A bill for an act requiring the boards of directors of school districts to allow certain youth-oriented community organizations reasonable access to school property.

House

File

2187

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

2187

BY

BARKER

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

requiring

the

boards

of

directors

of

school

districts

1

to

allow

certain

youth-oriented

community

organizations

2

reasonable

access

to

school

property.

3

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

4

TLSB

6068HH

(1)

91

jda/jh

H.F.

2187

Section

1.

Section

297.9,

Code

2026,

is

amended

to

read

as

1

follows:

2

297.9

Use

for

other

than

school

purposes.

3

1.

The

board

of

directors

of

any

school

district

may

4

authorize

the

use

of

any

schoolhouse

and

its

grounds

within

5

such

district

for

the

purpose

of

meetings

of

granges,

6

lodges,

agricultural

societies,

and

similar

societies,

for

7

parent-teacher

associations,

for

community

recreational

8

activities,

community

education

programs,

election

purposes,

9

other

meetings

of

public

interest,

public

forums

and

similar

10

community

purposes;

provided

that

such

use

shall

in

no

way

11

interfere

with

school

activities;

such

use

to

be

for

such

12

compensation

and

upon

such

terms

and

conditions

as

may

be

fixed

13

by

said

board

for

the

proper

protection

of

the

schoolhouse

14

and

the

property

belonging

therein,

including

that

of

pupils,

15

except

that

in

the

case

of

community

education

programs,

any

16

compensation

necessary

for

programs

provided

specifically

by

17

community

education

and

not

those

provided

through

community

18

education

by

other

agencies

or

organizations

shall

be

19

compensated

from

the

funding

provided

for

community

education

20

programs.

21

2.

a.

The

board

of

directors

of

each

school

district

22

shall

allow

a

youth-oriented

community

organization

reasonable

23

access

to

any

schoolhouse

and

its

grounds

within

such

district

24

to

distribute

and

provide

instructional

materials

in

order

25

to

encourage

participation

in

the

youth-oriented

community

26

organization.

27

b.

The

board

of

directors

of

each

school

district

shall

28

establish

terms

and

conditions

governing

the

reasonable

29

access

provided

to

a

youth-oriented

community

organization

30

under

paragraph

“a”

to

provide

for

the

proper

protection

of

31

students

enrolled

in

the

school

district,

employees

of

the

32

school

district,

the

schoolhouse,

and

the

property

within

the

33

schoolhouse.

The

terms

and

conditions

governing

the

reasonable

34

access

must

satisfy

all

of

the

following

requirements:

35

-1-

LSB

6068HH

(1)

91

jda/jh

1/

2

H.F.

2187

(1)

Prohibit

a

youth-oriented

community

organization

from

1

interfering

with

classroom

instructional

time.

2

(2)

When

it

can

be

reasonably

accommodated,

allow

a

3

youth-oriented

community

organization

to

have

access

to

4

after-school

events,

including

back-to-school

events.

5

c.

For

purposes

of

this

subsection,

“youth-oriented

6

community

organization”

means

any

patriotic

and

national

7

organization

described

in

36

U.S.C.

§20101

–

240112,

as

of

July

8

1,

2018.

9

EXPLANATION

10

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

11

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

12

This

bill

requires

the

boards

of

directors

of

school

13

districts

to

allow

certain

youth-oriented

community

14

organizations

reasonable

access

to

school

property.

15

The

bill

requires

the

board

of

directors

of

each

school

16

district

to

allow

a

youth-oriented

community

organization

to

17

have

reasonable

access

to

any

schoolhouse

and

its

grounds

18

to

distribute

and

provide

instructional

materials

in

order

19

to

encourage

participation

in

the

youth-oriented

community

20

organization.

The

school

district

is

required

to

establish

21

terms

and

conditions

governing

the

reasonable

access

provided

22

to

a

youth-oriented

community

organization

to

provide

for

the

23

proper

protection

of

students

enrolled

in

the

school

district,

24

employees

of

the

school

district,

the

schoolhouse,

and

the

25

property

within

the

schoolhouse.

The

terms

and

conditions

26

must

prohibit

a

youth-oriented

community

organization

from

27

interfering

with

classroom

instructional

time

and

allow

28

a

youth-oriented

community

organization

to

have

access

29

to

after-school

events

when

such

access

can

be

reasonably

30

accommodated.

The

bill

defines

“youth-oriented

community

31

organization”

by

reference

to

federal

law

related

to

patriotic

32

and

national

organizations.

33

-2-

LSB

6068HH

(1)

91

jda/jh

2/

2