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HF103 • 2026

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.

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.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
GUSTOFF
Last action
2025-01-28
Official status
Subcommittee recommends passage.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

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.

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.

What This Bill Does

  • 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.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-01-28 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  2. 2025-01-27 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 01/28/2025 3:00PM House Lounge.

  3. 2025-01-23 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Hora, Ehlert and Kniff McCulla. H.J. 123 .

  4. 2025-01-22 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Education. H.J. 109 .

Official Summary Text

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.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

File

103

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

103

BY

GUSTOFF

(COMPANION

TO

SF

12

BY

TAYLOR)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

students

who

are

pregnant

or

who

recently

1

gave

birth

who

attend

state

institutions

of

higher

education

2

governed

by

the

board

of

regents

and

community

colleges.

3

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

4

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103

Section

1.

NEW

SECTION

.

261K.1

Student

parents

at

1

institutions.

2

1.

For

the

purposes

of

this

section:

3

a.

“Institution”

means

an

institution

of

higher

education

4

governed

by

the

state

board

of

regents

or

a

community

college

5

established

under

chapter

260C.

“Institution”

also

includes

6

the

faculty,

staff,

and

other

employees

of

such

institution

of

7

higher

education

or

community

college

established

under

chapter

8

260C.

9

b.

“Reasonable

accommodations”

includes

but

is

not

limited

10

to

all

of

the

following:

11

(1)

Taking

additional

health

and

safety

measures.

12

(2)

Allowing

a

student

to

reschedule

tests

and

assignment

13

due

dates

that

are

missed

for

reasons

related

to

the

student’s

14

pregnancy.

15

(3)

Allowing

a

student

to

take

a

leave

of

absence.

16

(4)

Excusing

absences

for

reasons

deemed

medically

17

necessary

due

to

the

pregnancy.

18

2.

An

institution

shall

not

require

a

student

enrolled

19

in

a

course

of

study

or

research

activity

to

take

a

leave

20

of

absence,

withdraw

from

a

program,

or

limit

the

student’s

21

participation

in

academic

activities

solely

due

to

pregnancy.

22

An

institution

shall

make

reasonable

accommodations

to

a

23

pregnant

student

to

allow

the

student

to

complete

a

course

of

24

study

or

research.

25

3.

a.

An

institution

shall

allow

a

student

who

is

pregnant

26

or

has

recently

given

birth

an

additional

amount

of

time

to

27

take

examinations

up

to

the

longer

of

a

period

consistent

with

28

the

policies

of

the

institution

or

twelve

months

from

the

29

originally

scheduled

examination

date,

unless

a

longer

period

30

is

medically

necessary.

31

b.

An

institution

shall

allow

a

student

who

is

pregnant

32

or

has

recently

given

birth

an

additional

amount

of

time

to

33

complete

a

degree

or

candidacy

for

a

degree

up

to

the

longer

34

of

a

period

consistent

with

the

policies

of

the

institution

35

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or

twelve

months

from

the

date

originally

scheduled

for

1

completion,

unless

a

longer

period

is

medically

necessary.

2

4.

a.

An

institution

shall

allow

a

student

who

is

pregnant

3

or

has

recently

given

birth

a

period

of

up

to

twelve

months

to

4

take

a

leave

of

absence

unless

there

is

a

medically

necessary

5

reason

for

a

longer

leave

of

absence.

Following

the

leave

6

of

absence,

the

student

shall

be

allowed

to

return

to

the

7

student’s

program

with

the

same

standing

as

the

student

left

to

8

the

degree

reasonably

possible.

9

b.

If

a

student

who

is

residing

in

student

housing

through

10

the

institution

elects

to

take

a

leave

of

absence

pursuant

to

11

paragraph

“a”

,

the

institution

shall

allow

the

student

to

reside

12

in

student

housing

during

the

student’s

leave

of

absence.

13

5.

a.

