Feb 21, 2025
This Week at the Statehouse
Since the start of session, legislators have begun introducing new legislation for consideration in the 91st General Assembly, including several proposals from the newly formed House Higher Education Committee. At the University of Northern Iowa, we are closely monitoring legislation that may affect our students, faculty, and campus priorities. As subcommittees begin reviewing these bills, we are committed to collaborating with lawmakers to ensure UNI’s voice is heard and to advocate for initiatives that support our mission and the future of Iowa’s workforce. For the list of bills the Board of Regents is monitoring as of February 21, please see below:
| Bill | Description | Status |
| HF 35 | An Act relating to postsecondary schools and COVID-19 vaccine exemptions for clinical students. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HF 36 | An Act relating to interpretation of law in administrative and judicial proceedings under the Iowa administrative procedure Act. | Passed Committee |
| HF 61 | An Act relating to the disclosure of prices charged for certain health services rendered by health care providers and hospitals. | No Action |
| HF 103 | An Act relating to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education governed by the board of regents and community colleges. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HF 115 | An Act providing penalties for certain nonimmigrant visa holders attending or employed by certain institutions of higher education who express support for certain terrorist activities or organizations and including effective date provisions. | Passed Committee |
| HF 135 | An Act providing for a waiver of tuition and mandatory fees at regents institutions and community colleges for certain sanitation workers and their children. | No Action |
| HF 153 | An act requiring Iowa state university and the university of northern Iowa to reestablish men’s baseball teams that qualify for participation in the national collegiate athletic association. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HF 154 | An Act providing for a waiver of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees and a stipend at regents institutions for Iowa residents who receive the maximum score on certain standardized tests. | Passed Committee |
| HF 155 | An Act prohibiting meetings of the state board of regents from being held if the student member of the board is not present. | No Action |
| HF 175 | An Act relating to in-state residency for purposes of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees at regents institutions and community colleges for certain military personnel and family members. | Passed House Floor, Awaiting Senate Action, Previously HSB 6 |
| HF 177 | Act relating to assaults, including assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations and inmate assaults on department of corrections employees, and providing penalties. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 24 |
| HF 183 | An Act relating to the ordering, administering, and dispensing of point-of-care HIV-related tests and prophylaxis drugs by a pharmacist. | No Action |
| HF 185 | An Act requiring the consideration of project labor agreements for certain state construction projects. | No Action |
| HF 194 | An Act relating to the membership of the board of regents and including transition provisions. | No Action |
| HF 203 | Act creating a Caitlin Clark and Lisa Bluder monument tax credit and fund available against the individual and corporate income taxes, the franchise tax, the insurance premiums tax, and the moneys and credits tax. | No Action |
| HF 224 | An Act eliminating certificate of need requirements and the state health facilities council. | No Action |
| HF 226 | An Act appropriating moneys for oncology research at the university of Iowa hospitals and clinics. | No Action |
| HF 227 | An Act providing for the conduct of licensed veterinarians when involved in certain legal matters involving the alleged mistreatment of animals, including by providing for immunity from administrative, civil, or criminal liability when acting in good faith; providing for administrative, civil, or criminal liability when not acting in good faith; and making penalties applicable. | No Action |
| HF 252 | An Act incorporating preparation in computer science, artificial intelligence, and computational thinking into the preparation required in approved practitioner preparation programs, and including applicability provisions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HF 254 | An Act relating to the reporting of serious reportable events, and providing penalties. | No Action |
| HF 256 | An Act relating to the statute of repose in medical malpractice claims. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HF 259 | An Act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 75 |
| HF 264 | Act providing for temporary abrogation of authority of the state board of regents over regents institutions based on the amount of appropriations to the institutions from the general fund of the state. | No Action |
| HF 269 | An Act prohibiting certain requirements for students and faculty at regents institutions relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory and including applicability provisions. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 53 |
| HF 270 | An Act requiring regents institutions to make certain course syllabus information available to the public online and including effective date provisions. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 55 |
| HF 271 | An Act establishing the comprehensive transition and postsecondary program scholarship program and making appropriations. | Passed Committee, Previously HF 97 |
| HF 295 | An Act relating to accreditation of postsecondary educational institutions, prohibiting adverse action by accrediting agencies against certain postsecondary educational institutions for compliance with state law, providing remedies, and including effective date provisions. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 57 |
| HF 296 | An Act providing for public availability of certain financial information of regents institutions and including effective date provisions. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 59 |
| HF 299 | An Act relating to the provision of information relating to immunization exemptions. | Passed Committee, Previously HF 34 |
| HF 301 | An Act requiring the university of Iowa hospitals and clinics to give priority to certain Iowa residents in awarding certain residencies and fellowships and to include rural rotations in certain residencies and fellowships. | Passed Committee, Previously HF 147 |
| HF 310 | An Act relating to assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations including a health care provider, and making penalties applicable. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 9 |
| HF 379 | An Act relating to medical residency positions and audition clinicals for medical students and medical residency position applicants meeting certain criteria. | Passed Committee, Previously HF 12 |
| HF 386 | An Act providing for a study of transitioning certain medical schools in Iowa from four-year programs to three-year programs. | Passed Committee, Previously HF 146 |
| HF 400 | An Act relating to public records requests. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 76 |
