Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to students who attend a course in religious instruction that is provided by a private organization, including by modifying provisions related to compulsory education and chronic absenteeism
Sponsored by the House Education Committee
Topics:K–12 education
Same legislation: HSB 218
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 20, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 20, 2025
- Done: House committeeMarch 4, 2025
- Done: Passes the HouseMarch 18, 202596–2
- Done: Senate committeeMarch 31, 2025
- Done: Passes the SenateApril 15, 202547–0
- Done: To the GovernorMay 19, 2025
- Done: Signed into lawJune 6, 2025
Signed into law What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill relates to students who attend a course in religious instruction that is provided by a private organization, including by modifying provisions related to compulsory education and chronic absenteeism and allowing school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt policies related to awarding academic credit for the completion of a course in religious instruction. Under current law, the parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian of a child who is of compulsory attendance age is required to cause the child to attend some public school or an accredited nonpublic school, or place the child under competent private instruction or independent private instruction, during a school year.
Read the full explanation
Current law establishes certain exceptions to this general rule. The bill adds to this list of exceptions children who are attending a course in religious instruction that is provided by a private organization and that satisfies certain specified requirements, including requirements related to notification, number of absences, maintenance of attendance records, transportation, assumption of liability, expenditure of moneys, location of instruction, and completion of school work. The bill requires schools to, upon the request of the child or the child’s parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian, as applicable, excuse the child from attendance for at least one hour per week, but for not more than five hours per week, so that the child can attend a course in religious instruction if all of the bill’s requirements are satisfied. The bill also requires schools to incorporate provisions related to attending courses in religious instruction into policies related to chronic absenteeism. Absences associated with attending a course in religious instruction are not counted toward truancy or enforcement mechanisms associated with chronic absenteeism. The bill allows parents, guardians, legal or actual custodians, and children who allege that a school district has violated the bill’s provisions to bring a civil action for injunctive relief and actual damages against the school district. If the child’s parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian, or the child, is the prevailing party in such a civil action, the court is required to award reasonable court costs and attorney fees to the child’s parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian, or the child, as applicable. The bill allows school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to adopt policies related to awarding students academic credit for the completion of a course in religious instruction that is provided in accordance with the bill’s provisions.11(5).
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Changed since by amendment H-1097; see Amendments. Full bill text · What changed before it passed
Senate subcommittee
Named March 26, 2025. On March 27, 2025 it recommended passage.
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
1 written public comment to its subcommittee: February 27, 2025 (1) · on the Legislature’s site
Iowa Code it changes
Amends§256E.7§256F.4§299.1§299.12§299.2
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
7 for · 0 against · 9 undecided · Who →
Family tree
Where this legislation came from and where it went: earlier tries, the versions it moved through this Assembly, and later bills built on it.
Study bill
91st General Assembly
Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title; check the text to be sure it’s the same idea.
Similar bills
- SF 280 Relating to students who attend a course in religious instruction that is provided by a pr…91st General Assembly · Subcommittee recommends passageNearly identical
Matched by the wording of each bill’s explanation, or an identical title. Companion bills and renumbered versions of this bill aren’t listed; they’re the same bill.