Bills › 90th General Assembly

HF 597Died when the session ended · March 8, 2023

Relating to education, including modifying provisions related to school district library programs and the educational program provided to students enrolled in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools

Sponsored by the House Education Committee

Topics:K–12 education

Same legislation: HSB 219

Where it is now

  1. Done: IntroducedFebruary 28, 2023
  2. Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 28, 2023
  3. Done: House committeeMarch 1, 2023
  4. Done: Passes the HouseMarch 8, 202360–37
  5. Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
  6. Next: Passes the Senate
  7. Next: To the Governor
  8. Next: Signed into law

Died when the session ended The 2024 session adjourned on April 19, 2024, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?

What’s in it

AI summary Schools, charter schools, and nonpublic schools would be required to teach using an approach that is age-appropriate for students. This means teaching methods and topics must match a child's typical mental and emotional development, and materials cannot include descriptions or pictures of sex acts. Additionally, every school district must create a library program for kindergarten through grade 12 that uses only these age-appropriate materials.1

Read the official explanation

This bill relates to education, including modifying provisions related to school district library programs and the educational program provided to students enrolled in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools.11 (educational standards) requires that the educational program adopted by the state board of education for school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools be taught from a multicultural and gender-fair approach. The bill provides that the educational program shall also be taught from an age-appropriate approach. The bill defines “age-appropriate” in this context as topics, messages, and teaching methods suitable to particular ages or age groups of children and adolescents, based on developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age group. Additionally, the bill provides that “age-appropriate” does not include any material with descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act. The bill does not affect the definition of “age-appropriate” in the context of the human growth and development curriculum.11, contains only age-appropriate materials, and supports the student achievement goals of the total school curriculum.

Full bill text2

Senate subcommittee

Named March 15, 2023. It hasn’t reported yet.

Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part

20 written public comments to its subcommittee: March 21, 2023 (1), March 1, 2023 (19) · on the Legislature’s site

Iowa Code it changes

Amends§256.11

How the Code works3

Lobbying

5 for · 13 against · 8 undecided · Who →

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