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SF113 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to children and students, including by modifying provisions related to a parent’s or guardian’s rights to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child, the educational program and human growth and development curriculum provided to students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, student health screenings, school district library programs, special education, and other duties of school districts and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools.

A bill for an act relating to children and students, including by modifying provisions related to a parent’s or guardian’s rights to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child, the educational program and human growth and development curriculum provided to students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, student health screenings, school district library programs, special education, and other duties of school districts and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools.

Children Education Parental Rights
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
DONAHUE
Last action
2025-01-28
Official status
Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Donahue, and Kraayenbrink. S.J. 153 .
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act relating to children and students, including by modifying provisions related to a parent’s or guardian’s rights to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child, the educational program and human growth and development curriculum provided to students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, student health screenings, school district library programs, special education, and other duties of school districts and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools.

A bill for an act relating to children and students, including by modifying provisions related to a parent’s or guardian’s rights to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child, the educational program and human growth and development curriculum provided to students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, student health screenings, school district library programs, special education, and other duties of school districts and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to children and students, including by modifying provisions related to a parent’s or guardian’s rights to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child, the educational program and human growth and development curriculum provided to students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, student health screenings, school district library programs, special education, and other duties of school districts and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-01-28 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Donahue, and Kraayenbrink. S.J. 153 .

  2. 2025-01-23 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Education. S.J. 130 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to children and students, including by modifying provisions related to a parent’s or guardian’s rights to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child, the educational program and human growth and development curriculum provided to students enrolled in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, student health screenings, school district library programs, special education, and other duties of school districts and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate

File

113

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

113

BY

DONAHUE

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

children

and

students,

including

by

1

modifying

provisions

related

to

a

parent’s

or

guardian’s

2

rights

to

make

decisions

affecting

the

parent’s

or

3

guardian’s

child,

the

educational

program

and

human

growth

4

and

development

curriculum

provided

to

students

enrolled

5

in

school

districts,

charter

schools,

and

innovation

zone

6

schools,

student

health

screenings,

school

district

library

7

programs,

special

education,

and

other

duties

of

school

8

districts

and

the

governing

boards

of

charter

schools

and

9

innovation

zone

schools.

10

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

11

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113

Section

1.

Section

256.11,

subsections

2,

3,

4,

9,

and

19,

1

Code

2025,

are

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

2.

The

kindergarten

program

shall

include

experiences

3

designed

to

develop

healthy

emotional

and

social

habits

and

4

growth

in

the

language

arts

and

communication

skills,

as

well

5

as

a

capacity

for

the

completion

of

individual

tasks,

and

6

protect

and

increase

physical

well-being

with

attention

given

7

to

experiences

relating

to

the

development

of

life

skills

and

,

8

subject

to

section

279.80

,

age-appropriate

and

research-based

9

human

growth

and

development.

A

kindergarten

teacher

shall

be

10

licensed

to

teach

in

kindergarten.

An

accredited

nonpublic

11

school

must

meet

the

requirements

of

this

subsection

only

if

12

the

nonpublic

school

offers

a

kindergarten

program

;

provided,

13

however,

that

section

279.80

shall

not

apply

to

a

nonpublic

14

school

.

15

3.

The

following

areas

shall

be

taught

in

grades

one

through

16

six:

English-language

arts,

social

studies,

mathematics,

17

science,

health,

physical

education,

traffic

safety,

music,

18

visual

art,

and

,

subject

to

section

279.80

,

age-appropriate

and

19

research-based

human

growth

and

development.

Computer

science

20

instruction

incorporating

the

standards

established

under

21

section

256.7,

subsection

26

,

paragraph

“a”

,

subparagraph

(4),

22

shall

be

offered

in

at

least

one

grade

level

commencing

with

23

the

school

year

beginning

July

1,

2023.

The

health

curriculum

24

shall

include

the

characteristics

of

communicable

diseases

25

including

acquired

immune

deficiency

syndrome

.

The

state

board

26

as

part

of

accreditation

standards

shall

adopt

curriculum

27

definitions

for

implementing

the

elementary

program.

28

4.

The

following

shall

be

taught

in

grades

seven

and

29

eight:

English-language

arts;

social

studies,

including

30

instruction

related

to

civics;

mathematics;

science;

31

health;

age-appropriate

and

research-based

human

growth

and

32

development;

career

exploration

and

development;

physical

33

education;

music;

and

visual

art.

