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House
File
2512
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2512
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
682)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
education,
including
by
modifying
provisions
1
related
to
revocation
or
denial
of
educator
licenses
and
2
certificates
for
publicly
celebrating
assassinations
or
3
acts
of
politically
motivated
violence,
student
protests,
4
and
including
effective
date
and
retroactive
applicability
5
provisions.
6
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
7
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Section
1.
Section
256.146,
Code
2026,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsections:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
28.
a.
Adopt
rules
pursuant
to
chapter
3
17A
that
require
the
board
to
disqualify
an
applicant
for
a
4
license
or
certificate,
or
to
revoke
the
license
or
certificate
5
of
a
person,
for
publicly
celebrating
any
act
of
politically
6
motivated
violence,
including
the
unlawful
killing
of
Charles
7
J.
Kirk,
in
a
manner
that
satisfies
any
of
the
following
8
criteria:
9
(1)
Demonstrates
moral
turpitude
or
unfitness
to
teach
or
10
serve
in
a
position
of
trust
with
children.
11
(2)
Creates
a
substantial
likelihood
of
material
and
12
substantial
disruption
to
the
learning
environment.
13
(3)
Undermines
public
confidence
in
the
integrity
of
the
14
education
profession.
15
b.
A
single
verified
instance
of
celebrating
an
act
16
of
politically
motivated
violence,
including
the
unlawful
17
killing
of
Charles
J.
Kirk,
whether
on
social
media,
in
18
public
statements,
or
in
any
medium
accessible
to
students
19
or
the
public,
shall
constitute
sufficient
grounds
for
such
20
disqualification
or
revocation.
21
c.
The
rules
must
require
the
board
to
initiate
revocation
22
proceedings
upon
receipt
of
credible
evidence
that
a
person
23
holding
a
license
or
certificate
publicly
celebrated
an
act
of
24
politically
motivated
violence,
including
the
unlawful
killing
25
of
Charles
J.
Kirk.
26
d.
As
used
in
this
subsection:
27
(1)
“Celebrate”
means
to
publicly
express
approval,
joy,
28
satisfaction,
or
glee
regarding
an
act
of
politically
motivated
29
violence,
including
the
unlawful
killing
of
Charles
J.
Kirk.
30
“Celebrate”
includes
but
is
not
limited
to
stating
any
of
the
31
following
on
social
media,
in
public
statements,
or
in
any
32
medium
accessible
to
students
or
to
the
public:
33
(a)
Good
riddance.
34
(b)
One
less
fascist.
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(c)
He
deserved
it.
1
(d)
Any
statement
that
is
substantially
similar
to
the
2
statements
in
subparagraph
divisions
(a)
through
(c)
and
3
that
endorses
or
rejoices
in
an
act
of
politically
motivated
4
violence,
including
the
unlawful
killing
of
Charles
J.
Kirk.
5
(2)
“Credible
evidence”
includes
but
is
not
limited
to
all
6
of
the
following:
7
(a)
Screenshots.
8
(b)
Videos.
9
(c)
Sworn
complaints.
10
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
29.
a.
The
board
shall
adopt
rules
11
pursuant
to
chapter
17A
that
prohibit
the
board
from
revoking,
12
suspending,
or
denying
a
license,
certificate,
authorization,
13
or
statement
of
recognition
issued
by
the
board
solely
on
the
14
basis
of
a
person’s
or
applicant’s
expression
of
any
of
the
15
following:
16
(1)
Speech
that
is
protected
by
the
first
amendment
to
the
17
Constitution
of
the
United
States,
including
political
speech.
18
(2)
A
religious,
political,
or
ideological
viewpoint.
19
b.
This
subsection
shall
not
be
construed
to
prohibit
20
the
board
from
disqualifying
an
applicant
for
a
license
or
21
certificate,
or
from
revoking
the
license
or
certificate
of
a
22
person,
pursuant
to
subsection
28.
23
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
30.
a.
The
board
shall
adopt
rules
24
pursuant
to
chapter
17A
that
require
the
board
to
revoke
the
25
license
of
a
teacher
or
administrator
for
encouraging
or
26
leading
a
student
protest.
27
b.
For
purposes
of
this
subsection,
“student
protest”
means
28
a
coordinated
event
among
three
or
more
students
enrolled
in
29
a
school
district
in
which
the
students
leave
the
classroom
30
during
the
school
day
to
protest
or
draw
attention
to
any
31
school
policy,
local
policy,
state
policy,
federal
policy,
or
32
any
social
issue.
