Amendment H-8077 to HF 2508

Filed March 3, 2026 in the House by

In plain words

AI summary This amendment replaces the entire bill and establishes a minimum of 23 calendar days of noncontact periods each year for students and staff regarding athletics, band, cheer, and theater. It requires 10 days of noncontact time to begin after the state softball or baseball tournament and 8 days to begin after the state boys basketball tournament, with the remaining days set by the organizations. Additionally, it mandates that any state-sponsored volleyball tournament cannot begin until the day after a general or city election.¹

What it changes

1. By striking everything after the enacting clause and inserting: “Section
2. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph i, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows: i. Provide instruction for at least the number of days or hours required by section 279.10, subsection 1 , unless specifically waived by the state board as part of the application process. However, the mandatory spring break period established in section 279.10, subsection 1, paragraph “b” , shall not be waived. Sec.
3. Section 279.10, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
4. a. The school year for each school district and accredited nonpublic school shall begin on July 1 and the school calendar shall begin no sooner than August 23 and no later than the first Monday in December. The school calendar shall include not less than one hundred eighty days or one thousand eighty hours of instruction during the calendar year, of which not more than five days or thirty hours of instruction may be delivered primarily over the internet except as otherwise provided in section 256.43 or in rules adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 32 . The board of directors of a school district and the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school shall determine the school start date for the school calendar in accordance with this subsection and shall set the number of days or hours of required attendance for the school year as provided in section 299.1, subsection 2 , but the board of directors of a school district shall hold a public hearing on any proposed school calendar prior to adopting the school calendar. If the board of directors of a district or the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school extends the school calendar because inclement weather caused the school district or accredited nonpublic school to temporarily close during the regular school calendar, the school district or accredited nonpublic school may excuse a graduating senior who has met district or school requirements for graduation from attendance during the extended school calendar. A school corporation may begin employment of personnel for in-service training and development purposes before the date to begin elementary and secondary school. b. The school calendar for each school district and accredited nonpublic school must include a spring break consisting of five consecutive school days during the week immediately following the conclusion of the state boys basketball tournament conducted by the Iowa high school athletic association or its successor organization. During that week, classes shall not be held and school-sponsored activities, including extracurricular activities, shall not occur. Sec.
5. Section 280.13, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 2026, is amended by adding the following new subparagraphs: NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (5) (a) Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the corporation, association, or organization observes the noncontact periods described in this subparagraph, during which a coach, director, or teacher shall not have contact with students regarding extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions, including athletics, dance or cheerleading, band, show choir, and theater, and extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions do not occur. All high school students, including incoming ninth grade students, shall be subject to a noncontact period and shall not have contact, on or off school premises, with coaches, directors, or teachers, or use school facilities for extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions during a noncontact period. (b) The corporation, association, or organization establishes a minimum of twenty-three calendar days of nonconcact periods each year. (c) The minimum twenty-three calendar days required under subparagraph division (b) must comply with all of the following: (i) Ten calendar days must begin on the Sunday immediately following the conclusion of the state softball or the state baseball tournament, whichever concludes later. (ii) Eight calendar days must begin on the Sunday immediately following the conclusion of the state boys basketball tournament. (iii) The remaining calendar days must be established at the discretion of the corporations, associations, and organizations, in coordination with each other. (d) Organizations that operate nonschool-sponsored extracurricular interscholastic athletic contests or competitions in this state shall observe the noncontact periods in this subparagraph. NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (6) If the corporation, association, or organization sponsors a state volleyball tournament, that tournament shall not begin until the day after the general election as provided in section 39.1 or the regular city election as provided in section 376.1, subsection 1, as applicable.”

Official amendment (PDF) · In the Bill Book