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89th General Assembly · Funnel one-pager · Monday, November 9, 2026

SF 159: Relating to educational offerings and funding by establishing a student first scholarship program for certain pupils attending nonpublic schools, establishing a student first scholarship fund, providing an income tax exemption, modifying and establishing charter school programs, modifying provisions governing the state’s open enrollment law including voluntary diversity plans, modifying the tuition and textbook tax credit, providing for the educator expense deduction, modifying provisions related to education data collection and permissible education programs and funding, making appropriations, providing penalties, and including effective date, applicability, and retroactive applicability provisions

Died when the session ended · The General Assembly adjourned on May 24, 2022. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died.

Sponsors

Not listed

Cost

See the fiscal note

Student First Scholarship Program:

Senate subcommittee · named January 26, 2021

  • Sen. Amy Sinclair (R) · amy.sinclair@legis.iowa.gov
  • Sen. Joe Bolkcom (D)
  • Sen. et al

Lobbying · 4 for, 11 against

For: EdChoice; Excellence in Education National, Inc., d/b/a Excellence in Education in Action; Iowans For School Choice; Ruan, Inc.

Against: American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa (ACLU-IA); Area Education Agencies of Iowa; City of Des Moines; Common Good Iowa; Iowa Conference of United Methodist Church; Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; Iowa State Building and Construction Trades; Iowa State Education Association; NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Iowa-Nebraska; UAW Region 4; United Professionals/UE

In plain words

  1. January 25, 2021Filed in the Senate
  2. January 25, 2021Approved by the Senate committee
  3. January 26, 2021Sent to the Senate Ways and Means committee
  4. January 26, 2021Senate subcommittee named: Sinclair, Bolkcom and et al
  5. January 26, 2021Subcommittee recommended passing it
  6. January 26, 2021Approved by the Senate committee
  7. January 27, 2021Sent to the Senate Appropriations committee
  8. January 27, 2021Approved by the Senate committee
  9. January 28, 2021Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
  10. January 28, 2021Passed the Senate, 26–21
  11. February 1, 2021Arrived in the House
  12. February 11, 2021Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted

From public records at legis.iowa.gov, compiled by Funnel (iowafunnel.com), an independent, nonpartisan site. Current as of Monday, November 9, 2026. https://iowafunnel.com/bills/89/SF159