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SF127 • 2026

A bill for an act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa.(See SF 519 .)

A bill for an act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa.(See SF 519 .)

Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
GRUENHAGEN
Last action
2025-03-05
Official status
Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 519 . S.J. 423 .
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 establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa.(See SF 519 .)

A bill for an act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa.(See SF 519 .)

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa.(See SF 519 .)

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. 2025-03-05 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 519 . S.J. 423 .

  2. 2025-02-06 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  3. 2025-02-04 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/06/2025 10:00AM Senate Lounge.

  4. 2025-01-28 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Gruenhagen, Quirmbach, and Taylor. S.J. 153 .

  5. 2025-01-23 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Education. S.J. 133 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa.(See SF 519 .)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate

File

127

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

127

BY

GRUENHAGEN

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

establishing

a

school

of

intellectual

freedom

at

the

1

university

of

Iowa.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

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Section

1.

SHORT

TITLE.

This

Act

shall

be

known

and

may

be

1

cited

as

the

“School

of

Intellectual

Freedom

Act”.

2

Sec.

2.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.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.

“School”

means

the

school

of

intellectual

freedom

7

established

by

section

263C.2.

8

3.

“University”

means

the

state

university

of

Iowa.

9

Sec.

3.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.2

School

of

intellectual

freedom.

10

1.

A

school

of

intellectual

freedom

is

established

as

an

11

independent

academic

unit

within

the

university.

The

school

12

shall

be

physically

located

in

the

college

of

liberal

arts

and

13

sciences.

14

2.

The

school

shall

conduct

teaching

and

research

in

the

15

historical

ideas,

traditions,

and

texts

that

have

shaped

the

16

American

constitutional

order

and

society.

17

3.

The

board

may

name

the

school

in

accordance

with

any

18

philanthropic

naming

policies

or

practices

of

the

board

or

19

university.

20

Sec.

4.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.3

Functions

of

the

school.

21

1.

The

school

shall

offer

instruction

in

all

of

the

22

following

subjects:

23

a.

The

texts

and

major

debates

that

form

the

intellectual

24

foundation

of

free

societies,

especially

that

of

the

United

25

States.

26

b.

The

principles,

ideals,

and

institutions

of

the

American

27

constitutional

order.

28

c.

The

foundations

of

responsible

leadership

and

informed

29

citizenship.

30

2.

The

school

shall

offer

university-wide

programming

31

related

to

the

values

of

free

speech

and

civil

discourse.

32

3.

The

school

shall

work

to

do

all

of

the

following:

33

a.

Expand

the

intellectual

diversity

of

the

university’s

34

academic

community.

35

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b.

Foster

civic

engagement

among

university

students

and

1

faculty.

2

4.

The

school

may

offer

courses;

develop

certificate,

3

minor,

and

major

programs

as

well

as

graduate

programs;

and

4

offer

degrees.

5

Sec.

5.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.4

Bylaws.

6

The

school

shall

establish

bylaws

governing

the

school

7

subject

to

the

approval

of

the

dean

of

the

school.

In

addition

8

to

any

other

bylaws

established,

the

bylaws

shall

include

all

9

of

the

following

requirements,

which

shall

take

precedence

over

10

any

other

requirements

in

the

bylaws:

11

1.

The

school

shall

educate

students

by

means

of

free,

open,

12

and

rigorous

intellectual

inquiry

to

seek

the

truth.

13

2.

The

school

affirms

its

duty

to

equip

students

with

14

the

skills,

habits,

and

dispositions

of

mind

they

need

to

15

reach

their

own

informed

conclusions

on

matters

of

social

and

16

political

importance.

17

3.

The

school

affirms

the

value

of

intellectual

diversity

18

in

higher

education

and

aspires

to

enhance

the

intellectual

19

diversity

of

the

university.

20

4.

The

school

affirms

a

commitment

to

create

a

community

21

dedicated

to

an

ethic

of

civil

and

free

inquiry,

which

respects

22

the

intellectual

freedom

of

each

member,

supports

individual

23

capacities

for

growth,

and

welcomes

the

differences

of

opinion

24

that

naturally

exist

in

a

public

university

community.

25

Sec.

6.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.5

Funding

——

use.

26

1.

The

school

may

accept

and

administer

private

and

external

27

donations

and

gifts.

28

2.

Any

moneys

appropriated

to

the

school,

and

any

private

29

and

external

donations

to

the

school,

shall

be

used

only

for

30

the

direct

operation

of

the

school

and

shall

not

be

used

for

31

any

indirect

costs

of

the

university.

32

Sec.

7.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.6

School

faculty.

33

The

university

shall

employ

at

least

five

tenure-eligible

34

faculty

members

to

provide

instruction

through

the

school.

35

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Faculty

members

appointed

to

the

school

may

hold

joint

1

appointments

to

other

academic

units

of

the

university.

2

Faculty

members

who

are

not

appointed

to

the

school

shall

3

have

no

authority

to

approve,

deny,

or

modify

the

terms

of

4

appointment

of

faculty

to

the

school.

5

Sec.

8.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.7

Academic

council.

6

1.

No

later

than

December

31,

2025,

the

board

shall

appoint

7

an

academic

council

for

the

purpose

of

assisting

in

the

8

selection

of

a

dean

of

the

school

pursuant

to

section

263C.8.

9

2.

The

board

may

appoint

up

to

nine

members

to

the

council.

10

No

more

than

one

member

of

the

council

may

be

an

employee

of

the

11

university.

A

majority

of

the

members

appointed

to

the

council

12

shall

constitute

a

quorum.

13

3.

The

board

shall

determine

the

initial

length

of

each

14

member’s

term

in

accordance

with

this

subsection.

A

majority

15

of

the

members

initially

appointed

to

the

council

shall

serve

16

initial

terms

of

four

years.