| HF 401 | An Act providing for general education requirements for undergraduate students at regents institutions and including applicability provisions. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 63 |
| HF 402 | An Act establishing completion of a course on American history and civil government as a requirement for the completion of a baccalaureate degree program at a public institution of higher education. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 56 |
| HF 416 | An Act relating to open meetings and open records, providing penalties, and making penalties applicable. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HF 420 | An Act providing for a review by the state board of regents of academic programs offered at regents institutions. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 50 |
| HF 437 | An Act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 52 |
| HF 440 | An Act relating to tuition, degree programs, employment, and related matters pertaining to students enrolled at regents institutions. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 51 |
| HF 466 | An Act relating to contracts between a publisher and a library for electronic literary materials, and providing civil penalties. | No Action |
| HF 469 | An Act relating to state services and benefits provided to veterans, including state grants, public assistance programs, business fee waivers, substance use disorder programs, mental health and disability services, undergraduate tuition and fees, disabled veteran tax credits, department of natural resources’ licenses and fees, civil litigation priority, permit to carry weapons fees, vehicle registration fees, and driver’s licenses, making penalties applicable, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HF 472 | 1 An Act creating a special motion for expedited relief in actions involving the exercise of the right of freedom of speech and of the press, the right to assemble and petition, and the right of association, and including applicability provisions. | Passed Committee, Previously HSB 116 |
| HF 483 | An Act relating to the design of certain public buildings, including by providing for the appointment of a state architect. | No Action |
| HF 489 | An Act providing a standing appropriation for pediatric cancer research at the university of Iowa hospitals and clinics. | No Action |
| HF 504 | An Act relating to robotics, including by establishing a robotics grant program within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics collaborative initiative and requiring the university of northern Iowa to develop a public-private partnership to support robotics competitions, and making appropriations. | No Action |
| HF 516 | An Act establishing requirements relating to the residency of persons accepted for admission to the state university of Iowa’s colleges of medicine, nursing, and dentistry and requiring an annual report. | Passed Committee, Previously HF 137 |
| HF 516 | An Act establishing requirements relating to the residency of persons accepted for admission to the state university of Iowa’s colleges of medicine and dentistry and requiring an annual report. | Passed Committee, Previously HF 137 |
| HSB 54 | An Act requiring reporting by regents institutions of funding from certain foreign sources and including effective date provisions. | Passed Committee |
| HSB 58 | An Act providing for the ethical use of research animals. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HSB 71 | An Act relating to contracts entered into by state agencies and including applicability provisions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HSB 77 | An Act relating to the filing of complaints with the Iowa public information board. | Passed Committee |
| HSB 78 | An Act relating to government employee paid leave. | Passed Committee |
| HSB 112 | Act providing for the continuation of health insurance in certain circumstances for the surviving spouse and each surviving child of employees of the state of Iowa. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HSB 121 | An Act relating to peer review committees and organ procurement organizations. | Passed Committee |
| HSB 123 | An Act relating to energy systems by modifying electric power generation, energy storage, and transmission facility ratemaking principles, creating tariffs for public utility innovation programs, implementing land restoration standards, including right of first refusal, modifying the energy infrastructure revolving loan program, and creating regulations for anaerobic digester systems, making appropriations, providing penalties, and including effective date and applicability provisions. | Passed Committee |
| HSB 137 | An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to mathematics instruction, civics assessments, practitioner preparation programs, and the duties of the director of the department of education. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HSB 139 | An Act relating to protections for medical practitioners, health care institutions, and health care payors including those related to the exercise of conscience, whistleblower activities, and free speech, and providing penalties. | Passed Committee |
| HSB 153 | An Act relating to services and support for youth, including treatment, physical assessments, and behavioral health evaluations; exemptions from children’s residential facility certification; the director of juvenile court services and chief juvenile court officers; and suspension of Hawki eligibility for public institution inmates. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HSB 188 | An Act relating to the examination of confidential records by the general assembly. | No Action |
| HSB 191 | An Act relating to health care including a funding model for the rural health care system; the elimination of several health care-related award, grant, residency, and fellowship programs; establishment of a health care professional incentive program; Medicaid graduate medical education; the health facilities council; and the Iowa health information network, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| HSB 201 | An Act relating to administrative investigations under the peace officer, public safety, and emergency personnel bill of rights, civil service disciplinary hearings and appeals, and communications in professional confidence, and including effective date provisions. | No Action |
| HSB 209 | An Act relating to a review of anti-obesity medications by the department of health and human services for purposes of the medical assistance program. | No Action |
| HSB 212 | An Act relating to affirmative action and equal opportunity requirements for state and certain educational entities. | No Action |
| SF 2 | An Act relating to the statute of repose in medical malpractice claims. | No Action |
| SF 6 | An Act relating to the provision of information relating to immunization exemptions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SF 33 | Act providing credit for accrued sick leave for certain law enforcement officers. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SF 47 | An Act creating a special motion for expedited relief in actions involving the exercise of the right of freedom of speech and of the press, the right to assemble and petition, and the right of association, and including applicability provisions. | Passed Committee |
