Read the full stored bill text
STATE OF IOWA
KIM REYNOLDS
GOVERNOR
June 6, 2025
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
House File 870, an Act relating to students who attend a course in religious instruction
that is provided by a private organization, including by modifying provisions related to
compulsory education and chronic absenteeism.
The above House File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincer
Kim ' - olds
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
flllllllIIlffim: .. l
raamu fil nwnuu y -•. Iï, % .. ruunumm11u ,- , imuu,
MIIIIIY➢IIIIIIIIIIII11111 III IIII
Al •
, unan•uuuuuuuun.- • w1
-•• 12C:"7EkIYItaYY1111111117111Y1i31;".YI'I!YIC':81! •• d III III 111111111II 1IIKI➢9!M!
i IH"161233tlkllitlllll 11111113° tI31Y2IY311111k16111V 111?tl?!!:1331111111l111111113111". ° I13231113t1 III IYI1I II111311IIIY YI EC31It 11913111111113111111tl t1k211?1Y III II Il illll IIIY BIEL11!191?IEIk1111163111kY!IP;Et:'t'1 •
`" • Ci 1••?•T ,." Ii• 1Z•, L.
House File 870
AN ACT
RELATING TO STUDENTS WHO ATTEND A COURSE IN RELIGIOUS
INSTRUCTION THAT IS PROVIDED BY A PRIVATE ORGANIZATION,
INCLUDING BY MODIFYING PROVISIONS RELATED TO COMPULSORY
EDUCATION AND CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 299.1, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code
2025, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph:
NEW SUBPARAGRAPH. ( 7) While attending a course in religious
instruction pursuant to section 299.1D.
Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 299.1D Absences related to courses in
religious instruction.
1. Section 299.1 shall not apply to a child while the child
is attending a course in religious instruction that is provided
by a private organization if all of the following requirements
are satisfied:
a. The child 's parent, guardian, or legal or actual
custodian of the child, if the child is not an emancipated
minor, or the child, if the child is an emancipated minor,
must submit a notification to the public school or accredited
nonpublic school informing the school that the child will
attend a course in religious instruction during the school day.
b. The course in religious instruction must not require the
child to be absent from school for more than five hours per
week.
House File 870, p. 2
c. The private organization that provides the course in
religious instruction must maintain attendance records and must
make the attendance records available to the school district
or accredited nonpublic school to verify when the child is
attending a course in religious instruction.
d. Transportation related to the course in religious
instruction must be provided by the private organization, the
child's parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian, or the
child.
e. The private organization must make provisions for and
assume liability for the child while the child is attending the
course in religious instruction.
f. The school district or accredited nonpublic school
must not expend any moneys related to the course in religious
instruction, not including de minimis administrative costs
associated with processing notifications received under
subsection 1 and tracking the child's attendance to ensure
compliance with this section.
g. The course in religious instruction must not be held
on school district property unless authorized by the board of
directors of the school district pursuant to section 297.9.
h. The child must agree to make up any school work that the
child does not complete while attending the course in religious
instruction.
2. Each school district and each accredited nonpublic
school shall, upon the request of a child's parent, guardian,
or legal or actual custodian, if the child is not an
emancipated minor, or the child, if the child is an emancipated
minor, excuse the child from attendance for at least one hour
per week, but for not more than five hours per week, so that the
child can attend a course in religious instruction if all of
the requirements under subsection 1 are satisfied.
3. A child's parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian
of the child, if the child is not an emancipated minor, or the
child, if the child is an emancipated minor, who alleges that
a school district has violated this section may bring a civil
action for injunctive relief and actual damages against the
school district. If the child's parent, guardian, or legal or
actual custodian, or the child, is the prevailing party in a
House File 870, p. 3
civil action instituted pursuant to this subsection, the court
shall award reasonable court costs and attorney fees to the
child's parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian, or the
child, as applicable.
Sec. 3. Section 299.2, Code 2025, is amended by adding the
following new subsection:
NEW SUBSECTION. 7. While attending a course in religious
instruction pursuant to section 299.1D.
Sec. 4. Section 299.12, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code
2025, is amended to read as follows:
a. - Chronically absent means any absence from school for
more than ten percent of the days or hours in the grading
period established by a public school; provided, however, that
an absence from school that is related to attending a course
in religious instruction pursuant to section 299.1D shall not
count toward this amount.
4
PAT GRASSLEY
Speaker of the House
/ 1
I
• QL«-
AMY SINCLAaR
President - of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 870, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved , 2025
MEGPfN NELSON
Chi
KIM R
Governor
f the House
41.