The Iowa Legislature Adjourns: End of Session Highlights
The 2022 Iowa Legislature adjourned in the early hours of Wednesday, May 25. From this date, Governor Reynolds has 30 days to sign or veto legislation. This is the last government relations post on this website for this year. If you have any questions about this legislative session, please email mary.braun@uni.edu.
Highlights of BUDGET legislation adopted this year that have an impact on UNI:
HF 2575 Education Budget Bill – The Regents universities operations budgets are appropriated an additional $5.5 million for FY 2023 to be distributed by the Board of Regents. UNI’s line items are funded at status quo:
- $98,296,620 for base operations
- $6,354,848 million for STEM education (FTEs are increased from 5.5 to 7)
- $172,768 for the recycling and reuse center
- $123,523 for real estate education
UNI’s funding request of $1.6 million for UNI@IACC did not receive any state appropriation.
HF 2564 Economic Development Budget Bill – UNI is funded at status quo level in the economic development budget bill, as follows:
- $3,000,000 for Regents Innovation Fund ($900,000 to UNI)
- $1,066,419 for UNI Business and Community Services (BCS)
- $394,321 for additive manufacturing center
HF 2579 Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund – Moves UNI’s final FY 2024 Industrial Technology Center funding into FY 2023, for a total of $26.5 million in FY 2023.
Highlights of legislation that PASSED:
HF 364 Requires an athlete agent to notify the athletic director of the educational institution, prior to the next scheduled athletic event in which the athlete may participate and not later than 72 hours after furnishing a thing of value to an athlete. (Signed)
HF 604 Language development for deaf and hard of hearing children (LEAD-K) and establishes a family support mentoring program to be administered by the Department of Education in consultation with the Iowa School for the Deaf. (Signed)
HF 2081 Eliminates taking the Praxis II and EdTPA final standardized test to receive teaching license. Requires 80 field experience hours for traditional prep programs and 50 field experience hours for intern teaching prep programs (RAPIL). (to Governor)
HF 2298 Prohibits any licensed child care center, elementary or secondary school or any postsecondary school in Iowa from requiring immunization against COVID-19 cannot be required for enrollment prior to July 1, 2029. (to Governor)
HF 2355 Reduces state unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 16 weeks and adjusts the amount of unemployment benefits for failure to accept work without good cause. (to Governor)
HF 2443 Contract enforceability regarding smart contracts and distributed ledger technology. (to Governor)
HF 2496 Makes changes to the procedural requirements for placing an officer’s name on a Brady-Giglio list. (to Governor)
SF 183 Allows construction manager-at-risk commercial construction alternative delivery method and prohibits Regents institutions from using design build. (to Governor)
SF 2322 Requires the lawful custodian of a public record to make every reasonable effort to provide the public record requested at no cost other than copying costs for a record which takes less than 30 minutes to produce. Requires expenses to be reasonable. Allows a person to contest the reasonableness of the expenses. (Signed)
SF 2325 Moves the repeal of the Iowa Energy Center to 2027 and contains other minor changes requested from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. (Signed)
SF 2342 Requires high schools, colleges and universities in Iowa to designate sports teams as male, female or co-ed, and requires students playing on women’s teams to have been designated as female on their birth certificates. (Signed)
SF 2380 Authorizes and requests the Governor to issue annually a proclamation designating the first day of February as George Washington Carver Day and to encourage all governmental entities, civic organizations, schools, and institutions of higher education in the state to observe the day in a manner that emphasizes the meaning and importance of the scientific and agricultural accomplishments and global humanitarian achievements of Professor Carver. The bill does not create a state holiday. (to Governor)
SF 2383, the Governor’s workforce regulation bill. Division two of the bill applies to work-based learning and requires the Department of Education to have a process for school boards to report annually on student participation in work-based learning programs. The Board of Educational Examiners would be required to develop a certification for work-based learning supervisors and this certification will be considered a professional development program. Prior to high school graduation, the students’ individualized career and academic plan would need to advise them how to successfully complete the free application for federal student aid and must identify the coursework and work-based learning needed in grades nine through twelve to support the student’s postsecondary education and career options. (to Governor)
Highlights of legislation that FAILED to pass:
HF 2302 Establishes affirmative defenses for entities using cybersecurity programs.
HF 2398 No renewal requirement for teachers employed for at least ten years and who possesses a master’s or doctoral degree, unless the teacher holds an evaluator approval endorsement, which must be renewed at least once every ten years. Requires continuing background checks every five years for teachers who are not subject to these renewal requirements. Allows the BOEE to charge a reasonable fee for these background checks. Adds charter schools and private schools to background checks.
HF 2418/HF 2577/SF 2369 Requires civics tests as a requirement for high school graduation.
HF 2461 Allows some recourse in the case of a ransomware attack.
HF 2495 If moneys are appropriated, the college student aid commission shall develop and administer a scholarship program to provide scholarships to individuals with intellectual, developmental, or learning disabilities who are at least eighteen years of age and who are enrolled in a comprehensive transition and postsecondary program that has been approved by the United States department of education, to help offset the cost associated with the tuition and fees (i.e. UI REACH).
HF 2498/SF 2369 Changes to teacher librarians master’s degree requirements.
HF 2500 Online alternative teacher preparation program.
HF 2580 Relates to AEAs and professional development, and includes a requirement that the legislature create their own committee during the 2022 and 2023 legislative interim, to review teacher practitioner preparation programs.
SF 2196 Employers must give one copy of an employee’s personnel file at no cost, upon request.
SF 2250 Allows a person to carry, transport, or possess firearms in their locked cars in employee parking lots.
SF 2312 Public land acquisition restrictions.
SF 2377 Provides an alternative pathway for teacher licensure, adjusts the Teach Iowa scholar program, residency requirements for BOEE licenses and use of school district management levy for teacher recruitment.