88th General Assembly · Iowa Funnel one-pager · Wednesday, November 11, 2026
HF 194: Directing that students be required to read and demonstrate comprehension of excerpts from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s book “the gulag archipelago” as a condition of high school graduation
Died when the session ended · The 2020 session adjourned on June 14, 2020, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died.
What it does
This bill directs school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to require all students to read and demonstrate comprehension of excerpts from the abridged version of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s book, “the gulag archipelago”, as a condition of high school graduation.3.16.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.
Sponsors
Not listed
Cost
No fiscal note
House subcommittee · named February 5, 2019
- Rep. Norlin G. Mommsen (R) · norlin.mommsen@legis.iowa.gov
- Rep. Lindsay James (D) · lindsay.james@legis.iowa.gov
- Rep. Ann Meyer (R) · ann.meyer@legis.iowa.gov
Lobbying · 0 for, 6 against
Against: Iowa Association of Christian Schools; Iowa Association of School Boards; Iowa State Education Association; Rural School Advocates of Iowa; School Administrators of Iowa; Urban Education Network of Iowa
In plain words
- February 4, 2019Filed in the House and sent to the Education committee
- February 5, 2019House subcommittee named: Mommsen, James, Meyer and A
From public records at legis.iowa.gov, compiled by Iowa Funnel (iowafunnel.com), an independent, nonpartisan site. Current as of Wednesday, November 11, 2026. https://iowafunnel.com/bills/88/HF194