Computer

science

instruction

34

incorporating

the

standards

established

under

section

256.7,

35

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subsection

26

,

paragraph

“a”

,

subparagraph

(4),

shall

be

1

offered

in

at

least

one

grade

level

commencing

with

the

2

school

year

beginning

July

1,

2023.

Career

exploration

3

and

development

shall

be

designed

so

that

students

are

4

appropriately

prepared

to

create

an

individual

career

5

and

academic

plan

pursuant

to

section

279.61

,

incorporate

6

foundational

career

and

technical

education

concepts

aligned

7

with

the

six

career

and

technical

education

service

areas

as

8

defined

in

subsection

5

,

paragraph

“h”

,

incorporate

relevant

9

twenty-first

century

skills

to

facilitate

career

readiness,

10

and

introduce

students

to

career

opportunities

within

the

11

local

community

and

across

this

state.

The

health

curriculum

12

shall

include

age-appropriate

and

research-based

information

13

regarding

the

characteristics

of

sexually

transmitted

diseases

,

14

including

human

papilloma

virus,

as

defined

by

the

centers

for

15

disease

control

and

prevention

of

the

United

States

department

16

of

health

and

human

services,

and

the

availability

of

a

17

vaccine

to

prevent

the

human

papilloma

virus,

and

acquired

18

immune

deficiency

syndrome

.

The

state

board

as

part

of

19

accreditation

standards

shall

adopt

curriculum

definitions

for

20

implementing

the

program

in

grades

seven

and

eight.

However,

21

this

subsection

shall

not

apply

to

the

teaching

of

career

22

exploration

and

development

in

nonpublic

schools.

23

9.

a.

(1)

Beginning

July

1,

2023,

each

school

district

24

shall

employ

either

a

qualified

teacher

librarian

licensed

25

by

the

board

of

educational

examiners

or

a

person

previously

26

employed

as

a

librarian

by

a

public

library.

The

board

of

27

educational

examiners

shall

not

require

an

applicant

for

a

28

teacher

librarian

license

to

have

a

master’s

degree.

29

(2)

Each

school

district

shall

establish

a

kindergarten

30

through

grade

twelve

library

program

that

is

consistent

with

31

section

280.6

and

with

the

educational

standards

established

32

in

this

section,

contains

only

age-appropriate

materials,

and

33

supports

the

student

achievement

goals

of

the

total

school

34

curriculum.

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113

(3)

If,

after

investigation,

the

department

determines

1

that

a

school

district

or

an

employee

of

a

school

district

has

2

violated

the

provisions

of

subparagraph

(2)

related

to

library

3

programs

containing

only

age-appropriate

materials,

beginning

4

January

1,

2024,

the

school

district

or

employee

of

the

school

5

district,

as

applicable,

shall

be

subject

to

the

following:

6

(a)

For

the

first

violation

of

subparagraph

(2),

the

7

department

shall

issue

a

written

warning

to

the

board

8

of

directors

of

the

school

district

or

the

employee,

as

9

applicable.

10

(b)

(i)

For

a

second

or

subsequent

violation

of

11

subparagraph

(2),

if

the

department

finds

that

a

school

12

district

knowingly

violated

subparagraph

(2),

the

13

superintendent

of

the

school

district

shall

be

subject

to

14

a

hearing

conducted

by

the

board

of

educational

examiners

15

pursuant

to

section

256.146,

subsection

13

,

which

may

result

16

in

disciplinary

action.

17

(ii)

For

a

second

or

subsequent

violation

of

subparagraph

18

(2),

if

the

department

finds

that

an

employee

of

the

school

19

district

who

holds

a

license,

certificate,

authorization,

or

20

statement

of

recognition

issued

by

the

board

of

educational

21

examiners

knowingly

violated

subparagraph

(2),

the

employee

22

shall

be

subject

to

a

hearing

conducted

by

the

board

of

23

educational

examiners

pursuant

to

section

256.146,

subsection

24

13

,

which

may

result

in

disciplinary

action.

25

b.

