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Kim Reynolds
GOVERNOR
Office of the Governor Chris Cournoyer
LT GOVERNOR
June 0 1 , 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
Senate File 2086, an Act authorizing schools to offer an elective junior fire fighter
program to students enrolled in grades eleven and twelve.
The above Senate File is hereby approved on this date.
Sincerely.
Kim Reynolds ,
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
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Senate File 2086
AN ACT
AUTHORIZING SCHOOLS TO OFFER AN ELECTIVE JUNIOR FIRE FIGHTER
PROGRAM TO STUDENTS ENROLLED IN GRADES ELEVEN AND TWELVE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 100B.7, subsection 2, Code 2026, is
amended by adding the following new paragraph:
NEW PARAGRAPH , r. (1) Allow a student who has successfully
completed the elective junior fire fighter program described
in section 280.37, submitted all necessary certification
registration and local verification forms, and paid all
applicable registration fees to sit for certification testing
for firefighter I certification.
Senate File 2086, p. 2
(2) If a student attains passing scores on all examinations
necessary for firefighter I certification prior to the date the
student becomes eighteen years of age, then the administrator
shall not issue firefighter I certification to the student
until the student becomes eighteen years of age.
Sec. 2. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended
by adding the following new paragraph:
NEW PARAGRAPH . Ow. Be subject to and comply with the
requirements of section 280.37 relating to offering an elective
junior fire fighter program to students enrolled in grades
eleven and twelve in the same manner as a school district.
Sec. 3. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended
by adding the following new paragraph:
NEW PARAGRAPH , v. Be subject to and comply with the
requirements of section 280.37 relating to offering an elective
junior fire fighter program to students enrolled in grades
eleven and twelve in the same manner as a school district.
Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 280.37 Junior fire fighter program.
1. a. The board of directors of each school district
and the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic
school may offer to students enrolled in grades eleven and
twelve an elective junior fire fighter program subject to the
requirements established in this section.
b. Prior to offering an elective junior fire fighter
program, the board of directors of the school district or the
authorities in charge of the accredited nonpublic school must
enter into an agreement with the local fire department that
will be responsible for providing students participating in the
program with appropriate materials and skills training that
describes all of the following:
(1) How students participating in the program will be
supervised .
(2) Activities in which students participating in the
program may participate.
(3) Activities in which students participating in the
program are prohibited from participating.
(4) The school district's or accredited nonpublic school's
responsibilities related to providing medical and liability
insurance coverage for all students participating in the
Senate File 2086, p. 3
program.
2. a. The elective junior fire fighter program must
be taught by fire service training bureau personnel, or an
instructor who has been approved by the fire service training
bureau, using curriculum that has been approved by the fire
service training bureau.
b. The procedure for background investigations and
termination established in section 279.69 shall apply to
fire service training bureau personnel, and instructors who
have been approved by the fire service training bureau, who
provide instruction as part of the elective junior fire fighter
program.
3. If the board of directors of a school district or the
authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school offer
the elective junior fire fighter program, then the board of
directors of the school district or the authorities in charge
of the accredited nonpublic school shall coordinate with a
local fire department to ensure students are provided with the
appropriate materials and training to successfully complete
all components necessary for fire fighter I certification,
including the written certification examination and the
practical certification examination.
4. The elective junior fire fighter program must satisfy all
of the following requirements:
a. Be designed to prepare students to sit for certification
testing from the fire service training bureau for fire fighter
I certification.
b. Allow students to learn more about the work performed by
fire fighters and other emergency services providers in a safe
and controlled environment.
c. Provide students with valuable life skills, including
teamwork, leadership, responsibility, and commitment.
d. Foster relationships between students and fire fighters
and other emergency services providers.
e. Promote student participation in the fire services and
other emergency services providers.
5. The elective junior fire fighter program must authorize
students participating in the program who are younger than
eighteen years of age to do all of the following between the
Senate File 2086, p. 4
hours of 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 midnight:
a. Take part in supervised training.
b. Fight grass fires, after receiving proper training.
c. Perform search-and-rescue operations; provided, however,
that a student who is younger than eighteen years of age shall
not perform a search-and-rescue operation in a structure that
is on fire.
d. Enter a fire structure after the fire is out and the
incident commander has declared the structure safe.
e. Perform traffic control duties, after receiving proper
training .
f. Drive an emergency vehicle that has a gross vehicle
weight of less than ten thousand pounds in nonemergency mode,
after receiving proper training.
g. Pick up hoses and clean up fire scenes after the incident
commander has declared the area safe.
h. Use pneumatic-driven or power-driven saws, shears,
hydraulic rescue tools, and other power tools during training.
i. Operate certain pumps at fire scenes, as determined by
the incident commander.
j. Handle charged hose lines with a diameter of not more
than one and three-quarter inches.
