Read the full stored bill text
STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
June 11, 2025
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 783, an Act implementing requirements related to organizations that sponsor
or administer extracurricular interscholastic athletics, including the creation of a
conference realignment committee.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincelely,
Kim
Governor of Iowa
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
STATE CAPITOL DES MOINES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW.GOVERNOR.IOWA.GOV
M41 I III III III III II II,, J I •% . , fl 11 11 11 lll•n•l••111111I I.
jNry1811YIIlIIIIIIIIilI1111 III III IBIIBEI!;@11YNN111111911BYt18@9➢tlVVIYNI:" : V
unluny. , nulnnnnluh•.
III III 111111ll1111111Y1CII11tl"11
i.\., C T I -. d NI Iz i- k I. AS S EMBLY ! I@ 8I L' E tl I I I Y Y Y I i 1 t 911111 B 11111"; I Y Y N 9 tl l➢ N I I 11➢ I I I I t 91 Y 1! I",. E! : B ä➢ I I I V I1119111 i l l I➢ I@ N°'i l; l O p a p➢ N l l l l l l l l l l l l t i p I B I I91 B I I➢ i G G@ l E"B? l i l l l I I i l E I I I I I Y N I Y G l p! S 91 F I I I Y 111111 I t B I Y l Y l I➢➢ I I E p l@ I I I 11 I I I I N N I i l E l N l p l l L"- l'J S I p •
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIüf
House File 783
AN ACT
IMPLEMENTING REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT SPONSOR
OR ADMINISTER EXTRACURRICULAR INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS,
INCLUDING THE CREATION OF A CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT
COMMITTEE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. NEW SECTION. 280.13D Realignment of high school
athletics conferences — committee approval.
1. For purposes of this section:
a. " Extracurricular interscholastic athletics - means a
contest or competition for sports between different school
districts or accredited nonpublic schools and outside the
regular scope of a school district's or accredited nonpublic
school 's curriculum.
b. - Organization - means the Iowa high school athletic
association or its successor organization, and the Iowa girls
House File 783, p. 2
high school athletic union or its successor organization.
2. On or after July 1, 2025, a school district shall not
expend any moneys, and an accredited nonpublic school shall not
expend any moneys originating from the state, to pay dues or
membership fees to an organization, and the school district
or accredited nonpublic school shall not be a member of,
participate in activities associated with, or receive services
from an organization unless the organization develops and
implements a policy that does all of the following:
a. ( 1) Establishes, in combination with the other
organization, a committee known as the conference realignment
committee. The conference realignment committee shall do all
of the following:
( a) Take action to bring about a reasonable conference
affiliation and relationship for high schools that are
members of organizations. Reasonable conference affiliation
and relationship with member high schools may include
total movement of member schools, sport- specific relief, or
scheduling assistance. When taking action to bring about
a reasonable conference affiliation and relationship for
member high schools, the committee shall consider all of the
following:
( i) The current total enrollment of the member high schools
and the projected total enrollment of the member high schools
in the future.
( ii) Travel distances between member high schools.
( iii) The comparability of instructional programs provided
by member high schools.
( iv) Traditional rivalries.
( v) The number of member high schools currently in the
conference and the number of high schools that may be added to
the conference.
( vi) The comparability of athletic programs and other
school- sponsored programs provided by the member high schools.
( b) Review all requests that are submitted to the
committee by school districts and accredited nonpublic schools
that are members of an organization related to changing
the extracurricular interscholastic athletics conferences
House File 783, p. 3
the school belongs to, including moving a member school
to a different conference. A request submitted under this
subparagraph division must contain an analysis of how the
change will affect the school district or accredited nonpublic
school submitting the request along with how the change may
affect other school districts and accredited nonpublic schools
that are members of the organization.
( c) When determining whether to approve or reject the
request, the committee shall consider the factors described
in subparagraph division ( a) and how to best bring about
reasonable interscholastic athletics conferences that
are beneficial to students enrolled in school districts
and accredited nonpublic schools that are members of the
organization. After making a decision, the committee shall
provide a copy of the request and the committee's decision to
the applicable organization and order the organization to take
all actions necessary to effectuate the committee's decision.
If the committee's decision rejects the school district's or
accredited nonpublic school's request, the committee shall
recommend an alternative conference alignment or allow the
school district or accredited nonpublic school to opt for
independent status.
( d) Develop an expedited review process for requests to
change an extracurricular interscholastic athletics conference
membership that are submitted to the committee by all school
districts and accredited nonpublic schools that may be affected
by the change. The expedited review process must require the
committee to provide a copy of the requests received under
this subparagraph division to the applicable organization and
to direct the applicable organization to take all actions
necessary to effectuate the committee's decision.
( e) Review extracurricular interscholastic athletics
conference changes at least once every two years.
( f) Allow a school district or an accredited nonpublic
school to appeal orders issued by the committee to the director
of the department of education.
( 2) ( a) The conference realignment committee shall consist
of eighteen members, subject to the following requirements:
( i) Nine members shall be superintendents employed by
House File 783, p. 4
school districts or accredited nonpublic schools located in
different geographical regions of the state.
( ii) Nine members shall be activities directors employed
by school districts or accredited nonpublic schools located in
different geographical regions of the state.
( b) A quorum of the committee shall consist of ten members.
The members of the committee shall elect a chairperson of the
committee.
( c) Each organization shall appoint nine members to the
committee pursuant to a process established by the state board
of education by rule.
b. Prohibits the organization from changing membership
of extracurricular interscholastic athletics conferences,
including moving a member school to a different conference,
unless the conference realignment committee ordered the
organization to make such change pursuant to paragraph
subparagraph ( 1), subparagraph division ( c) or ( d).
c. Requires the organization to develop an expedited review
and implementation process for orders received pursuant to
paragraph - a - , subparagraph ( 1), subparagraph division ( d).
d. Requires that, in order for a school district
or accredited nonpublic school to be included in any
extracurricular interscholastic athletics conference, the
school must offer at least one extracurricular interscholastic
athletics activity for boys and at least one extracurricular
interscholastic athletics activity for girls in the fall,
winter, and spring. Schools that are not coeducational must
offer at least one extracurricular interscholastic athletics
activity for boys or girls, as applicable, in the fall, winter,
and spring.
e. Prohibits a member school district or accredited
nonpublic school that withdraws from an extracurricular
interscholastic athletics conference, without approval, from
doing any of the following:
( 1) Competing in the same extracurricular interscholastic
athletics activity in any conference for the two years
immediately subsequent to the date the member school district
or accredited nonpublic school withdrew.
( 2) Competing in a tournament sponsored by an organization
House File 783, p. 5
in the same extracurricular interscholastic athletics activity
for the two years immediately subsequent to the date the member
school district or accredited nonpublic school withdrew.
3. The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant
to chapter 17A to administer this section
PAT GRASS / Y
Speaker of the House
AMY SINCIAIR
•
President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 783, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved
MEGAN NELSON
Ch of erk o the House
KIM RE DS
Governor