House File 2263 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2263 BY JACOBSEN A BILL FOR An Act relating to education, including modifying provisions 1 related to required social studies instruction, personal 2 financial literacy instruction, and high school equivalency 3 diplomas, and including applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 6080YH (2) 89 jda/jh

H.F. 2263 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph b, Code 1 2022, is amended to read as follows: 2 b. Five units of the social studies including instruction 3 in voting statutes and procedures, voter registration 4 requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting systems in 5 the election process, and the method of acquiring and casting 6 an absentee ballot. All students shall complete a minimum 7 of one-half unit of United States government and one unit of 8 United States history. The one-half unit of United States 9 government shall include the all of the following: 10 (1) The voting procedure as described in this lettered 11 paragraph and section 280.9A . The government instruction shall 12 also include a 13 (2) A study of the Constitution of the United States and the 14 Bill of Rights contained in the Constitution and an assessment 15 of a student’s knowledge of the Constitution and the Bill of 16 Rights. 17 (3) Beginning with the students in the 2022-2023 school 18 year graduating class, an assessment of the student’s knowledge 19 of United States government and civics. The most recent 20 version of the civics test developed by the United States 21 citizenship and immigration services shall be used as the 22 assessment required by this subparagraph. The school district 23 or nonpublic school may modify the civics test for a student 24 who has an individualized education program. A student must 25 attain a passing score on the civics test as a condition of 26 graduation. A student who fails to attain a passing score on 27 the civics test may retake the civics test as many times as 28 necessary. 29 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph k, 30 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2022, is amended to read as 31 follows: 32 One-half unit of personal finance literacy. All students, 33 beginning with the students in the 2020-2021 school year 34 graduating class, shall complete at least one-half unit of 35 -1- LSB 6080YH (2) 89 jda/jh 1/ 4

H.F. 2263 personal finance literacy as a condition of graduation. All 1 students, beginning with the students in the 2022-2023 school 2 year graduating class, must attain a passing score on an 3 assessment of the student’s knowledge of personal financial 4 literacy as a condition of graduation. A student who fails 5 to attain a passing score on the assessment may retake the 6 assessment as many times as necessary. 7 Sec. 3. Section 259A.1, Code 2022, is amended to read as 8 follows: 9 259A.1 Assessment of competency. 10 The department of education shall cause to be made available 11 for qualified individuals a high school equivalency diploma. 12 The diploma shall be issued on the basis of demonstrated 13 competence in all of the following core areas: reading, 14 language arts, literacy, mathematics, personal financial 15 literacy, science, and social studies. 16 Sec. 4. Section 259A.5, subsection 2, Code 2022, is amended 17 to read as follows: 18 2. The state board of education shall adopt rules under 19 chapter 17A to carry out this chapter . