as reasonably possible.
- Requires schools to allow students living in student housing to stay during an approved leave of absence.
- Mandates that each school assigns a staff member to oversee pregnancy support and post their contact information online.
Who it affects
- Students who are pregnant or have recently given birth at state universities governed by the Board of Regents.
- Students attending community colleges established under Chapter 260C in Iowa.
- Faculty, staff, and employees working at these higher education institutions.
Limits and unknowns
- The law does not specify an effective date in the provided text.
- School policies may allow for time periods longer than twelve months if medically necessary, but specific medical requirements are not detailed here.
- The bill requires schools to have a written policy on pregnancy discrimination and post notices online, but it does not list every detail of what that policy must contain.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Reasonable accommodations
- Changes schools must make to help students, such as taking additional health measures, rescheduling missed tests or assignments due to pregnancy, allowing a leave of absence, and excusing medically necessary absences.
- Leave of absence
- A temporary break from school that allows a student to return later with the same standing they had before leaving, as reasonably possible.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
A bill for an act relating to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education governed by the board of regents and community colleges.