House Study Bill 30 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER) A BILL FOR An Act requiring students to pass the United States citizenship 1 and immigration services naturalization civics test as 2 a condition of high school graduation and high school 3 equivalency diplomas. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1620YC (6) 91 jda/jh
H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 259A.1, Code 2025, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 259A.1 Assessment of competency. 3 The department of education shall cause to be made available 4 for qualified individuals a high school equivalency diploma. 5 The diploma shall be issued on the basis of demonstrated 6 to qualified individuals who successfully pass the civics 7 examination as set forth in section 280.9A, and demonstrate 8 competence in all of the following core areas: reading, 9 language arts, literacy, mathematics, science, and social 10 studies. 11 Sec. 2. Section 280.9A, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 12 following new subsection: 13 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. a. Commencing with the school year 14 beginning July 1, 2026, the board of directors of each local 15 public school district and the authorities in charge of each 16 nonpublic school shall require that all students in grades nine 17 through twelve attain, as a condition of graduation, a passing 18 score on an assessment that consists of the multiple choice 19 questions contained in the most recent version of the civics 20 test developed by the United States citizenship and immigration 21 services. 22 b. A student must answer at least sixty percent of the 23 questions on the assessment described in paragraph a 24 correctly to attain a passing score. A student who fails 25 to answer at least sixty percent of the questions on such 26 assessment correctly may retake the assessment as many times as 27 is necessary. 28 c. The board of directors of a local public school district 29 or the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school 30 shall not impose or collect any fee in connection with the 31 administration of the assessment described in paragraph a . 32 d. The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant 33 to chapter 17A to administer this subsection. 34 EXPLANATION 35 -1- LSB 1620YC (6) 91 jda/jh 1/ 2
H.F. _____ The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 This bill requires students to pass the United States 3 citizenship and immigration services naturalization civics 4 test as a condition of high school graduation and high school 5 equivalency diplomas. 6 The bill provides that the board of directors of each 7 local public school district and the authorities in charge 8 of each nonpublic school are to require, commencing with the 9 school year beginning July 1, 2026, all students in grades 9 10 through 12 to attain, as a condition of graduation, a passing 11 score on an assessment that consists of the multiple choice 12 questions contained in the most recent version of the civics 13 test developed by the United States citizenship and immigration 14 services. A student must answer at least 60 percent of the 15 questions on the assessment correctly to attain a passing 16 score. A student who fails to answer at least 60 percent of the 17 questions on the assessment correctly may retake the assessment 18 as many times as is necessary. The bill prohibits school 19 districts and accredited nonpublic schools from imposing or 20 collecting any fee in connection with the administration of the 21 assessment. The bill requires the state board of education to 22 adopt rules to administer these provisions. The bill provides 23 that individuals seeking a high school equivalency diploma must 24 also pass such an examination. 25 -2- LSB 1620YC (6) 91 jda/jh 2/ 2