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House
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401
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HOUSE
FILE
401
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
HIGHER
EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
63)
(As
Amended
and
Passed
by
the
House
March
18,
2025
)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
providing
for
general
education
requirements
for
1
undergraduate
students
at
regents
institutions
and
including
2
applicability
provisions.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
SHORT
TITLE.
This
Act
shall
be
known
and
may
be
1
cited
as
the
“Core
Curriculum
Act”.
2
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.1
Definitions.
3
As
used
in
this
chapter,
unless
the
context
otherwise
4
requires:
5
1.
“Board”
means
the
state
board
of
regents.
6
2.
“Institution”
means
an
institution
of
higher
learning
7
governed
by
the
board.
8
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.2
General
education
requirements.
9
The
board
shall
develop
and
adopt
a
policy
establishing
10
general
education
requirements
for
undergraduate
students.
The
11
policy
must
include
all
of
the
following:
12
1.
Each
institution
shall
establish
all
of
the
following
13
general
education
requirements
that
must
be
completed
for
a
14
student
to
receive
an
undergraduate
degree:
15
a.
Six
semester
credit
hours
of
English.
16
b.
Three
semester
credit
hours
of
mathematics
and
17
statistics.
18
c.
Four
semester
credit
hours
of
natural
sciences.
19
d.
Six
semester
credit
hours
of
social
sciences.
20
e.
Six
semester
credit
hours
of
the
humanities.
21
f.
Three
semester
credit
hours
of
western
heritage.
22
Coursework
satisfying
this
requirement
shall
consist
of
23
introductory
survey
courses
concerning
western
heritage
such
as
24
western
civilization,
British
literature,
or
Greek
philosophy.
25
Coursework
for
western
heritage
shall
also
satisfy
the
required
26
semester
hours
for
English,
social
studies,
or
the
humanities,
27
as
designated
by
the
institution.
28
g.
Three
semester
credit
hours
of
American
heritage.
29
Coursework
satisfying
this
requirement
shall
consist
of
30
introductory
survey
courses
concerning
American
heritage,
such
31
as
American
history,
Iowa
history,
American
government,
or
32
American
literature.
If
the
institution
offers
or
requires
a
33
course
on
American
history
and
civil
government,
semester
hours
34
for
that
course
shall
satisfy
this
requirement.
Coursework
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H.F.
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for
American
heritage
shall
also
satisfy
the
required
semester
1
hours
for
social
studies
or
the
humanities,
as
designated
by
2
the
institution.
3
2.
An
institution
shall
not
establish
more
than
4
thirty-seven
semester
credit
hours
of
general
education
5
requirements.
An
institution
may
increase
the
number
of
6
semester
hours
for
any
of
the
requirements
of
subsection
1,
7
provided
that
the
total
number
of
required
semester
hours
of
8
general
education
shall
not
exceed
thirty-seven.
9
3.
Except
as
provided
in
subsection
1,
an
institution
shall
10
not
designate
any
course
as
satisfying
more
than
one
of
the
11
general
education
requirements
provided
in
subsection
1.
12
4.
An
institution
shall
provide
equivalent
credit
toward
13
the
requirements
of
subsection
1
to
a
student
transferring
14
to
the
institution
for
previous
coursework
completed
by
the
15
student
that
is
substantially
similar
to
a
requirement
of
16
subsection
1.
17
5.
If
the
board
or
an
institution
has
established
a
center
18
for
intellectual
freedom
or
a
center
for
civic
education,
the
19
center
shall
annually
review
and
approve
the
courses
that
will
20
satisfy
the
requirements
of
subsection
1,
paragraphs
“f”
and
21
“g”
.
22
Sec.
4.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.3
Standards
for
course
content.
23
The
board
shall
adopt
a
policy
to
ensure
that
courses
that
24
satisfy
the
general
education
requirements
established
pursuant
25
to
section
262C.2
do
not
distort
significant
historical
events
26
or
include
any
curriculum
or
other
material
that
teaches
27
identity
politics
or
is
based
on
theories
that
systemic
28
racism,
sexism,
oppression,
or
privilege
are
inherent
in
the
29
institutions
of
the
United
States
of
America
or
the
state
of
30
Iowa.
The
policy
shall
not
limit
the
academic
freedom
of
31
any
course
instructor
to
direct
the
instruction
within
the
32
instructor’s
course
or
limit
the
free
discussion
of
ideas
in
a
33
classroom
setting.
34
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.4
Exceptions
——
waiver.
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1.
The
general
education
requirements
established
pursuant
1
to
section
262C.2
shall
not
apply
to
a
student
completing
a
2
degree
program
that
is
designated
by
an
institution
as
a
degree
3
program
of
three
years
or
less
in
duration.
4
2.
The
board
may
waive
one
or
more
requirements
of
section
5
262.2
for
a
degree
program
if
the
board
determines
the
program
6
is
in
a
complex
field
or
requires
an
increased
amount
of
focus
7
on
the
courses
related
to
a
student’s
major.
8
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
262C.5
Enforcement.
9
Any
person
may
notify
the
attorney
general
of
an
10
institution’s
potential
violation
of
this
chapter.
The
11
attorney
general
may
bring
an
action
against
an
institution
for
12
a
writ
of
mandamus
to
compel
the
institution
to
comply
with
13
this
chapter.
14
Sec.
7.
APPLICABILITY.
This
Act
applies
to
students
15
beginning
enrollment
at
institutions
of
higher
learning
16
governed
by
the
state
board
of
regents
in
academic
years
17
beginning
on
or
after
July
1,
2027.
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