The

attorney

general

shall

maintain

a

system

to

14

receive

and

investigate

complaints

from

students

alleging

a

15

violation

of

this

section.

16

b.

The

attorney

general

shall

forward

complaints

it

17

has

determined

as

founded

to

the

United

States

department

18

of

education’s

office

for

civil

rights

to

allow

for

an

19

investigation

into

the

institution’s

compliance

with

the

20

federal

Higher

Education

Act

of

1965,

as

amended,

20

U.S.C.

21

§1681

et

seq.

22

6.

An

institution

shall

do

all

of

the

following:

23

a.

Maintain

a

written

policy

for

students

on

pregnancy

24

discrimination

and

procedures

for

addressing

pregnancy

25

discrimination

complaints

under

this

section

and

the

federal

26

Higher

Education

Act

of

1965,

as

amended,

20

U.S.C.

§1681

et

27

seq.

The

institution

shall

provide

a

copy

of

the

policy

to

28

institution

faculty,

staff,

and

employees

in

required

training.

29

The

institution

shall

provide

a

copy

of

the

policy

to

all

30

students

attending

orientation

at

the

institution.

31

b.

Prominently

post

notice

of

the

protections

afforded

to

32

pregnant

students

and

students

who

have

recently

given

birth

33

under

the

federal

Higher

Education

Act

of

1965,

as

amended,

20

34

U.S.C.

§1681

et

seq.,

on

the

institution’s

internet

site.

35

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c.

Provide

information

concerning

the

protections

afforded

1

to

pregnant

students

and

students

who

have

recently

given

birth

2

under

the

federal

Higher

Education

Act

of

1965,

as

amended,

20

3

U.S.C.

§1681

et

seq.,

through

the

institution’s

medical

center

4

and

student

health

center

to

a

student

upon

the

student’s

5

request

and

when

otherwise

appropriate.

6

d.

Assign

responsibility

for

pregnancy

and

parenting

support

7

and

protection

to

a

staff

member

of

the

institution.

The

8

institution

shall

post

the

responsible

staff

member’s

name,

9

title,

and

contact

information

on

the

institution’s

internet

10

site.

Responsibilities

assigned

to

a

staff

member

pursuant

to

11

this

paragraph

shall

include

but

not

be

limited

to:

12

(1)

Maintaining

current

knowledge

of

the

provisions

of

this

13

section.

14

(2)

Overseeing

institution

compliance

with

this

section.

15

(3)

Understanding

and

publicizing

topics

related

to

16

pregnancy

and

parenting,

including

but

not

limited

to

child

17

care

availability,

breastfeeding

accommodations,

and

pregnancy

18

and

parenting

assistance

from

public

and

private

providers,

in

19

order

to

enhance

campus

life

and

academic

performance.

20

EXPLANATION

21

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

22

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

23

This

bill

relates

to

students

who

are

pregnant

or

who

24

recently

gave

birth

who

attend

state

institutions

of

higher

25

education

governed

by

the

board

of

regents.

26

The

bill

defines

the

term

“institution”

as

an

institution

of

27

higher

education

governed

by

the

state

board

of

regents

or

a

28

community

college.

“Institution”

also

includes

the

faculty,

29

staff,

and

other

employees

of

such

institution

of

higher

30

education

or

community

college.

31

The

bill

defines

“reasonable

accommodations”

as

including

32

but

not

being

limited

to

taking

additional

health

and

safety

33

measures;

allowing

a

student

to

reschedule

tests

and

assignment

34

due

dates

that

are

missed

for

reasons

related

to

the

student’s

35

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103

pregnancy;

allowing

a

student

to

take

a

leave

of

absence;

and

1

excusing

absences

for

reasons

deemed

medically

necessary

due

2

to

the

pregnancy.

3

The

bill

prohibits

an

institution

from

requiring

a

student

4

enrolled

in

a

course

of

study

or

research

activity

to

take

5

a

leave

of

absence,

withdraw

from

a

program,

or

limit

the

6

student’s

participation

in

academic

activities

solely

due

to

7

pregnancy.

