Bills › 91st General Assembly

HF 554Died when the session ended · February 24, 2025

Relating to public schools, including by modifying provisions related to school district library programs and requests to remove educational materials from classrooms and school libraries

Sponsored by Rep. Jerome Amos Jr. (D), Rep. Sean Bagniewski (D), Rep. Timi M. Brown-Powers (D), Rep. Ken Croken (D), Rep. Lindsay James (D), Rep. Bob Kressig (D), Rep. Monica Kurth (D), Rep. Larry McBurney (D), Rep. Brian Meyer (D), Rep. Dr. Megan L. Srinivas (D), Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D), Rep. Aime Wichtendahl (D)

Topics:K–12 education

Where it is now

  1. Done: IntroducedFebruary 24, 2025
  2. Stopped: SubcommitteeDied when the General Assembly ended
  3. Next: House committeeFunnel: by February 20, 2026
  4. Next: Passes the House
  5. Next: Senate committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
  6. Next: Passes the Senate
  7. Next: To the Governor
  8. Next: Signed into law

Died when the session ended The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?

What’s in it

This bill relates to public schools, including by modifying provisions related to school district library programs and requests to remove educational materials from classrooms and school libraries. Current law requires school districts to employ either a qualified teacher librarian licensed by the board of educational examiners or a person previously employed as a librarian by a public library. The bill modifies this provision to provide that, beginning July 1, 2025, each school district shall employ a qualified teacher librarian licensed by the board of educational examiners.

Read the full explanation

Current law requires each school district to establish a kindergarten through grade library program that contains only age-appropriate materials. Current law also establishes enforcement mechanisms related to this requirement that include the issuance of written warnings by the department of education and hearings before the board of educational examiners. The bill strikes the enforcement mechanisms.77 (transparency —— publication of school district information) that provides that the identity of a parent or guardian who requests the removal of a book, article, outline, handout, video, or other educational material that is available to students in the classroom or in a library operated by the school district shall be confidential and shall not be a public record subject to disclosure under Code chapter (examination of public records). Current law prohibits school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools from allowing a student to serve on any committee that determines, or provides recommendations related to, whether a material in a library operated by the school should be removed. The bill strikes the provisions implementing these prohibitions.

From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Amendments adopted later aren’t reflected. Full bill text

Iowa Code it changes

Amends§256.11§256E.7§256F.4§279.77

Repeals§279.81

Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works

Lobbying

3 for · 0 against · 0 undecided · Who →