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STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
June 6, 2025
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 189, an Act relating to the eligibility of students enrolled in nonpublic schools
to compete in extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions provided by
public schools, and including effective date provisions.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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House File 189
AN ACT
RELATING TO THE ELIGIBILITY OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN NONPUBLIC
SCHOOLS TO COMPETE IN EXTRACURRICULAR INTERSCHOLASTIC
ATHLETIC CONTESTS OR COMPETITIONS PROVIDED BY PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, AND INCLUDING EFFECTIVE DATE PROVISIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 280.13, Code 2025, is amended to read as
follows:
280.13 Requirements for interscholastic athletic contests and
competitions.
1. A public school shall not participate in or allow
students representing a public school to participate in any
extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition
which is sponsored or administered by an organization as
defined in this section, unless the organization is registered
with the department of education, files financial statements
with the department in the form and at the intervals prescribed
by the director of the department of education, and is in
compliance with rules which the state board of education adopts
for the proper administration, supervision, operation, adoption
of eligibility requirements, and scheduling of extracurricular
interscholastic athletic contests and competitions and the
organizations.
2. a. For the purposes of this section " organization - means
a corporation, association, or organization to which all of the
following apply:
House File 189, p. 2
( 1) The corporation, association, or organization has as
one of its primary purposes the sponsoring or administration
of extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or
competitions, but.
( 2) The corporation, association, or organization monitors
student participation in extracurricular interscholastic
athletic contests or competitions pursuant to section 280.13D.
( 3) The corporation, association, or organization, when
calculating a public school's or nonpublic school's enrollment
to determine the classification of an extracurricular
interscholastic athletic contest or competition provided by the
public school or nonpublic school, counts the enrollment of
another public school or nonpublic school that allows students
to participate in an extracurricular interscholastic athletic
contest or competition that is provided by the public school
or nonpublic school pursuant to section 280.13A or 280.13D, as
one-fourth of the enrollment of students in grades nine through
eleven in the other public school or nonpublic school as shown
in the most recent basic education data survey.
( 4) ( a) From the effective date of this Act through June
30, 2027, the corporation, association, or organization does
not modify a school district's or nonpublic school's football
classification that was established by the corporation,
association, or organization prior to the effective date of
this Act due to the number of students who participate in an
extracurricular interscholastic football contest or competition
that is provided by the school district pursuant to section
280.13D.
( b) This subparagraph is repealed July 1, 2027.
b. " Organization - does not include an agency of this state,
a public or private school or school board, or an athletic
conference or other association whose interscholastic contests
or competitions do not include more than twenty-four schools.
Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 280.13D Participation in
extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions
provided by public schools.
1. a. The board of directors of a school district shall
allow a student who resides within the school district, and
who is enrolled in a nonpublic school, to participate in any
House File 189, p. 3
extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition
that is provided by the school district pursuant to the terms
of an agreement between the board of directors of the school
district and the authorities in charge of the nonpublic school
that provides for the eligibility of the student, if all of the
following criteria are satisfied:
( 1) The extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest
or competition has not been provided by the nonpublic school
during the two immediately preceding school years.
( 2) The nonpublic school has not entered into an agreement
under section 280.13A with another school district, nonpublic
school, or charter school that provides for the eligibility of
students enrolled in the nonpublic school to participate in the
extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition
that is being provided by that school district, nonpublic
school, or charter school.
b. The board of directors of a school district shall allow
a student who resides within a contiguous school district, and
who is enrolled in a nonpublic school, to participate in any
extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition
that is provided by the school district pursuant to the terms
of an agreement between the board of directors of the school
district and the authorities in charge of the nonpublic school
that provides for the eligibility of the student, if all of the
following criteria are satisfied:
( 1) The extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or
competition has not been provided by the nonpublic school or
by the student's school district of residence during the two
immediately preceding school years.
( 2) The nonpublic school has not entered into an agreement
under section 280.13A with another school district, nonpublic
school, or charter school that provides for the eligibility of
students enrolled in the nonpublic school to participate in the
extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition
that is being provided by that school district, nonpublic
school, or charter school.
c. If the board of directors of a school district has
established a fee for the cost of a student's participation
in an extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or
House File 189, p. 4
Speaker of the House
competition, a student who is enrolled in a nonpublic school
and is participating in a contest or competition at a public
school pursuant to paragraph - a - or " b - , or the student's parent
or guardian, shall be responsible for the payment of such fee.
The amount of such fee shall not exceed the amount of the fee
the board of directors of the school district has established
for students who are enrolled in the school district.
2. A student who is enrolled in a nonpublic school and
is participating in a contest or competition at a public
school pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph " a - or b - , shall
participate under the same conditions as a student who is
enrolled in the school district, including meeting the school
district's student code of conduct requirements.
3. A student who participates in an extracurricular
interscholastic athletic contest or competition pursuant
to this section shall be deemed to satisfy the residence
requirements for purposes of section 256.46.
Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. The following takes effect August
1, 2025:
The section of this Act amending section 280.13.
Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. The following, being deemed of
immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment:
The section of this Act enacting sectiop•280.13D.
AMY SINCLAaR
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 189, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved U , 2025