Read the full stored bill text
Senate
File
280
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
280
BY
GREEN
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
students
who
attend
a
course
in
religious
1
instruction
that
is
provided
by
a
private
organization,
2
including
by
modifying
provisions
related
to
compulsory
3
education
and
chronic
absenteeism
and
allowing
school
4
districts,
charter
schools,
and
innovation
zone
schools
to
5
adopt
policies
related
to
awarding
academic
credit
for
the
6
completion
of
a
course
in
religious
instruction.
7
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
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Section
1.
Section
256E.7,
subsection
2,
Code
2025,
is
1
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
2
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
0r.
Be
subject
to
and
comply
with
the
3
requirements
of
section
279.87
related
to
the
adoption
of
4
policies
related
to
awarding
students
academic
credit
for
the
5
completion
of
a
course
in
religious
instruction
in
the
same
6
manner
as
a
school
district.
7
Sec.
2.
Section
256F.4,
subsection
2,
Code
2025,
is
amended
8
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
9
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
r.
Be
subject
to
and
comply
with
the
10
requirements
of
section
279.87
related
to
the
adoption
of
11
policies
related
to
awarding
students
academic
credit
for
the
12
completion
of
a
course
in
religious
instruction
in
the
same
13
manner
as
a
school
district.
14
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
279.87
Academic
credit
for
completion
15
of
courses
in
religious
instruction.
16
1.
The
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
may
adopt
17
a
policy
related
to
awarding
students
academic
credit
for
18
the
completion
of
a
course
in
religious
instruction
that
is
19
provided
by
a
private
organization
pursuant
to
section
299.1D.
20
2.
a.
A
policy
adopted
by
the
board
of
directors
of
a
21
school
district
pursuant
to
subsection
1
must
prohibit
the
22
school
district
from
considering
the
religious
content
included
23
in
the
course
in
religious
instruction,
and
the
denominational
24
affiliation
of
the
course
in
religious
instruction,
when
25
determining
whether
the
course
in
religious
instruction
meets
26
the
education
program
requirement
pertaining
to
any
unit
under
27
section
256.11,
subsection
5.
28
b.
A
policy
adopted
by
the
board
of
directors
of
a
school
29
district
pursuant
to
subsection
1
must
require
the
school
30
district
to
do
all
of
the
following
when
determining
whether
31
the
course
in
religious
instruction
meets
the
education
program
32
requirement
pertaining
to
any
unit
under
section
256.11,
33
subsection
5:
34
(1)
Consider
the
number
of
hours
of
classroom
instruction
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time
provided
to
the
student
under
the
course
in
religious
1
instruction,
the
methods
of
assessment
used
in
the
course
in
2
religious
instruction,
and
the
qualifications
of
the
instructor
3
who
provided
instruction
under
the
course
in
religious
4
instruction.
5
(2)
Review
the
syllabus
associated
with
the
course
in
6
religious
instruction
and
any
materials
provided
to
the
student
7
as
part
of
the
course
in
religious
instruction.
8
Sec.
4.
Section
299.1,
subsection
4,
paragraph
b,
Code
2025,
9
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subparagraph:
10
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(7)
While
attending
a
course
in
religious
11
instruction
pursuant
to
section
299.1D.
12
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
299.1D
Absences
related
to
courses
in
13
religious
instruction.
14
1.
Section
299.1
shall
not
apply
to
a
child
while
the
child
15
is
attending
a
course
in
religious
instruction
that
is
provided
16
by
a
private
organization
if
all
of
the
following
requirements
17
are
satisfied:
18
a.
The
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
actual
19
custodian
of
the
child,
if
the
child
is
not
an
emancipated
20
minor,
or
the
child,
if
the
child
is
an
emancipated
minor,
21
must
submit
a
notification
to
the
public
school
or
accredited
22
nonpublic
school
informing
the
school
that
the
child
will
23
attend
a
course
in
religious
instruction
during
the
school
day.
24
b.
The
course
in
religious
instruction
must
not
require
the
25
child
to
be
absent
from
school
for
more
than
five
hours
per
26
week.
27
c.
The
private
organization
that
provides
the
course
in
28
religious
instruction
must
maintain
attendance
records
and
must
29
make
the
attendance
records
available
to
the
school
district
30
or
accredited
nonpublic
school
to
verify
when
the
child
is
31
attending
a
course
in
religious
instruction.
32
d.
Transportation
related
to
the
course
in
religious
33
instruction
must
be
provided
by
the
private
organization,
the
34
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
actual
custodian,
or
the
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child.
1
e.
The
private
organization
must
make
provisions
for
and
2
assume
liability
for
the
child
while
the
child
is
attending
the
3
course
in
religious
instruction.
4
f.
The
school
district
or
accredited
nonpublic
school
5
must
not
expend
any
moneys
related
to
the
course
in
religious
6
instruction,
not
including
de
minimis
administrative
costs
7
associated
with
processing
notifications
received
under
8
subsection
1
and
tracking
the
child’s
attendance
to
ensure
9
compliance
with
this
section.
10
g.
