HF2244 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to social studies instruction provided to students enrolled in grades seven through twelve, and including applicability provisions. (Formerly HSB 594 .)

Education Elections

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Last action: 2026-03-05
Official status: Fiscal note .
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide specific details on implementation methods or additional requirements beyond those explicitly stated.

Social Studies Curriculum for Grades Seven Through Twelve

This bill amends the social studies curriculum requirements for students in grades seven through twelve, focusing on civics and U.S. government education.

What This Bill Does

Amends educational standards to include specific social studies curriculum requirements for grades seven through twelve.
Requires at least half a unit of credit in civics and U.S. government during either seventh or eighth grade.
Includes voter registration, voting procedures, use of paper ballots, and the method of acquiring and casting an absentee ballot as part of the curriculum.
Ensures all students complete one full unit each of civics and United States government and one unit of United States history.

Who It Names or Affects

Students in grades seven through twelve
School districts that teach social studies

Terms To Know

unit of credit: A measure of coursework required for a student to complete a course or part of a course.
civics and United States government instruction: Teaching about the U.S. political system, including voting rights and procedures.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only applies to school years starting on or after July 1, 2028.
It does not specify how schools should implement these changes.

Bill History

2026-03-19 Iowa Legislature
Placed on calendar under unfinished business. S.J. 599 .
2026-03-05 Iowa Legislature
Fiscal note .
2026-03-04 Iowa Legislature
Read first time, attached to SF 2413 . S.J. 460 .
2026-03-04 Iowa Legislature
Message from House. S.J. 460 .
2026-03-03 Iowa Legislature
Immediate message. H.J. 523 .
2026-03-03 Iowa Legislature
Passed House , yeas 70, nays 26. H.J. 509 .
2026-03-03 Iowa Legislature
Amendment H-8076 adopted. H.J. 508 .
2026-03-02 Iowa Legislature
Fiscal note .
2026-03-02 Iowa Legislature
Amendment H-8076 filed. H.J. 485 .
2026-01-30 Iowa Legislature
Introduced, placed on calendar. H.J. 189 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to social studies instruction provided to students enrolled in grades seven through twelve, and including applicability provisions. (Formerly HSB 594 .)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

House

File

2244

-

Reprinted

HOUSE

FILE

2244

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

EDUCATION

(SUCCESSOR

TO

HSB

594)

(COMPANION

TO

SF

2121

BY

EVANS)

(As

Amended

and

Passed

by

the

House

March

3,

2026

)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

social

studies

instruction

provided

to

1

students

enrolled

in

grades

seven

through

twelve,

and

2

including

applicability

provisions.

3

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

4

HF

2244

(4)

91

jda/jh/md

H.F.

2244

Section

1.

Section

256E.7,

subsection

2,

paragraph

h,

Code

1

2026,

is

amended

by

adding

the

following

new

subparagraph:

2

NEW

SUBPARAGRAPH

.

(02)

The

educational

standards

of

3

section

256.11

relating

to

the

social

studies

curriculum

for

4

grades

seven

through

twelve.

5

Sec.

2.

Section

256F.4,

subsection

2,

Code

2026,

is

amended

6

by

adding

the

following

new

paragraph:

7

NEW

PARAGRAPH

.

0u.

Be

subject

to

and

comply

with

the

8

requirements

of

section

256.11

relating

to

the

social

studies

9

curriculum

for

grades

seven

through

twelve

in

the

same

manner

10

as

a

school

district.

11

Sec.

3.

Section

256.11,

subsection

4,

paragraph

a,

12

subparagraph

(2),

Code

2026,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

13

(2)

Social

studies,

including

instruction

related

to

civics

14

and

United

States

government

.

The

instruction

related

to

15

civics

and

United

States

government

shall

consist

of

at

least

16

one-half

unit

of

credit,

or

the

equivalent,

during

grade

seven

17

or

grade

eight.

For

purposes

of

this

subparagraph,

a

unit

of

18

credit

consists

of

a

course

or

equivalent

related

components

or

19

partial

units

taught

throughout

the

academic

year.

20

Sec.

4.

Section

256.11,

subsection

5,

paragraph

b,

Code

21

2026,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

22

b.

(1)

Five

units

of

the

social

studies

including

23

instruction

in

voting

statutes

and

procedures,

voter

24

registration

requirements,

the

use

of

paper

ballots

and

voting

25

systems

in

the

election

process,

and

the

method

of

acquiring

26

and

casting

an

absentee

ballot.

All

students

shall

complete

27

a

minimum

of

one-half

one

unit

of

civics

and

United

States

28

government

and

one

unit

of

United

States

history.

29

(2)

The

one-half

one

unit

of

civics

and

United

States

30

government

shall

include

the

all

of

the

following:

31

(a)

The

voting

procedure

as

described

in

this

lettered

32

paragraph

and

section

280.9A

.

The

government

instruction

shall

33

also

include

a

34

(b)

A

study

of

the

Constitution

of

the

United

States

and

the

35

-1-

HF

2244

(4)

91

jda/jh/md

1/

2

H.F.

2244

Bill

of

Rights

contained

in

the

Constitution

and

an

assessment

1

of

a

student’s

knowledge

of

the

Constitution

and

the

Bill

of

2

Rights.

3

Sec.

5.

APPLICABILITY.

This

Act

applies

to

school

years

4

beginning

on

or

after

July

1,

2028.

5

-2-

HF

2244

(4)

91

jda/jh/md

2/

2