Relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, and state board of regents, and including contingent effective date provisions

This bill relates to and makes appropriations to the education system. The bill appropriates moneys for FY 2025-2026 from the general fund of the state and other funds to the department for the blind, department of education, and state board of regents and its institutions. The bill is organized by divisions. DEPARTMENT FOR THE BLIND. The bill appropriates moneys to the department for the blind for its administration. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. _____ compact to pay Iowa’s member state annual obligation; community colleges; the Iowa school for the deaf and Iowa educational services for the blind and visually impaired program; the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics collaborative initiative; the therapeutic classroom incentive fund; an online state job posting system; the LEAD-K program; division of special education; professional development; and the administration and various programs of the college student aid commission. The bill also appropriates moneys from the Iowa skilled worker and job creation fund to the department of education for various purposes. STATE BOARD OF REGENTS. The bill appropriates moneys to the state board of regents for the board office, universities’ general operating budgets, the western Iowa regents resource center, the state university of Iowa, the Iowa state university of science and technology, and the university of northern Iowa. STANDING APPROPRIATIONS.209.51(1) is not enacted. STATE PROGRAM ALLOCATION.13 establishes how moneys appropriated for purposes of the student achievement and teacher quality program are to be allocated. The bill extends such allocations to FY 2025-2026.11. _____ COURT REPORTER EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. The bill establishes a court reporter equipment grant program and requires the college student aid commission to administer the program. A person is eligible to apply for a grant award under the grant program if the person is enrolled in a court reporter training program in this state. A recipient of a grant under the grant program must use the moneys awarded by the college student aid commission for the purchase of court reporter equipment and software for the court reporter training program in which the recipient is participating. The bill requires the college student aid commission to adopt rules to administer the grant program. The bill establishes a court reporter equipment grant program fund and appropriates moneys from the general fund of the state to the grant program fund in FY 2025-2026.486, which established the court reporter equipment grant program and the court reporter equipment incentive fund. The bill transfers moneys to the new fund from the previous fund.