6. The elective junior fire fighter program must prohibit
students participating in the program who are younger than
eighteen years of age from doing any of the following:
a. Driving any fire department vehicle in an emergency.
b. Performing interior fire suppression in structures,
vehicles, or wildland fires; provided, however, that a student
who is younger than eighteen years of age may perform interior
fire suppression in grass fires.
c. Entering a confined space as defined in 29 C.F.R.
§1910. 146(b) .
d. Responding to hazardous material fires, spills, or
other events that may expose the student to hazardous material
exceeding thresholds established in applicable federal
regulations .
e. Performing fire fighting overhaul duties, including any
duties designed to determine whether a fire that appears to be
under control has not spread.
Senate File 2086, p. 5
f. Operating a personal vehicle making use of a blue light
pursuant to section 321.423.
g. Performing ice rescue missions.
h. Any activity that involves the risk of falling six feet
or more.
i. Using a self-contained breathing device; provided,
however, that a student who is younger than eighteen years of
age may use a self-contained breathing device if all of the
following requirements are satisfied:
(1) The student has received proper training to use the
self-contained breathing device.
(2) The student uses the self-contained breathing device
under the supervision of an instructor who has been approved by
the fire service training bureau.
j. Using a cutting torch.
k. Filling air bottles; provided, however, that a student
who is younger than eighteen years of age may fill air bottles
if all of the following requirements are satisfied:
(1) The student has received proper training to fill air
bottles .
(2) The student fills the air bottles under the supervision
of an instructor who has been approved by the fire service
training bureau.
1. Operating aerial ladders.
m. (1) Performing any activity that involves hose lines
with a diameter of greater than two and one-half inches;
provided, however, that a student who is younger than eighteen
years of age may perform an activity that involves hose lines
with a diameter of greater than two and one-half inches if all
of the following requirements are satisfied:
(a) The student has received proper training to perform the
activity .
(b) The student performs the activity under the supervision
of an instructor who has been approved by the fire service
training bureau.
(2) Notwithstanding subparagraph (1), a student who is
younger than eighteen years of age may perform an activity that
involves drafting suction lines with a diameter between five
inches and six inches.
Senate File 2086, p. 6
7. The elective junior fire fighter program must prohibit
all students participating in the program from doing any of the
following :
a. Responding to emergencies.
b. Being dispatched with a fire department.
c. Performing fire suppression or emergency medical services
at an active scene.
8. The board of directors of each school district and the
authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school
may offer the elective junior fire fighter program as an
extracurricular activity or as part of the career and technical
education curriculum under section 256.11, subsection 5,
paragraph "h", subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (e).
9. To participate in the elective junior fire fighter
program, the student must submit to the school district or
accredited nonpublic school a waiver of liability on a form
provided by the school district or accredited nonpublic school
that has been executed by the student's parent or guardian, if
the student is a minor, or by the student, if the student is not
a minor or is an emancipated minor. The form must acknowledge
that the student is not an employee or fire fighter and is
participating in the elective junior fire fighter program as a
student in an extracurricular activity or educational program,
as applicable.
10. A student participating in the elective junior fire
fighter program shall not be considered an employee, volunteer
fire fighter, or a member of a fire department for any purpose,
including for purposes of Code chapter 85, 85A, 85B, or 87.
11. A student's participation in the elective junior
fire fighter program shall not create an employer-employee
relationship between the student and a fire department or
city. Any injuries sustained by a student as a result of the
student's participation in the elective junior fire fighter
program shall not be compensable under chapter 85, 85A, 85B,
or 87.
12. The board of directors of each school district and
the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school
offering an elective junior fire fighter program shall be
responsible for providing medical and liability insurance
Senate File 2086, p. 7
coverage for all students enrolled in the school district
or accredited nonpublic school who are participating in the
program for all program-related activities.
AMY SINGl/AIR
President of the Senate
PAT GRASSL
Speaker of the House
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the Senate and
is known as Senate File 2086, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Witkijw _ W. CHARLES SMITHSON
Secretary of the Senate
Approved 2026
KIM
Governor