Senate File 288 - Introduced SENATE FILE 288 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 12) A BILL FOR An Act relating to students who are pregnant or who recently 1 gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education 2 governed by the board of regents and community colleges. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1348SV (3) 91 je/jh
S.F. 288 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 261K.1 Student parents at 1 institutions. 2 1. For the purposes of this section: 3 a. Institution means an institution of higher education 4 governed by the state board of regents or a community college 5 established under chapter 260C. Institution also includes 6 the faculty, staff, and other employees of such institution of 7 higher education or community college established under chapter 8 260C. 9 b. Reasonable accommodations includes but is not limited 10 to all of the following: 11 (1) Taking additional health and safety measures. 12 (2) Allowing a student to reschedule tests and assignment 13 due dates that are missed for reasons related to the students 14 pregnancy. 15 (3) Allowing a student to take a leave of absence. 16 (4) Excusing absences for reasons deemed medically 17 necessary due to the pregnancy. 18 2. An institution shall not require a student enrolled 19 in a course of study or research activity to take a leave 20 of absence, withdraw from a program, or limit the students 21 participation in academic activities solely due to pregnancy. 22 An institution shall make reasonable accommodations to a 23 pregnant student to allow the student to complete a course of 24 study or research. 25 3. a. An institution shall allow a student who is pregnant 26 or has recently given birth an additional amount of time to 27 take examinations up to the longer of a period consistent with 28 the policies of the institution or twelve months from the 29 originally scheduled examination date, unless a longer period 30 is medically necessary. 31 b. An institution shall allow a student who is pregnant 32 or has recently given birth an additional amount of time to 33 complete a degree or candidacy for a degree up to the longer 34 of a period consistent with the policies of the institution 35 -1- LSB 1348SV (3) 91 je/jh 1/ 5
S.F. 288 or twelve months from the date originally scheduled for 1 completion, unless a longer period is medically necessary. 2 4. An institution shall allow a student who is pregnant or 3 has recently given birth a period of up to twelve months to 4 take a leave of absence unless there is a medically necessary 5 reason for a longer leave of absence. Following the leave 6 of absence, the student shall be allowed to return to the 7 students program with the same standing as the student left to 8 the degree reasonably possible. 9 5. a. The Iowa office of civil rights shall maintain a 10 system to receive and investigate complaints from students 11 alleging a violation of this section. 12 b. The Iowa office of civil rights shall forward complaints 13 it has determined as founded to the United States department 14 of educations office for civil rights to allow for an 15 investigation into the institutions compliance with the 16 federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 17 1681 et seq. 18 6. An institution shall do all of the following: 19 a. Maintain a written policy for students on pregnancy 20 discrimination and procedures for addressing pregnancy 21 discrimination complaints under this section and the federal 22 Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et 23 seq. The institution shall provide a copy of the policy to 24 institution faculty, staff, and employees in required training. 25 The institution shall provide a copy of the policy to all 26 students attending orientation at the institution. 27 b. Prominently post notice of the protections afforded to 28 pregnant students and students who have recently given birth 29 under the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 30 U.S.C. 1681 et seq., on the institutions internet site. 31 c. Provide information concerning the protections afforded 32 to pregnant students and students who have recently given birth 33 under the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 34 U.S.C. 1681 et seq., through the institutions medical center 35 -2- LSB 1348SV (3) 91 je/jh 2/ 5
S.F. 288 and student health center to a student upon the students 1 request and when otherwise appropriate. 2 d. Assign responsibility for pregnancy and parenting 3 support and protection to an office of the institution. 4 The institution shall post the name, location, and contact 5 information of the responsible office on the institutions 6 internet site. Responsibilities assigned to the office 7 pursuant to this paragraph shall include but not be limited to: 8 (1) Maintaining current knowledge of the provisions of this 9 section. 10 (2) Overseeing institution compliance with this section. 11 (3) Understanding and publicizing topics related to 12 pregnancy and parenting, including but not limited to child 13 care availability, breastfeeding accommodations, and pregnancy 14 and parenting assistance from public and private providers, in 15 order to enhance campus life and academic performance. 16 EXPLANATION 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 18 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 19 This bill relates to students who are pregnant or who 20 recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher 21 education governed by the board of regents. 22 The bill defines the term institution as an institution of 23 higher education governed by the state board of regents or a 24 community college. Institution also includes the faculty, 25 staff, and other employees of such institution of higher 26 education or community college. 27 The bill defines reasonable accommodations as including 28 but not being limited to taking additional health and safety 29 measures; allowing a student to reschedule tests and assignment 30 due dates that are missed for reasons related to the students 31 pregnancy; allowing a student to take a leave of absence; and 32 excusing absences for reasons deemed medically necessary due 33 to the pregnancy. 34 The bill prohibits an institution from requiring a student 35 -3- LSB 1348SV (3) 91 je/jh 3/ 5
S.F. 288 enrolled in a course of study or research activity to take 1 a leave of absence, withdraw from a program, or limit the 2 students participation in academic activities solely due to 3 pregnancy. 4 The bill requires an institution to make reasonable 5 accommodations to a pregnant student to allow the student to 6 complete a course of study or research. 7 The bill requires an institution to allow a student who is 8 pregnant or has recently given birth an additional amount of 9 time to take examinations, complete a degree, or complete a 10 candidacy for a degree up to the longer of a period consistent 11 with the policies of the institution or 12 months from the date 12 originally scheduled for examination or completion, unless a 13 longer period is medically necessary. 14 The bill requires an institution to allow a student who 15 is pregnant or has recently given birth a period of up to 12 16 months to take a leave of absence unless there is a medically 17 necessary reason for a longer leave of absence. Following the 18 leave of absence, the student shall be allowed to return to 19 the students program with the same standing and manner as the 20 student left to the degree reasonably possible. 21 The bill requires the Iowa office of civil rights to maintain 22 a system to receive and investigate complaints from students 23 alleging a violation relating to pregnancy and recent birth 24 accommodations. 25 The bill requires the Iowa office of civil rights to forward 26 complaints it has determined as founded to the United States 27 department of educations office for civil rights to allow for 28 an investigation into the institutions compliance with the 29 federal Higher Education Act of 1965. 30 The bill requires an institution to maintain a written 31 policy for students on pregnancy discrimination and procedures 32 for addressing pregnancy discrimination complaints. The 33 institution must provide a copy of the policy to institution 34 faculty, staff, and employees in required training and to all 35 -4- LSB 1348SV (3) 91 je/jh 4/ 5
S.F. 288 students attending orientation at the institution. 1 The bill requires an institution to prominently post 2 notice of the protections afforded to pregnant students and 3 students who have recently given birth under the federal Higher 4 Education Act of 1965 on the institutions internet site. 5 The bill requires an institution to provide information 6 concerning the protections afforded to pregnant students and 7 students who have recently given birth under the federal Higher 8 Education Act of 1965 through the institutions medical center 9 and student health center to a student upon the students 10 request and when otherwise appropriate. 11 The bill requires an institution to assign responsibility 12 for pregnancy and parenting support and protection to an 13 office of the institution. The institution must post the 14 name, location, and contact information of the office on the 15 institutions internet site. The responsibilities assigned 16 to the office include but are not limited to maintaining 17 current knowledge of Code provisions relating to accommodations 18 afforded to pregnant students and students who recently gave 19 birth; overseeing institution compliance with Code provisions 20 relating to accommodations afforded to pregnant students 21 and students who recently gave birth; and understanding 22 and publicizing specified topics related to pregnancy and 23 parenting. 24 -5- LSB 1348SV (3) 91 je/jh 5/ 5