House File 888 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 888 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 88) A BILL FOR An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions 1 related to private instruction, world language instruction, 2 and dual enrollment, and including effective date and 3 applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1502HV (2) 91 jda/jh
H.F. 888 DIVISION I 1 PRIVATE INSTRUCTION 2 Section 1. Section 299.4, subsection 1, Code 2025, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 1. The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child 5 who is of compulsory attendance age, who places the child 6 under competent private instruction under section 299A.2 , not 7 in an accredited school or a home school assistance program 8 operated by a school district or accredited nonpublic school, 9 shall furnish a report in duplicate on forms provided by the 10 public school district, to the district by September 1 of the 11 school year in which the child will be under competent private 12 instruction. The secretary shall retain and file one copy 13 and forward the other copy to the districts area education 14 agency. The report shall state the name and age of the child, 15 the period of time during which the child has been or will be 16 under competent private instruction for the year, an outline 17 of the course of study , or texts that will be used, and the 18 name and address of the instructor. The parent, guardian, or 19 legal custodian of a child, who is placing the child under 20 competent private instruction for the first time, shall also 21 provide the district with evidence that the child has had the 22 immunizations required under section 139A.8 , and, if the child 23 is elementary school age, a blood lead test in accordance with 24 section 135.105D . The term outline of course of study shall 25 include subjects covered, lesson plans, and time spent on the 26 areas of study. 27 Sec. 2. Section 299A.1, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 28 2025, is amended to read as follows: 29 b. Independent private instruction means private 30 instruction that meets the following criteria: 31 (1) Is not accredited. 32 (2) Enrolls not more than four unrelated students. 33 (3) Does not charge tuition, fees, or other remuneration for 34 instruction. 35 -1- LSB 1502HV (2) 91 jda/jh 1/ 7
H.F. 888 (4) (2) Provides private or religious-based instruction as 1 its primary purpose. 2 (5) (3) Provides enrolled students in all grade levels 3 with instruction in mathematics, reading , and language arts , 4 science, and social studies . 5 (4) Provides students in grades six through twelve with 6 instruction in science and social studies. 7 (6) (5) Provides, upon written request from the 8 superintendent of the school district in which the independent 9 private instruction is provided, or from the director of the 10 department of education, a report identifying the primary 11 instructor, location, name of the authority responsible for the 12 independent private instruction, and the names of the students 13 enrolled receiving the instruction, who need not be related to 14 the primary instructor . 15 (7) (6) Is not a nonpublic school and does not provide 16 competent private instruction as defined in this subsection . 17 (8) (7) Is exempt from all state statutes and 18 administrative rules applicable to a school, a school board, or 19 a school district, except as otherwise provided in chapter 299 20 and this chapter . 21 Sec. 3. Section 299A.8, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 22 to read as follows: 23 1. If a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a school-age 24 child who is receiving competent private instruction under this 25 chapter submits a request, the child shall also be registered 26 in a public school for dual enrollment purposes. If the child 27 is enrolled in a public school district for dual enrollment 28 purposes, the child shall be permitted to participate in any 29 academic activities in the district and shall also be permitted 30 to participate on the same basis as public school children in 31 any extracurricular activities available to children in the 32 childs grade or group. Dual enrollment of a child solely 33 for purposes of accessing the annual achievement evaluation 34 shall not constitute a dual enrollment purpose. A child who is 35 -2- LSB 1502HV (2) 91 jda/jh 2/ 7
H.F. 888 enrolled in a public school for dual enrollment purposes may 1 receive any amount of instruction by way of the public schools 2 academic programs, including offerings pursuant to chapter 3 261E. 4 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 299A.13 Diplomas and credentials. 5 1. A diploma or credential issued by a person who 6 administers a program of secondary education under competent 7 private instruction or independent private instruction pursuant 8 to this chapter shall be deemed sufficient to demonstrate for 9 all purposes that the recipient has completed the program of 10 secondary education and has attained the equivalent of a high 11 school diploma. 12 2. The state, a political subdivision of the state, a 13 community college, an institution of higher education under 14 the control of the state board of regents, or an accredited 15 private institution as defined in section 256.183, shall not 16 discriminate against any individual based on the source of the 17 individuals diploma or credential and shall treat a diploma 18 or credential awarded for completion of a program of secondary 19 education under competent private instruction or independent 20 private instruction the same as a high school diploma awarded 21 by a school district or accredited nonpublic school. 22 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 299A.14 Verification of enrollment. 23 The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child of 24 compulsory attendance age shall have the authority to execute 25 any document required by law to verify any of the following: 26 1. The placement of a child under competent private 27 instruction or independent private instruction. 28 2. The childs full-time or part-time status in competent 29 private instruction or independent private instruction. 30 3. The grades the child has obtained in competent private 31 instruction or independent private instruction. 32 4. Any other required educational information. 33 Sec. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. The following, being deemed of 34 immediate importance, take effect upon enactment: 35 -3- LSB 1502HV (2) 91 jda/jh 3/ 7