8

The

bill

requires

an

institution

to

make

reasonable

9

accommodations

to

a

pregnant

student

to

allow

the

student

to

10

complete

a

course

of

study

or

research.

11

The

bill

requires

an

institution

to

allow

a

student

who

is

12

pregnant

or

has

recently

given

birth

an

additional

amount

of

13

time

to

take

examinations,

complete

a

degree,

or

complete

a

14

candidacy

for

a

degree

up

to

the

longer

of

a

period

consistent

15

with

the

policies

of

the

institution

or

12

months

from

the

date

16

originally

scheduled

for

examination

or

completion,

unless

a

17

longer

period

is

medically

necessary.

18

The

bill

requires

an

institution

to

allow

a

student

who

19

is

pregnant

or

has

recently

given

birth

a

period

of

up

to

12

20

months

to

take

a

leave

of

absence

unless

there

is

a

medically

21

necessary

reason

for

a

longer

leave

of

absence.

Following

the

22

leave

of

absence,

the

student

shall

be

allowed

to

return

to

23

the

student’s

program

with

the

same

standing

and

manner

as

the

24

student

left

to

the

degree

reasonably

possible.

25

The

bill

allows

a

student

who

is

residing

in

student

housing

26

through

the

institution

that

elects

to

take

a

leave

of

absence

27

due

to

pregnancy

or

recent

birth

to

reside

in

student

housing

28

during

the

student’s

leave

of

absence.

29

The

bill

requires

the

state

attorney

general

to

maintain

30

a

system

to

receive

and

investigate

complaints

from

students

31

alleging

a

violation

relating

to

pregnancy

and

recent

birth

32

accommodations.

33

The

bill

requires

the

attorney

general

to

forward

complaints

34

it

has

determined

as

founded

to

the

United

States

department

35

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of

education’s

office

for

civil

rights

to

allow

for

an

1

investigation

into

the

institution’s

compliance

with

the

2

federal

Higher

Education

Act

of

1965.

3

The

bill

requires

an

institution

to

maintain

a

written

4

policy

for

students

on

pregnancy

discrimination

and

procedures

5

for

addressing

pregnancy

discrimination

complaints.

The

6

institution

must

provide

a

copy

of

the

policy

to

institution

7

faculty,

staff,

and

employees

in

required

training

and

to

all

8

students

attending

orientation

at

the

institution.

9

The

bill

requires

an

institution

to

prominently

post

10

notice

of

the

protections

afforded

to

pregnant

students

and

11

students

who

have

recently

given

birth

under

the

federal

Higher

12

Education

Act

of

1965

on

the

institution’s

internet

site.

13

The

bill

requires

an

institution

to

provide

information

14

concerning

the

protections

afforded

to

pregnant

students

and

15

students

who

have

recently

given

birth

under

the

federal

Higher

16

Education

Act

of

1965

through

the

institution’s

medical

center

17

and

student

health

center

to

a

student

upon

the

student’s

18

request

and

when

otherwise

appropriate.

19

The

bill

requires

an

institution

to

assign

responsibility

20

for

pregnancy

and

parenting

support

and

protection

to

a

staff

21

member

of

the

institution.

The

institution

must

post

the

22

responsible

person’s

name,

title,

and

contact

information

on

23

the

institution’s

internet

site.

The

responsibilities

assigned

24

to

the

staff

member

include

but

are

not

limited

to

maintaining

25

current

knowledge

of

Code

provisions

relating

to

accommodations

26

afforded

to

pregnant

students

and

students

who

recently

gave

27

birth;

overseeing

institution

compliance

with

Code

provisions

28

relating

to

accommodations

afforded

to

pregnant

students

29

and

students

who

recently

gave

birth;

and

understanding

30

and

publicizing

specified

topics

related

to

pregnancy

and

31

parenting.

32

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