The
course
in
religious
instruction
must
not
be
held
11
on
school
district
property
unless
authorized
by
the
board
of
12
directors
of
the
school
district
pursuant
to
section
297.9.
13
h.
The
child
must
agree
to
make
up
any
school
work
that
the
14
child
does
not
complete
while
attending
the
course
in
religious
15
instruction.
16
2.
A
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
actual
custodian
17
of
the
child,
if
the
child
is
not
an
emancipated
minor,
or
the
18
child,
if
the
child
is
an
emancipated
minor,
who
alleges
that
19
a
school
district
has
violated
this
section
may
bring
a
civil
20
action
for
injunctive
relief
and
actual
damages
against
the
21
school
district.
If
the
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
22
actual
custodian,
or
the
child,
is
the
prevailing
party
in
a
23
civil
action
instituted
pursuant
to
this
subsection,
the
court
24
shall
award
reasonable
court
costs
and
attorney
fees
to
the
25
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
actual
custodian,
or
the
26
child,
as
applicable.
27
Sec.
6.
Section
299.2,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
28
following
new
subsection:
29
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
7.
While
attending
a
course
in
religious
30
instruction
pursuant
to
section
299.1D.
31
Sec.
7.
Section
299.12,
subsection
1,
paragraph
a,
Code
32
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
33
a.
“Chronically
absent”
means
any
absence
from
school
for
34
more
than
ten
percent
of
the
days
or
hours
in
the
grading
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period
established
by
a
public
school
;
provided,
however,
that
1
an
absence
from
school
that
is
related
to
attending
a
course
2
in
religious
instruction
pursuant
to
section
299.1D
shall
not
3
count
toward
this
amount
.
4
EXPLANATION
5
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
6
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
7
This
bill
relates
to
students
who
attend
a
course
8
in
religious
instruction
that
is
provided
by
a
private
9
organization,
including
by
modifying
provisions
related
to
10
compulsory
education
and
chronic
absenteeism
and
allowing
11
school
districts,
charter
schools,
and
innovation
zone
schools
12
to
adopt
policies
related
to
awarding
academic
credit
for
the
13
completion
of
a
course
in
religious
instruction.
14
Under
current
law,
the
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
actual
15
custodian
of
a
child
who
is
of
compulsory
attendance
age
is
16
required
to
cause
the
child
to
attend
some
public
school
or
an
17
accredited
nonpublic
school,
or
place
the
child
under
competent
18
private
instruction
or
independent
private
instruction,
during
19
a
school
year.
Current
law
establishes
certain
exceptions
to
20
this
general
rule.
The
bill
adds
to
this
list
of
exceptions
21
children
who
are
attending
a
course
in
religious
instruction
22
that
is
provided
by
a
private
organization
and
that
satisfies
23
certain
specified
requirements,
including
requirements
related
24
to
notification,
number
of
absences,
maintenance
of
attendance
25
records,
transportation,
assumption
of
liability,
expenditure
26
of
moneys,
location
of
instruction,
and
completion
of
school
27
work.
The
bill
requires
schools
to
incorporate
provisions
28
related
to
attending
courses
in
religious
instruction
into
29
policies
related
to
chronic
absenteeism.
Absences
associated
30
with
attending
a
course
in
religious
instruction
are
not
31
counted
toward
truancy
or
enforcement
mechanisms
associated
32
with
chronic
absenteeism.
33
The
bill
allows
parents,
guardians,
legal
or
actual
34
custodians,
and
children
who
allege
that
a
school
district
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has
violated
the
bill’s
provisions
to
bring
a
civil
action
1
for
injunctive
relief
and
actual
damages
against
the
school
2
district.
If
the
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
actual
3
custodian,
or
the
child,
is
the
prevailing
party
in
such
a
4
civil
action,
the
court
is
required
to
award
reasonable
court
5
costs
and
attorney
fees
to
the
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
6
legal
or
actual
custodian,
or
the
child,
as
applicable.
7
The
bill
allows
school
districts,
charter
schools,
and
8
innovation
zone
schools
to
adopt
policies
related
to
awarding
9
students
academic
credit
for
the
completion
of
a
course
in
10
religious
instruction
that
is
provided
in
accordance
with
11
the
bill’s
provisions.
The
bill
establishes
prohibitions
12
and
requirements
related
to
the
school’s
practices
under
the
13
policy,
if
adopted,
including
prohibiting
the
school
from
14
considering
the
religious
content
included
in
the
course
in
15
religious
instruction
when
determining
whether
the
course
meets
16
the
education
program
requirement
pertaining
to
any
unit
under
17
Code
section
256.11(5)
(high
school
educational
standards),
18
and
requiring
the
school
to
consider
the
number
of
hours
of
19
classroom
instruction
time
provided
to
the
student
under
the
20
course,
the
methods
of
assessment
used
in
the
course,
and
the
21
qualifications
of
the
instructor
who
provided
instruction
under
22
the
course,
and
to
review
the
syllabus
associated
with
the
23
course,
when
determining
whether
the
course
meets
the
education
24
program
requirement
pertaining
to
any
unit
under
Code
section
25
256.11(5).
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