The

remaining

initially

appointed

17

members

shall

serve

initial

terms

of

two

years.

The

board

18

shall

appoint

new

members

to

fill

vacancies

on

the

council

in

19

accordance

with

this

section.

20

Sec.

9.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.8

Appointment

of

dean.

21

1.

The

academic

council

established

under

section

263C.7

22

shall

conduct

a

nationwide

search

for

candidates

for

the

dean

23

of

the

school.

The

council

shall

strictly

adhere

to

all

24

relevant

state

and

federal

laws

in

conducting

the

search.

The

25

council

shall

submit

a

list

of

finalists

for

the

position

to

26

the

board,

which

shall

select

and

appoint

the

dean

from

the

27

list.

Subsequent

deans

shall

be

chosen

in

the

same

manner.

28

2.

The

dean

shall

be

eligible

for

tenure.

29

Sec.

10.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.9

Duties

of

dean.

30

1.

The

dean

of

the

school

shall

have

the

sole

and

exclusive

31

authority

to

manage

the

recruitment

and

hiring

process

and

to

32

extend

offers

for

employment

for

all

faculty

and

staff

of

the

33

school

and

to

terminate

employment

of

all

staff

of

the

school.

34

2.

The

dean

shall

oversee,

develop,

and

approve

the

35

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curriculum,

courses,

and

programs

of

the

school.

1

3.

The

dean

shall

have

the

sole

and

exclusive

authority

2

to

invite

guest

speakers

to

the

university

on

behalf

of

the

3

school.

4

4.

The

dean

shall

consult

with

the

dean

of

the

college

of

5

liberal

arts

and

sciences

when

carrying

out

the

dean’s

duties.

6

However,

the

dean

shall

report

directly

to

the

president

of

the

7

university

or

a

designee

of

the

president.

8

Sec.

11.

NEW

SECTION

.

263C.10

Annual

report.

9

The

dean

of

the

school

shall

submit

an

annual

report

to

the

10

governor,

the

general

assembly,

and

the

board

of

regents

by

11

December

31.

The

report

shall

provide

a

full

account

of

the

12

school’s

achievements

and

shall

identify

any

opportunities,

13

challenges,

and

obstacles

in

the

development

of

the

school.

14

EXPLANATION

15

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

16

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

17

This

bill

establishes

a

school

of

intellectual

freedom

18

(school)

as

an

independent

academic

unit

within

the

university

19

of

Iowa

(university).

The

school

shall

be

physically

20

located

in

the

college

of

liberal

arts

and

sciences.

The

21

school

shall

conduct

teaching

and

research

in

the

historical

22

ideas,

traditions,

and

texts

that

have

shaped

the

American

23

constitutional

order

and

society.

The

bill

authorizes

the

24

state

board

of

regents

(board)

to

name

the

school

in

accordance

25

with

any

philanthropic

naming

policies

or

practices

of

the

26

board

or

university.

27

The

bill

provides

functions

of

the

school,

including

28

instruction

on

specified

subjects,

offering

university-wide

29

programming

related

to

the

values

of

free

speech

and

civil

30

discourse,

and

working

to

expand

the

intellectual

diversity

of

31

the

university’s

academic

community

and

foster

civic

engagement

32

among

university

students

and

faculty.

The

bill

authorizes

the

33

school

to

offer

courses;

develop

certificate,

minor,

and

major

34

programs

as

well

as

graduate

programs;

and

offer

degrees.

35

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The

bill

requires

the

school

to

establish

bylaws

and

1

specifies

certain

subjects

that

must

be

included

in

the

bylaws.

2

The

bill

authorizes

the

school

to

accept

and

administer

3

private

and

external

donations

and

gifts.

The

bill

provides

4

that

any

moneys

appropriated

to

the

school,

and

any

private

and

5

external

donations

to

the

school,

shall

be

used

only

for

the

6

direct

operation

of

the

school

and

shall

not

be

used

for

any

7

indirect

costs

of

the

university.

8

The

bill

requires

the

university

to

employ

at

least

five

9

tenure-eligible

faculty

members

to

provide

instruction

through

10

the

school.

Faculty

members

appointed

to

the

school

may

hold

11

joint

appointments

to

other

academic

units.

The

bill

provides

12

that

faculty

members

who

are

not

appointed

to

the

school

shall

13

have

no

authority

to

approve,

deny,

or

modify

the

terms

of

14

appointment

of

faculty

to

the

school.

15

The

bill

requires

the

board

to

establish

an

academic

council

16

no

later

than

December

31,

2025,

for

the

purpose

of

assisting

17

in

the

selection

of

a

dean

of

the

school.

The

bill

provides

for

18

membership

and

procedures

of

the

council.

The

bill

provides

19

that

the

board

shall

select

and

appoint

the

dean

from

a

list

of

20

finalists

submitted

by

the

council.

21

The

bill

provides

duties

of

the

dean,

including

recruitment,

22

hiring,

and

termination

of

employment

of

school

faculty

and

23

staff;

overseeing,

developing,

and

approving

the

curriculum,

24

courses,

and

programs

of

the

school;

and

inviting

guest

25

speakers

to

the

university

on

behalf

of

the

school.

The

bill

26

requires

the

dean

to

consult

with

the

dean

of

the

college

of

27

liberal

arts

and

sciences

when

carrying

out

the

dean’s

duties.

28

The

bill

provides

that

the

dean

shall

report

directly

to

the

29

president

of

the

university

or

a

designee

of

the

president.

30

The

bill

provides

that

the

dean

shall

be

eligible

for

tenure.

31

The

bill

requires

the

dean

to

submit

an

annual

report

to

32

the

governor,

the

general

assembly,

and

the

board

of

regents

33

regarding

the

school.

34

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