Senate File 88 - Introduced SENATE FILE 88 BY DONAHUE A BILL FOR An Act requiring boards of directors of school districts and 1 the authorities in charge of accredited nonpublic schools 2 to adopt policies related to excusing the absences of 3 students enrolled in grades nine through twelve for civic or 4 political events. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 2213XS (1) 91 jda/jh
S.F. 88 Section 1. Section 299.1, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 3A. a. The board of directors of 3 each public school district and the governing body of each 4 accredited nonpublic school shall adopt a policy that requires 5 the school district or accredited nonpublic school to grant 6 a student who is enrolled in grades nine through twelve at 7 least one excused absence each school year when the student is 8 absent from school because of the students participation in a 9 civic or political event. The policy shall require all of the 10 following: 11 (1) The board of directors of the school district or the 12 governing body of the accredited nonpublic school shall not 13 grant the student an excused absence to participate in the 14 civic or political event unless the student gives notice of 15 the students intent to participate in the civic or political 16 event to an administrator employed by the board of directors 17 of the school district or the governing body of the accredited 18 nonpublic school in advance of the civic or political event. 19 (2) The student shall demonstrate the students knowledge 20 of the civic or political event in which the student 21 participated by preparing a short essay, presenting information 22 related to the civic or political event, or through any 23 other means the school determines will demonstrate a proper 24 representation of what the student learned during the civic or 25 political event. 26 b. For purposes of this subsection, civic or political 27 event includes all of the following: 28 (1) Voting in an election. 29 (2) Serving as a poll worker. 30 (3) Participating in a strike. 31 (4) Participating in a public comment period before any 32 public body. 33 (5) Attending a speech by a candidate for a public office. 34 (6) Attending a political forum. 35 -1- LSB 2213XS (1) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3
S.F. 88 (7) Attending a civic forum. 1 (8) Attending a town hall meeting. 2 Sec. 2. Section 299.1, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 2025, 3 is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 4 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (7) While participating in a civic 5 or political event in accordance with a policy adopted under 6 subsection 3A. 7 Sec. 3. Section 299.12, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 8 2025, is amended to read as follows: 9 a. Chronically absent means any absence from school for 10 more than ten percent of the days or hours in the grading 11 period established by a public school ; provided, however, that 12 an absence from school that is related to participation in a 13 civic or political event in accordance with a policy adopted 14 under section 299.1, subsection 3A, shall not count toward this 15 amount . 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 requires boards of directors of school districts 20 and the authorities in charge of accredited nonpublic schools 21 to adopt policies related to excusing the absences of students 22 enrolled in grades 9 through 12 for civic or political events. 23 The bill requires the board of directors of each public 24 school district and the authorities in charge of each 25 accredited nonpublic school to adopt a policy that requires 26 the school district or accredited nonpublic school to grant a 27 student who is enrolled in grades 9 through 12 at least one 28 excused absence each school year when the student is absent 29 from school because of the students participation in a civic 30 or political event. The bill establishes that such policy is 31 to include a requirement that the student give notice of the 32 students intent to participate in the civic or political event 33 in advance and a requirement that the student demonstrate what 34 the student learned during the students participation in the 35 -2- LSB 2213XS (1) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3
S.F. 88 civic or political event. 1 The bill defines civic or political event to include 2 voting in an election, serving as a poll worker, participating 3 in a strike, participating in a public comment period before 4 any public body, attending a speech by a candidate for a public 5 office, attending a political forum, attending a civic forum, 6 or attending a town hall meeting. 7 The bill provides that a students absence from school that 8 is related to participation in a civic or political event 9 shall not be considered an absence from school for purposes 10 of truancy or the enforcement of standards related to chronic 11 absenteeism. 12 -3- LSB 2213XS (1) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3