33
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
279.89
Student
protests.
34
1.
The
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
shall
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consider
a
student’s
participation
in
a
student
protest
as
an
1
unexcused
absence
for
purposes
of
chapter
299.
2
2.
The
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
shall
extend
3
the
school
calendar
established
pursuant
to
section
279.10
4
by
one
day
for
each
day
that
a
student
protest
occurs
in
any
5
attendance
center
in
the
school
district.
6
3.
For
purposes
of
this
section,
“student
protest”
means
7
a
coordinated
event
among
three
or
more
students
enrolled
in
8
a
school
district
in
which
the
students
leave
the
classroom
9
during
the
school
day
to
protest
or
draw
attention
to
any
10
school
policy,
local
policy,
state
policy,
federal
policy,
or
11
any
social
issue.
12
Sec.
3.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
Act,
being
deemed
of
immediate
13
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
14
Sec.
4.
RETROACTIVE
APPLICABILITY.
The
following
applies
15
retroactively
to
September
10,
2025:
16
The
portion
of
the
section
of
this
Act
enacting
section
17
256.146,
subsection
28.
18
EXPLANATION
19
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
20
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
21
This
bill
relates
to
education,
including
by
modifying
22
provisions
related
to
revocation
or
denial
of
educator
licenses
23
and
certificates
for
publicly
celebrating
assassinations
or
24
acts
of
politically
motivated
violence
and
student
protests.
25
The
bill
requires
the
board
of
educational
examiners
(BOEE)
26
to
disqualify
an
applicant
for
a
license
or
certificate,
27
and
to
revoke
the
license
or
certificate
of
a
person,
for
28
publicly
celebrating
any
act
of
politically
motivated
violence,
29
including
the
unlawful
killing
of
Charles
J.
Kirk,
in
a
30
manner
that
demonstrates
moral
turpitude
or
unfitness
to
teach
31
or
serve
in
a
position
of
trust
with
children;
creates
a
32
substantial
likelihood
of
material
and
substantial
disruption
33
to
the
learning
environment;
or
undermines
public
confidence
in
34
the
integrity
of
the
education
profession.
A
single
verified
35
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4
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2512
instance
of
celebrating
an
act
of
politically
motivated
1
violence,
including
the
unlawful
killing
of
Charles
J.
Kirk,
2
whether
on
social
media,
in
public
statements,
or
in
any
3
medium
accessible
to
students
or
the
public,
shall
constitute
4
sufficient
grounds
for
such
disqualification
or
revocation.
5
The
BOEE
is
required
to
initiate
revocation
proceedings
upon
6
receipt
of
credible
evidence
that
a
person
holding
a
license
or
7
certificate
publicly
celebrated
an
act
of
politically
motivated
8
violence,
including
the
unlawful
killing
of
Charles
J.
Kirk.
9
This
provision
applies
retroactively
to
September
10,
2025.
10
The
bill
prohibits
the
BOEE
from
revoking,
suspending,
or
11
denying
a
license,
certificate,
authorization,
or
statement
12
of
recognition
issued
by
the
BOEE
solely
on
the
basis
of
a
13
person’s
or
applicant’s
expression
of
speech
that
is
protected
14
by
the
first
amendment
to
the
Constitution
of
the
United
States
15
or
a
religious,
political,
or
ideological
viewpoint.
The
16
bill
provides
that
this
provision
shall
not
be
construed
to
17
prohibit
the
BOEE
from
disqualifying
an
applicant
for
a
license
18
or
certificate,
or
from
revoking
the
license
or
certificate
19
of
a
person,
for
publicly
celebrating
an
act
of
politically
20
motivated
violence,
including
the
unlawful
killing
of
Charles
21
J.
Kirk.
22
The
bill
requires
the
BOEE
to
revoke
the
license
of
a
teacher
23
or
administrator
for
encouraging
or
leading
a
student
protest.
24
The
bill
requires
school
districts
to
consider
a
student’s
25
participation
in
a
student
protest
as
an
unexcused
absence
for
26
purposes
of
Code
chapter
299
(compulsory
education).
The
bill
27
also
requires
the
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
to
28
extend
the
school
calendar
for
each
day
that
a
student
protest
29
occurs
in
any
attendance
center
in
the
school
district.
30
The
bill
defines
“celebrate”,
“credible
evidence”,
and
31
“student
protest”,
and
the
bill
is
effective
upon
enactment.
32
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