The

state

board

shall

establish

in

rule

standards

for

26

school

district

library

programs,

which

shall

be

designed

to

27

provide

for

methods

to

improve

library

collections

to

meet

28

student

needs,

include

a

current

and

diverse

collection

of

29

fiction

and

nonfiction

materials

in

a

variety

of

formats

30

to

support

student

curricular

needs,

and

include

a

plan

31

for

annually

updating

and

replacing

library

materials

and

32

equipment.

33

c.

The

state

board

shall

establish

in

rule

a

definition

34

of

and

standards

for

an

articulated

sequential

kindergarten

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through

grade

twelve

media

program.

1

d.

A

school

district

that

entered

into

a

contract

with

an

2

individual

for

employment

as

a

media

specialist

or

librarian

3

prior

to

June

1,

2006,

shall

be

considered

to

be

in

compliance

4

with

this

subsection

until

June

30,

2011,

if

the

individual

5

is

making

annual

progress

toward

meeting

the

requirements

6

for

a

teacher

librarian

endorsement

issued

by

the

board

of

7

educational

examiners.

8

19.

For

purposes

of

this

section

:

9

a.

(1)

“Age-appropriate”

means

topics,

messages,

and

10

teaching

methods

suitable

to

particular

ages

or

age

groups

11

of

children

and

adolescents,

based

on

developing

cognitive,

12

emotional,

and

behavioral

capacity

typical

for

the

age

or

age

13

group.

“Age-appropriate”

does

not

include

any

material

with

14

descriptions

or

visual

depictions

of

a

sex

act

as

defined

in

15

section

702.17

.

16

(2)

Notwithstanding

subparagraph

(1),

for

purposes

of

the

17

human

growth

and

development

curriculum,

“age-appropriate”

means

18

the

same

as

defined

in

section

279.50

.

19

b.

“Research-based”

means

the

same

as

defined

in

section

20

279.50

.

21

Sec.

2.

Section

256.11,

subsection

5,

paragraph

j,

22

subparagraph

(1),

Code

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

23

(1)

One

unit

of

health

education

which

may

include

personal

24

health;

food

and

nutrition;

environmental

health;

safety

and

25

survival

skills;

consumer

health;

family

life;

age-appropriate

26

and

research-based

human

growth

and

development;

substance

27

use

disorder

and

nonuse;

emotional

and

social

health;

health

28

resources;

cardiopulmonary

resuscitation;

and

prevention

29

and

control

of

disease,

including

age-appropriate

and

30

research-based

information

regarding

sexually

transmitted

31

diseases

,

including

human

papilloma

virus,

as

defined

by

the

32

centers

for

disease

control

and

prevention

of

the

United

States

33

department

of

health

and

human

services,

and

the

availability

34

of

a

vaccine

to

prevent

the

human

papilloma

virus,

and

acquired

35

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immune

deficiency

syndrome

.

1

Sec.

3.

Section

256E.7,

subsection

2,

paragraphs

n,

o,

and

2

p,

Code

2025,

are

amended

by

striking

the

paragraphs.

3

Sec.

4.

Section

256F.4,

subsection

2,

paragraphs

l,

m,

and

4

n,

Code

2025,

are

amended

by

striking

the

paragraphs.

5

Sec.

5.

Section

279.50,

subsections

1

and

2,

Code

2025,

are

6

amended

to

read

as

follows:

7

1.

Subject

to

section

279.80

,

each

Each

school

board

shall

8

provide

instruction

in

kindergarten

which

gives

attention

9

to

experiences

relating

to

life

skills

and

human

growth

and

10

development

as

required

in

section

256.11

.

School

districts

11

shall

use

research

provided

in

section

256.9,

subsection

46

,

12

paragraph

“b”

,

to

evaluate

and

upgrade

their

instructional

13

materials

and

teaching

strategies

for

human

growth

and

14

development.

15

2.

Subject

to

section

279.80

,

each

Each

school

board

shall

16

provide

age-appropriate

and

research-based

instruction

in

17

human

growth

and

development

including

instruction

regarding

18

self-esteem,

stress

management,

interpersonal

relationships,

19

and

domestic

abuse

,

the

human

papilloma

virus,

as

defined

by

20

the

centers

for

disease

control

and

prevention

of

the

United

21

States

department

of

health

and

human

services,

and

the

22

availability

of

a

vaccine

to

prevent

the

human

papilloma

virus,

23

and

acquired

immune

deficiency

syndrome,

in

grades

one

through

24

six.

