Legislative Session Update 1/31/2020

House Subcommittee Meeting Scheduled For Classroom Management Proposal

The House of Representatives companion bill to Senate Study Bill 3080, House Study Bill 598, will be discussed the evening of February 5 in the Room 103 of Capitol Building beginning at 6:00 pm.

Major School Classroom Management Bill In The Senate

Senate Study Bill 3080, a multifaceted bill targeted at dealing with disruptive students in the classroom, has been approved by a subcommittee.

The bill does all of the following:

  1. Provides for the development and distribution of guidelines for schools to use in response to student behaviour that presents an imminent threat of bodily injury to a student or faculty;
  2. Requires teacher education programs to include individual education plans (IEP) and positive behavioural intervention strategies;
  3. Prohibits the use of “classroom clears” in a student’s IEP;
  4. Establishes a Therapeutic Classroom Incentive grant program;
  5. Appropriates money for student transportation to therapeutic classrooms;
  6. Provides for the submission of reports of student violence to the Commissioner of Public Safety

As of 1/31 the bill is supported by the Iowa Association of School Boards, Professional Educators of Iowa; Area Education Agencies, Urban Education Network, Rural School Advocates of Iowa and the State’s YMCAs.

The bill may be considered by the Senate Education Committee this upcoming week. We will keep you updated.

Bills of Interest:

Special Note – A small amount of bills introduced last year have been reassigned subcommittees and may be considered this year, that is why some bills with three digit numbers appear on this bill list.

(SF = Senate File, SSB = Senate Study Bill, HF = House File, HSB = House Study Bill)

SF 2081 (formerly SSB 3020) – Student ID’s Suicide Prevention Number (F) – The bill requires schools to inlcude the national suicide prevention hotline telephone number on student ID cards.

On Senate debate calendar

SF 2067 – Excused Absences For Mental Health Treatment (F) – The bill requires schools to adopt policies permitting a student to take excused absences from school for mental health treatment.

Subcommittee: Sinclair, Behn and Celsi

SF 2065 – School Resource Officer Funding (M) – The bill authorizes school districts to raise additional funds via property taxes and income surtaxes under the instruction support program. 

Approved by subcommittee

SF 2027 – Student ID’s Suicide Prevention Number (F) – The bill requires schools to inlcude the national suicide prevention hotline telephone number on student ID cards.

Subcommittee; Cournoyer, Edler and Wahls

SF 376 – Mental Health Education Requirements (F) – The bill adds mental health awareness, coping skills and suicide prevention to the subject matter that must be included in a unit of health education.

Subcommittee: Sinclair, Behn and J. Smith

SF 342 – Immunity For Reporting Alcohol Injuries (F) – The bill provides immunity from certain alcohol related criminal offenses and prohibits certain disciplinary actions for persons who seek or require emergency assistance for alcohol overdoses.

Subcommittee: Zaun, Nunn and R. Taylor

SSB 3080 – Disruptive Students (M) – The bill does all of the following: Provides for the development and distribution of guidelines for schools to use in response to student behaviour that presents an imminent threat of bodily injury to a student or faculty; Requires teacher education programs to include individual education plans (IEP) and positive behavioural intervention strategies; Prohibits the use of “classroom clears” in a student’s IEP; Establishes a Therapeutic Classroom Incentive grant program; Appropriates money for student transportation to therapeutic classrooms; Provides for the submission of reports of student violence to the Commissioner of Public Safety.

Approved by subcommittee

SSB 3016 – Smoking Age Increase (F) – The bill increases the minimum age to purchase tobacco, tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, vapor products and cigarettes from 18 to 21.

Approved by subcommittee

HF 2201 – Gender Identity in Schools (M) – This bill would allow parents to have their children excused from any program, curriculum, material, test, survey, questionnaire, activity, announcement, promotion or instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Referred to Education

HSB 598 – Disruptive Students (M) – The bill does all of the following: Provides for the development and distribution of guidelines for schools to use in response to student behaviour that presents an imminent threat of bodily injury to a student or faculty; Requires teacher education programs to include individual education plans (IEP) and positive behavioural intervention strategies; Prohibits the use of “classroom clears” in a student’s IEP; Establishes a Therapeutic Classroom Incentive grant program; Appropriates money for student transportation to therapeutic classrooms; Provides for the submission of reports of student violence to the Commissioner of Public Safety.

Subcommittee: Dolecheck, T, Moore, Fry, R. Smith and Donahue – 02/05 @ 6:00 pm

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