House Study Bill 46 - Introduced SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BILL) A BILL FOR An Act relating to mandatory reporting to the board of 1 educational examiners of licensed school employees who 2 engage in grooming behavior toward students. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1449XD (1) 91 jda/jh
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 256.160, subsection 5, paragraph a, Code 1 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. Grooming behavior means any behavior, which in light 3 of all relevant circumstances, constitutes actions to entice 4 or entrap a student or students with the intent to make such 5 student or students engage in a sex act the process of building 6 trust and emotional connections with a student with the intent 7 to exploit such student . 8 EXPLANATION 9 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 10 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 11 This bill relates to mandatory reporting to the board of 12 educational examiners (BOEE) of licensed school employees who 13 engage in grooming behavior toward students. Current law 14 requires the board of directors of a school district or area 15 education agency, the superintendent of a school district, 16 the chief administrator of an area education agency, and the 17 authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school, to 18 report to the BOEE any instance of disciplinary action taken 19 against a licensed school employee for conduct constituting 20 soliciting, encouraging, or consummating a sexual or physical 21 relationship with a student, grooming behavior toward a 22 student, or an otherwise inappropriate relationship with a 23 student. For purposes of this provision, current law defines 24 grooming behavior to mean any behavior, which in light of all 25 relevant circumstances, constitutes actions to entice or entrap 26 a student or students with the intent to make such student or 27 students engage in a sex act. The bill modifies grooming 28 behavior to mean the process of building trust and emotional 29 connections with a student with the intent to exploit such 30 student. 31 -1- LSB 1449XD (1) 91 jda/jh 1/ 1