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STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
April 30, 2025
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 782, an Act relating to electronic devices in schools, including student access
during instructional hours and school safety plans, and including effective date
provisions.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely,
Kim Remolds
Govemor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 FAX 515.725.3527 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
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House Pile 782
AN ACT
RELATING TO ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN SCHOOLS, INCLUDING STUDENT
ACCESS DURING INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS AND SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS,
AND INCLUDING EFFECTIVE DATE PROVISIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding
the following new subsection:
NEW SUBSECTION, 69. On or before May 1, 2025, develop and
distribute to school districts, accredited nonpublic schools,
charter schools, and innovation zone schools model policies
that, if adopted, would satisfy the school district's, charter
school's, or innovation zone school's responsibilities under
section 279.87 relating to policies governing student use of
personal electronic devices.
House File 782, p. 2
Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 279.87 Limitation on the use of
personal electronic devices.
1. Commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2025,
the board of directors of each school district shall adopt
policies regarding student use of personal electronic devices
during school hours that restrict student use of such devices
during classroom instructional time. The policies must meet
all of the following requirements:
a. Identify policies and information related to various
educational devices and technologies that will be made
available to students for instructional purposes.
b. Identify the methods that a parent or guardian of
a student may use to communicate with the student during
school hours or while the student is participating in a
school-sponsored activity.
c. Identify the methods that a parent or guardian of a
student may use to communicate with the student during an
emergency situation.
d. Include protocols that the school district will use to
securely store a student's personal electronic device when such
device is in the possession of the school district.
e. Specify the discipline associated with a student's
violation of the policies, including the discipline associated
with a student's use of a personal electronic device during
classroom instruction or during the administration of an
assessment.
f. Establish a process through which a student's parent
or guardian may petition the school district to allow the
student to maintain access to the student's personal electronic
device during the portion of the school day in which classroom
instructional time is delivered if the student's parent or
guardian can establish that there is a legitimate reason
related to the student's physical or mental health for the
student to maintain access to the device during such time.
g. Allow a student who has an individualized education
program, or a plan under section 504 of the federal
Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. §794, to maintain access to the
student's personal electronic device during the portion of the
school day in which classroom instructional time is delivered
House File 782, p. 3
if the student's individualized education program, or plan
under section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C.
§794, requires the student to maintain such access.
2. The board of directors of a school district may adopt
policies that limit student use of personal electronic devices
during school hours, including the use of such devices during
classroom instructional time, that are more stringent than the
model policies developed and distributed by the director of the
department of education pursuant to section 256.9, subsection
69.
3. For purposes of this section, ''^personal electronic
device" includes but is not limited to electronic communication
equipment, mobile phones, smart phones, video game devices, and
portable media players.
4. The state board of education may adopt rules pursuant to
chapter 17A to administer this section.
Sec. 3. REVISION OF HIGH-QUALITY EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
PLANS.
1. The department of education and the department of public
safety shall do all of the following:
a. Consult regarding revisions that school districts need
to make to high-quality emergency operations plans developed
pursuant to section 280.30 to take into account the provisions
of section 279.87, as enacted by this Act, and revisions
that accredited nonpublic schools may make to such plans to
take into account policies regarding student use of personal
electronic devices during school hours.
b. Provide support and guidance to school districts
regarding how to revise high-quality emergency operations
plans developed pursuant to section 280.30 so that such plans
are consistent with the provisions of section 279.87, as
enacted by this Act, and provide similar support and guidance
to accredited nonpublic schools that elect to adopt policies
regarding student use of personal electronic devices during
school hours.
2. On or before July 1, 2025, each school district shall
revise the school district's high-quality emergency operations
plans developed pursuant to section 280.30 so that such plans
House Pile 782, p. 4
are consistent with the provisions of section 279.87, as
enacted by this Act.
Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate
importance, takes effect upon enactment.
PAT grassle:
speaker of the House
AMY SINCgAIR
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 782, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approve 2025
ME^AN NELSON
Chief Clerk of the House
KIM REYNOLDS
Governor