Read the full stored bill text
Senate
File
88
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
88
BY
DONAHUE
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
requiring
boards
of
directors
of
school
districts
and
1
the
authorities
in
charge
of
accredited
nonpublic
schools
2
to
adopt
policies
related
to
excusing
the
absences
of
3
students
enrolled
in
grades
nine
through
twelve
for
civic
or
4
political
events.
5
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
6
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Section
1.
Section
299.1,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
3A.
a.
The
board
of
directors
of
3
each
public
school
district
and
the
governing
body
of
each
4
accredited
nonpublic
school
shall
adopt
a
policy
that
requires
5
the
school
district
or
accredited
nonpublic
school
to
grant
6
a
student
who
is
enrolled
in
grades
nine
through
twelve
at
7
least
one
excused
absence
each
school
year
when
the
student
is
8
absent
from
school
because
of
the
student’s
participation
in
a
9
civic
or
political
event.
The
policy
shall
require
all
of
the
10
following:
11
(1)
The
board
of
directors
of
the
school
district
or
the
12
governing
body
of
the
accredited
nonpublic
school
shall
not
13
grant
the
student
an
excused
absence
to
participate
in
the
14
civic
or
political
event
unless
the
student
gives
notice
of
15
the
student’s
intent
to
participate
in
the
civic
or
political
16
event
to
an
administrator
employed
by
the
board
of
directors
17
of
the
school
district
or
the
governing
body
of
the
accredited
18
nonpublic
school
in
advance
of
the
civic
or
political
event.
19
(2)
The
student
shall
demonstrate
the
student’s
knowledge
20
of
the
civic
or
political
event
in
which
the
student
21
participated
by
preparing
a
short
essay,
presenting
information
22
related
to
the
civic
or
political
event,
or
through
any
23
other
means
the
school
determines
will
demonstrate
a
proper
24
representation
of
what
the
student
learned
during
the
civic
or
25
political
event.
26
b.
For
purposes
of
this
subsection,
“civic
or
political
27
event”
includes
all
of
the
following:
28
(1)
Voting
in
an
election.
29
(2)
Serving
as
a
poll
worker.
30
(3)
Participating
in
a
strike.
31
(4)
Participating
in
a
public
comment
period
before
any
32
public
body.
33
(5)
Attending
a
speech
by
a
candidate
for
a
public
office.
34
(6)
Attending
a
political
forum.
35
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(7)
Attending
a
civic
forum.
1
(8)
Attending
a
town
hall
meeting.
2
Sec.
2.
Section
299.1,
subsection
4,
paragraph
b,
Code
2025,
3
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subparagraph:
4
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(7)
While
participating
in
a
civic
5
or
political
event
in
accordance
with
a
policy
adopted
under
6
subsection
3A.
7
Sec.
3.
Section
299.12,
subsection
1,
paragraph
a,
Code
8
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
9
a.
“Chronically
absent”
means
any
absence
from
school
for
10
more
than
ten
percent
of
the
days
or
hours
in
the
grading
11
period
established
by
a
public
school
;
provided,
however,
that
12
an
absence
from
school
that
is
related
to
participation
in
a
13
civic
or
political
event
in
accordance
with
a
policy
adopted
14
under
section
299.1,
subsection
3A,
shall
not
count
toward
this
15
amount
.
16
EXPLANATION
17
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
18
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
19
This
bill
requires
boards
of
directors
of
school
districts
20
and
the
authorities
in
charge
of
accredited
nonpublic
schools
21
to
adopt
policies
related
to
excusing
the
absences
of
students
22
enrolled
in
grades
9
through
12
for
civic
or
political
events.
23
The
bill
requires
the
board
of
directors
of
each
public
24
school
district
and
the
authorities
in
charge
of
each
25
accredited
nonpublic
school
to
adopt
a
policy
that
requires
26
the
school
district
or
accredited
nonpublic
school
to
grant
a
27
student
who
is
enrolled
in
grades
9
through
12
at
least
one
28
excused
absence
each
school
year
when
the
student
is
absent
29
from
school
because
of
the
student’s
participation
in
a
civic
30
or
political
event.
The
bill
establishes
that
such
policy
is
31
to
include
a
requirement
that
the
student
give
notice
of
the
32
student’s
intent
to
participate
in
the
civic
or
political
event
33
in
advance
and
a
requirement
that
the
student
demonstrate
what
34
the
student
learned
during
the
student’s
participation
in
the
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88
civic
or
political
event.
1
The
bill
defines
“civic
or
political
event”
to
include
2
voting
in
an
election,
serving
as
a
poll
worker,
participating
3
in
a
strike,
participating
in
a
public
comment
period
before
4
any
public
body,
attending
a
speech
by
a
candidate
for
a
public
5
office,
attending
a
political
forum,
attending
a
civic
forum,
6
or
attending
a
town
hall
meeting.
7
The
bill
provides
that
a
student’s
absence
from
school
that
8
is
related
to
participation
in
a
civic
or
political
event
9
shall
not
be
considered
an
absence
from
school
for
purposes
10
of
truancy
or
the
enforcement
of
standards
related
to
chronic
11
absenteeism.
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