Relating to the membership and functions of the state board of regents and including effective date provisions

This bill relates to the membership and functions of the state board of regents (board). DIVISION I —— SHORT TITLE. The bill shall be known and may be cited as the “Regent Governance Reform Act”. DIVISION II —— STATE BOARD OF REGENTS —— MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS. This division replaces the student member of the board with a ninth member appointed by the governor, confirmed by the senate, and subject to the same terms as the other eight voting members. The division adds five ex officio, nonvoting members to the board. Three ex officio, nonvoting members are students enrolled at the university of Iowa, Iowa state university, and the university of northern Iowa, respectively, and appointed by the president of the institution at which they are enrolled. The division provides terms of service for student members. The other two ex officio, nonvoting members of the board are legislative members appointed by the majority leader of the senate and the speaker of the house. The division includes conforming changes to statutory references to the board. The division shall not affect the appointment or term of a member serving on the board immediately prior to the effective date of the division. DIVISION III —— STATE BOARD OF REGENTS —— FUNCTIONS. This division directs the board to require the institutions of higher learning under its control (institutions) to incorporate the classic learning test, developed by classic learning initiatives, into the regent admission index prior to the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year. The division authorizes emergency rulemaking for this purpose. The division requires the board to develop and adopt a policy prohibiting a committee or subcommittee of the faculty senate at an institution from exercising any governance authority over the institution. The policy shall specify that a committee or subcommittee of the faculty senate at an institution serves only in an advisory capacity. The division requires the board to develop and adopt a policy requiring prior approval of the board before an institution may establish a new major or minor to be offered at the institution. The division requires the board to develop and adopt a policy providing for a post-tenure review at any time of any tenured employee of an institution if authorized by the board by a majority vote or by the president of the institution. DIVISION IV —— DISAPPROVAL OF EXPENDITURES. This division authorizes the general assembly, by passage of a joint resolution requiring approval of the governor, to disapprove any individual, ongoing expenditure by the board or an institution under the governance thereof. The board or institution shall terminate the expenditure upon the effective date of the resolution. The division does not apply to an ongoing expenditure specifically authorized by law. DIVISION V —— EFFECTIVE DATE. The bill takes effect upon enactment.