25

Sec.

6.

Section

279.76,

subsection

1,

paragraph

a,

Code

26

2025,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

27

a.

Each

school

district

is

prohibited

from

administering

28

or

conducting

an

invasive

physical

examination

of

a

student,

29

a

student

health

screening

that

is

not

required

by

state

or

30

federal

law,

or

a

formal

examination

or

survey

of

a

student

31

that

is

designed

to

assess

the

student’s

mental,

emotional,

or

32

physical

health

that

is

not

required

by

state

or

federal

law,

33

without

first

acquiring

the

written

consent

of

the

student’s

34

parent

or

guardian.

This

section

applies

only

to

a

minor

child

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in

the

direct

care

of

a

parent

or

guardian,

and

does

not

apply

1

to

an

emancipated

minor

or

a

minor

who

is

not

residing

with

the

2

parent

or

guardian.

3

Sec.

7.

Section

299A.9,

subsection

1,

Code

2025,

is

amended

4

to

read

as

follows:

5

1.

A

child

of

compulsory

attendance

age

who

is

identified

6

as

requiring

special

education

under

chapter

256B

is

eligible

7

for

placement

under

competent

private

instruction

with

prior

8

approval

of

the

placement

by

the

director

of

special

education

9

of

the

area

education

agency

of

the

child’s

district

of

10

residence

.

11

Sec.

8.

REPEAL.

Sections

279.77,

279.78,

279.79,

279.80,

12

and

601.1,

Code

2025,

are

repealed.

13

EXPLANATION

14

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

15

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

16

This

bill

relates

to

children

and

students,

including

by

17

modifying

provisions

related

to

a

parent’s

or

guardian’s

rights

18

to

make

decisions

affecting

the

parent’s

or

guardian’s

child,

19

the

educational

program

and

human

growth

and

development

20

curriculum

provided

to

students

enrolled

in

school

districts,

21

charter

schools,

and

innovation

zone

schools,

student

22

health

screenings,

school

district

library

programs,

special

23

education,

and

other

duties

of

school

districts

and

the

24

governing

boards

of

charter

schools

and

innovation

zone

25

schools.

26

The

bill

requires

the

health

curriculum

provided

to

students

27

enrolled

in

grades

one

through

six

in

school

districts

and

28

accredited

nonpublic

schools

to

include

instruction

related

to

29

the

characteristics

of

acquired

immune

deficiency

syndrome.

30

The

bill

requires

the

human

growth

and

development

instruction

31

provided

to

students

enrolled

in

grades

7

through

12

in

32

school

districts

and

accredited

nonpublic

schools

to

include

33

instruction

related

to

the

human

papilloma

virus,

as

defined

34

by

the

centers

for

disease

control

and

prevention

of

the

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United

States

department

of

health

and

human

services,

and

the

1

availability

of

a

vaccine

to

prevent

the

human

papilloma

virus,

2

and

acquired

immune

deficiency

syndrome.

3

Current

law

requires

that

school

district

library

programs

4

be

consistent

with

Code

section

280.6

(religious

books)

5

and

contain

only

age-appropriate

materials.

Current

law

6

establishes

enforcement

mechanisms

related

to

the

requirements

7

concerning

school

district

libraries

containing

only

8

age-appropriate

materials.

The

bill

strikes

these

provisions.

9

Current

law

requires

the

state

board

of

education

to

establish

10

in

rule

standards

for

school

district

library

programs,

which

11

standards

shall

be

designed

to

provide

for

methods

to

improve

12

library

collections

to

meet

student

needs,

include

a

current

13

and

diverse

collection

of

fiction

and

nonfiction

materials

14

in

a

variety

of

formats

to

support

student

curricular

needs,

15

and

include

a

plan

for

annually

updating

and

replacing

library

16

materials

and

equipment.

The

bill

strikes

these

provisions.

17

The

bill

modifies

the

definition

of

“age-appropriate”

for

18

purposes

of

the

educational

program

established

under

Code

19

section

256.11.

20

Current

law

prohibits

school

districts,

charter

schools,

21

and

innovation

zone

schools

from

administering

or

conducting

a

22

formal

examination

or

survey

of

a

student

that

is

designed

to

23

assess

the

student’s

mental,

emotional,

or

physical

health

that

24

is

not

required

by

state

or

federal

law

without

acquiring

the

25

written

consent

of

the

student’s

parent

or

guardian.

