Iowa 2025-2026 Regular Session

Iowa Senate Bill SF517

Introduced
3/5/25  

Caption

A bill for an act relating to child abuse and employees and agents of public schools and nonpublic schools.(Formerly SF 221.)

Impact

The bill is expected to have significant implications for state laws concerning child safety and employee conduct within educational environments. It requires schools to adopt clear procedures for reporting child abuse, develop guidelines in consultation with the Department of Education, and ensure that employees under investigation for abuse are placed on administrative leave during assessments. Moreover, if a finding by HHS establishes that an employee committed founded child abuse, the bill necessitates the termination of that employee's contract with the school. This creates a stringent accountability framework aimed at protecting children while simultaneously requiring schools to act decisively when allegations arise.

Summary

Senate File 517 (SF517) addresses the procedures and requirements for reporting and handling child abuse allegations involving employees and agents of both public and nonpublic schools in Iowa. The bill expands the existing definition of individuals responsible for child care to include employees and agents of schools, which places a greater emphasis on the accountability of staff in these educational institutions. Specifically, it mandates that allegations of child abuse must be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and, if present, also to law enforcement when the allegations pertain to criminal acts that harm a child. This establishes a formal protocol for addressing such serious concerns in educational settings.

Contention

While proponents of SF517 argue that it strengthens child protection measures and clarifies responsibilities for school employees, there are potential concerns regarding the implications for educator privacy and due process. Critics may question whether the mandatory reporting and the swift imposition of administrative leave might compromise the rights of employees who are wrongfully accused. Furthermore, the bill’s requirements regarding data access by licensing boards and the revocation of licenses for individuals on the abuse registry add an additional layer of contention, raising debates about the balance between child safety and fair treatment of educators.

Companion Bills

IA HF186

Similar To A bill for an act relating to child abuse and employees and agents of public schools and nonpublic schools.(See HF 389.)

IA SF221

Similar To A bill for an act relating to child abuse and employees and agents of public schools and nonpublic schools.(See SF 517.)

IA HF389

Similar To A bill for an act relating to student abuse by school employees. (Formerly HF 186.)

Previously Filed As

IA SSB1145

A bill for an act relating to children and students, including establishing a parent's or guardian's right to make decisions affecting the parent's or guardian's child, modifying provisions related to student health screenings and the curriculum in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools, other duties of school districts, competent private instruction, and special education, making appropriations, and providing civil penalties.(See SF 496.)

IA HSB222

A bill for an act relating to children and students, including establishing a parent's or guardian's right to make decisions affecting the parent's or guardian's child, modifying provisions related to student health screenings and the curriculum in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools, other duties of school districts, competent private instruction, and special education, making appropriations, and providing civil penalties.

IA HF2496

A bill for an act modifying provisions related to the responsibilities of nonpublic schools.

IA SF2191

A bill for an act relating to the development of a policy governing responses to a fire alarm activated on school grounds outside of a scheduled fire drill by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, and including effective date provisions.(Formerly SF 2017.)

IA SF2270

A bill for an act relating to juvenile justice policies and procedures.

IA SF378

A bill for an act relating to seizure disorders and establishing certain requirements for charter schools, school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and the department of education.

IA HF430

A bill for an act relating to education, including requirements related to mandatory reporters, a process for investigating complaints against school employees, and the responsibilities of the department of education, school districts, charter schools, accredited nonpublic schools, and the board of educational examiners, modifying the membership of the board of educational examiners, and including applicability provisions. (Formerly HF 10.) Effective date: 07/01/2023. Applicability date: 07/01/2023.

IA HF355

A bill for an act relating to certain specified employees of school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools, including renewal requirements associated with licenses issued by the board of educational examiners to practitioners with master's or doctoral degrees, fees associated with the review of certain specified records, and background checks for employees of school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools.(Formerly HF 224; See HF 672.)

IA SF2353

A bill for an act relating to domestic abuse threat evaluation and deterrence.(Formerly SF 493, SSB 1151.)

IA SF496

A bill for an act relating to children and students, including establishing a parent's or guardian's right to make decisions affecting the parent's or guardian's child, authorizing the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a school district to enroll the student in another attendance center within the same school district in certain specified circumstances, prohibiting instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools in kindergarten through grade six, and modifying provisions related to student health screenings, school district library programs, the educational program provided to students enrolled in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools, other duties of school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, the department of education, the board of educational examiners, and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools, competent private instruction, and special education, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1145.) Effective date: 05/26/2023, 07/01/2023.

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