House
File
2591
-
Enrolled
House
File
2591
AN
ACT
RELATING
TO
OPEN
ENROLLMENT,
STUDENT
TRANSFERS,
AND
INTERSCHOLASTIC
ATHLETIC
ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS,
AND
INCLUDING
EFFECTIVE
DATE
PROVISIONS.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
Section
1.
Section
256.7,
Code
2026,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subsection:
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
36.
Adopt
rules
allowing
students
enrolled
in
grade
eight
to
participate
in
any
extracurricular
House
File
2591,
p.
2
interscholastic
athletic
contest
or
competition
that
is
provided
by
a
school
district,
nonpublic
school,
or
charter
school
on
the
same
basis
as
students
who
are
enrolled
in
grades
nine
through
twelve.
Sec.
2.
Section
256.46,
Code
2026,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subsection:
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
4.
A
student
in
grades
nine
through
twelve
who
transfers
from
one
school
to
another
school
shall
be
ineligible
to
compete
in
interscholastic
athletics
for
a
period
of
one
hundred
forty
calendar
days
following
enrollment
in
the
new
school,
exclusive
of
summer
enrollment,
unless
one
of
the
exceptions
listed
in
subsection
1
applies
or
a
similar
circumstance
exists
as
determined
by
rule
of
the
state
board.
The
period
of
ineligibility
applies
only
to
varsity
level
contests
and
competitions.
Sec.
3.
Section
282.18,
subsection
11,
paragraph
a,
unnumbered
paragraph
1,
Code
2026,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
A
pupil
who
participates
in
open
enrollment
for
purposes
of
attending
a
grade
in
grades
nine
through
twelve
in
a
school
district
other
than
the
district
of
residence
is
ineligible
to
participate
in
varsity
interscholastic
athletic
contests
and
athletic
competitions
during
the
pupil’s
first
ninety
school
one
hundred
forty
calendar
days
of
enrollment
in
the
district.
However,
a
pupil
may
participate
immediately
in
a
varsity
interscholastic
sport
under
any
of
the
following
circumstances:
Sec.
4.
EMERGENCY
RULES.
The
state
board
of
education
shall
adopt
emergency
rules
under
section
17A.4,
subsection
3,
and
section
17A.5,
subsection
2,
paragraph
“b”,
to
implement
the
section
of
this
Act
amending
section
256.7.
The
rules
shall
be
effective
no
later
than
August
1,
2026.
Any
rules
adopted
in
accordance
with
this
section
shall
also
be
published
as
a
notice
of
intended
action
as
provided
in
section
17A.4.
Sec.
5.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
The
following
take
effect
August
1,
2026:
1.
The
section
of
this
Act
amending
section
256.46.
2.
The
section
of
this
Act
amending
section
282.18.
Sec.
6.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
The
following,
being
deemed
of
immediate
importance,
take
effect
upon
enactment:
House
File
2591,
p.
3
1.
The
section
of
this
Act
amending
section
256.7.
2.
The
section
of
this
Act
requiring
emergency
rulemaking.
______________________________
PAT
GRASSLEY
Speaker
of
the
House
______________________________
AMY
SINCLAIR
President
of
the
Senate
I
hereby
certify
that
this
bill
originated
in
the
House
and
is
known
as
House
File
2591,
Ninety-first
General
Assembly.
______________________________
MEGHAN
NELSON
Chief
Clerk
of
the
House
Approved
_______________,
2026
______________________________
KIM
REYNOLDS
Governor