The

bill

26

strikes

this

provision.

27

Current

law

provides

that

a

child

of

compulsory

attendance

28

age

who

is

identified

as

requiring

special

education

under

Code

29

chapter

256B

is

eligible

for

placement

under

competent

private

30

instruction.

The

bill

modifies

this

provision

to

provide

31

that

such

a

child

is

eligible

for

placement

under

competent

32

private

instruction

with

prior

approval

of

the

placement

by

the

33

director

of

special

education

of

the

area

education

agency

of

34

the

child’s

district

of

residence.

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Current

Code

section

279.77

requires

school

districts

to

1

post

certain

specified

information

on

the

school

district’s

2

internet

site

and

adopt

a

policy

describing

the

procedures

for

3

the

parent

or

guardian

of

a

student

enrolled

in

the

school

4

district,

or

a

resident

of

the

school

district,

to

review

5

the

instructional

materials

used

in

classrooms

in

the

school

6

district.

The

bill

repeals

Code

section

279.77.

7

Current

Code

section

279.78

prohibits

school

districts,

8

charter

schools,

and

innovation

zone

schools

from

knowingly

9

giving

false

or

misleading

information

to

the

parent

or

10

guardian

of

a

student

regarding

the

student’s

gender

identity

11

or

intention

to

transition

to

a

gender

that

is

different

than

12

the

sex

listed

on

a

student’s

official

birth

certificate

13

or

certificate

issued

upon

adoption.

Current

Code

section

14

279.78

provides

that

if

a

student

enrolled

in

a

school

15

district,

charter

school,

or

innovation

zone

school

requests

an

16

accommodation

that

is

intended

to

affirm

the

student’s

gender

17

identity

from

a

licensed

practitioner

employed

by

the

school,

18

including

a

request

that

the

licensed

practitioner

address

the

19

student

using

a

name

or

pronoun

that

is

different

than

the

name

20

or

pronoun

assigned

to

the

student

in

the

school’s

registration

21

forms

or

records,

the

licensed

practitioner

is

required

to

22

report

the

student’s

request

to

an

administrator

employed

by

23

the

school,

and

the

administrator

is

required

to

report

the

24

student’s

request

to

the

student’s

parent

or

guardian.

The

25

bill

repeals

Code

section

279.78.

26

Current

Code

section

279.79

requires

school

districts,

27

charter

schools,

and

innovation

zone

schools

to

receive

the

28

prior

written

consent

of

a

student’s

parent

or

guardian

before

29

requiring

a

student

to

take

part

in

any

survey,

analysis,

30

activity,

or

evaluation

that

reveals

certain

specified

31

information.

Current

Code

section

279.79

provides

that

an

32

employee

or

contractor

of

a

school

district,

charter

school,

33

or

innovation

zone

school

is

prohibited

from

answering

any

34

question

pertaining

to

any

particular

student

enrolled

in

35

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the

school

in

any

survey

related

to

the

social

or

emotional

1

abilities,

competencies,

or

characteristics

of

the

student,

2

unless

the

school

satisfies

certain

specified

requirements.

3

The

bill

repeals

Code

section

279.79.

4

Current

Code

section

279.80

prohibits

school

districts,

5

charter

schools,

and

innovation

zone

schools

from

providing

any

6

program,

curriculum,

test,

survey,

questionnaire,

promotion,

or

7

instruction

relating

to

gender

identity

or

sexual

orientation

8

to

students

in

kindergarten

through

grade

six.

The

bill

9

repeals

Code

section

279.80

and

makes

conforming

changes.

10

Current

Code

section

601.1

provides

that,

except

as

provided

11

in

Code

section

147.164

(gender

transition

procedure

——

related

12

activities

——

minors

——

prohibitions),

a

parent

or

guardian

13

bears

the

ultimate

responsibility,

and

has

the

fundamental,

14

constitutionally

protected

right,

to

make

decisions

affecting

15

the

parent’s

or

guardian’s

minor

child,

including

decisions

16

related

to

the

minor

child’s

medical

care,

moral

upbringing,

17

religious

upbringing,

residence,

education,

and

extracurricular

18

activities.

The

bill

repeals

Code

section

601.1.

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