H.F. 888 1. The section of this division of this Act enacting section 1 299A.13. 2 2. The section of this division of this Act enacting section 3 299A.14. 4 Sec. 7. APPLICABILITY. The following applies to any 5 diplomas or credentials issued before, on, or after the 6 effective date of this division of this Act: 7 The section of this division of this Act enacting section 8 299A.13. 9 DIVISION II 10 WORLD LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION 11 Sec. 8. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph f, Code 12 2025, is amended to read as follows: 13 f. Two sequential units of one world language, which 14 may include American sign language. The world language 15 instruction shall not alter the world language to incorporate 16 gender-neutral language if the world language being offered and 17 taught utilizes a grammatical gender system. 18 Sec. 9. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code 19 2025, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 20 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (3) The educational standards 21 established in section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph f , 22 related to the prohibition against incorporating gender-neutral 23 language into world language instruction if the world language 24 being taught utilizes a grammatical gender system. 25 Sec. 10. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 26 by adding the following new paragraph: 27 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Be subject to and comply with the 28 requirements of section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph 29 f , relating to the prohibition against incorporating 30 gender-neutral language into world language instruction if 31 the world language being taught utilizes a grammatical gender 32 system in the same manner as a school district. 33 EXPLANATION 34 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 35 -4- LSB 1502HV (2) 91 jda/jh 4/ 7
H.F. 888 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 This bill relates to education, including by modifying 2 provisions related to private instruction, world language 3 instruction, and dual enrollment. 4 DIVISION I PRIVATE INSTRUCTION. Current law authorizes 5 the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child of 6 compulsory attendance age to place the child under competent 7 private instruction or independent private instruction. 8 Current law requires a childs parent, guardian, or legal 9 custodian who is placing the child under competent private 10 instruction for the first time to provide the childs school 11 district of residence with evidence that the child has had the 12 immunizations required under Code section 139A.8 (immunization 13 of children), and, if the child is elementary school age, a 14 blood lead test. The bill strikes this requirement. 15 Current law requires a childs parent, guardian, or legal 16 custodian who places the child under competent private 17 instruction to furnish a report to the school district of 18 residence by September 1 of the school year in which the child 19 will be under competent private instruction that includes an 20 outline of course of study, among other requirements. An 21 outline of course of study must include subjects covered, 22 lesson plans, and time spent on the areas of study. The 23 bill requires this report to state the name and age of the 24 child, the period of time during which the child will be under 25 competent private instruction for the year, an outline of the 26 course of study or texts that will be used, and the name and 27 address of the instructor. The bill strikes the definition of 28 outline of course of study. 29 Current law provides that independent private instruction 30 is private instruction that, among other criteria, enrolls not 31 more than four unrelated students and does not charge tuition 32 or fees for instruction. The bill strikes these provisions. 33 The bill provides that independent private instruction 34 is required to provide students in all grade levels with 35 -5- LSB 1502HV (2) 91 jda/jh 5/ 7
H.F. 888 instruction in mathematics, reading, and language arts, and 1 is required to provide students in grades 6 through 12 with 2 instruction in science and social studies. The bill also 3 provides that the students receiving independent private 4 instruction need not be related to the primary instructor. 5 Pursuant to administrative rule adopted by the department of 6 education, a child under dual enrollment must receive at least 7 one-quarter of the childs instruction by way of competent 8 private instruction and no more than three-quarters by way 9 of a school districts academic programs. The bill renders 10 the departments administrative rule void by providing that a 11 child who is enrolled in a school district for dual enrollment 12 purposes may receive any amount of instruction by way of the 13 school districts academic programs, including offerings 14 pursuant to Code chapter 261E (senior year plus program). 15 The bill provides that a diploma or credential issued by 16 a person who administers a program of secondary education 17 under competent private instruction or independent private 18 instruction pursuant to Code chapter 299A (private instruction) 19 shall be deemed sufficient to demonstrate that the recipient 20 has completed the program of secondary education and has 21 attained the equivalent of a high school diploma. This 22 provision takes effect upon enactment and applies to any 23 diplomas or credentials issued before, on, or after the new 24 Code sections effective date. 25 The bill prohibits the state, a political subdivision of the 26 state, a community college, institutions of higher education 27 under the control of the state board of regents, or an 28 accredited private institution from discriminating against any 29 individual based on the source of the individuals diploma or 30 credential and shall treat a diploma or credential awarded for 31 completion of a program of secondary education under competent 32 private instruction or independent private instruction the 33 same as a high school diploma awarded by a school district or 34 accredited nonpublic school. This provision takes effect upon 35 -6- LSB 1502HV (2) 91 jda/jh 6/ 7
H.F. 888 enactment and applies to any diplomas or credentials issued 1 before, on, or after the new Code sections effective date. 2 The bill provides that the parent, guardian, or legal 3 custodian of a child of compulsory attendance age shall 4 have the authority to execute any document required by law 5 to verify the placement of a child under competent private 6 instruction or independent private instruction, the childs 7 full-time or part-time status in competent private instruction 8 or independent private instruction, the grades the child has 9 obtained in competent private instruction or independent 10 private instruction, or any other required educational 11 information. 12 DIVISION II WORLD LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION. The bill 13 modifies provisions related to world language instruction in 14 grades 9 through 12 in school districts, accredited nonpublic 15 schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools by 16 prohibiting the incorporation of gender-neutral language when 17 the world language being taught utilizes a grammatical gender 18 system. 19 -7- LSB 1502HV (2) 91 jda/jh 7/ 7