| SF 48 | An Act relating to the reporting of serious reportable events, and providing penalties. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SF 127 | An Act establishing a school of intellectual freedom at the university of Iowa. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SF 156 | An Act relating to policies for certain private spaces in facilities of public entities, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions | No Action |
| SF 180 | An Act relating to the right to refuse certain medical services for reasons of conscience. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SF 181 | An Act establishing requirements related to electronic resources provided by postsecondary schools, public libraries, schools, and state agencies to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve, providing penalties, and including effective date provisions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SF 189 | An Act relating to medical malpractice by exempting claims involving sexual assault from the limitations on noneconomic damages. | No Action |
| SF 196 | An Act relating to employment matters involving public employees including collective bargaining, educator employment matters, personnel records and settlement agreements, city civil service requirements, and health insurance matters, and including effective date, applicability, and transition provisions. | No Action |
| SF 220 | An Act relating to protections for medical practitioners, health care institutions, and health care payors including those related to the exercise of conscience, whistleblower activities, and free speech, and providing penalties. | No Action |
| SF 231 | An Act relating to prior authorizations and exemptions by health benefit plans and utilization review organizations. | Passed Committee, Previously SSB 1016 |
| SF 233 | An Act relating to the right to try Act. | Passed Committee, Previously SF 56 |
| SF 243 | An Act relating to tuition, degree programs, employment, and related matters pertaining to students enrolled at regents institutions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SF 244 | An Act providing for general education requirements for undergraduate students at regents institutions and including applicability provisions. | No Action |
| SF 288 | An Act relating to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education governed by the board of regents and community colleges. | Passed Committee, Previously SF 12 |
| SF 297 | An Act relating to contracts entered into by state agencies and including applicability provisions. | Passed Committee, Previously SSB 1090 |
| SF 315 | Act relating to pharmacy benefits manager reverse auctions and group insurance for public employees. | Passed Committee, Previously SSB 1017 |
| SF 319 | An Act relating to certain cost controls for health care services. | Passed Committee, Previously SSB 1029 |
| SF 322 | An Act establishing completion of a course on American history and civil government as a requirement for the completion of a baccalaureate degree program at a public institution of higher education. | No Action |
| SF 323 | An Act relating to the membership and functions of the state board of regents and including effective date provisions. | No Action |
| SF 334 | An Act creating a special motion for expedited relief in actions involving the exercise of the right of freedom of speech and of the press, the right to assemble and petition, and the right of association, and including effective date and applicability provisions. | No Action |
| SF 335 | An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to trainings and curricula provided by school districts and prohibited sexual orientation and gender identity instruction, and implementing prohibitions related to the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of institutions of higher learning governed by the state board of regents, community colleges, and public schools. | No Action |
| SF 346 | An Act relating to procedures for grievances under the merit system for state employees. | No Action |
| SF 355 | An Act relating to overtime pay earned by state employees. | No Action |
| SF 386 | An Act relating to the filing of complaints with the Iowa public information board. | Passed Committee, Previously SSB 1085 |
| SF 388 | An Act relating to public notice requirements for meetings of a governmental body. | Passed Committee, Previously SSB 1087 |
| SF 389 | An Act relating to public records requests. | Passed Committee, Previously SSB 1086 |
| SF 397 | An Act relating to assaults, including assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations and inmate assaults on department of corrections employees, and providing penalties. | Passed Committee, Previously SSB 1058 |
| SSB 1024 | An Act providing for a review by the state board of regents of academic programs offered at regents institutions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SSB 1039 | An Act providing for the continuation of health insurance in certain circumstances for the surviving spouse and each surviving child of employees of the state of Iowa. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SSB 1040 | An Act relating to government employee paid leave. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SSB 1092 | An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to mathematics instruction, civics assessments, practitioner preparation programs, and the duties of the director of the department of education. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SSB 1100 | An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the calculation of the teacher salary supplement district cost per pupil, teacher preparation requirements, out-of-state placement of certain specified students requiring special education, the duties of the department of education, and minimum teacher salaries, and including effective date provisions. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SSB 1120 | An Act relating to services and support for youth, including treatment, physical assessments, and behavioral health evaluations; exemptions from children’s residential facility certification; the director of juvenile court services and chief juvenile court officers; and suspension of Hawki eligibility for public institution inmates | Passed Subcommittee |
| SSB 1121 | An Act creating an emeritus license to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SSB 1138 | An Act relating to a review of anti-obesity medications by the department of health and human services and the department of administrative services for purposes of the medical assistance program and health insurance plans for public employees. | Passed Subcommittee |
| SSB 1163 | An Act relating to health care including a funding model for the rural health care system; the elimination of several health care-related award, grant, residency, and fellowship programs; establishment of a health care professional incentive program; Medicaid graduate medical education; the health facilities council; and the Iowa health information network, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions. | No Action |
| SSB 1165 | An Act relating to employer recordkeeping and auditing requirements for purposes of unemployment insurance and including applicability provisions. | No Action |
| SSB 1168 | An Act related to guaranteed maximum price contracts for the 2 construction of public improvements. | No Action |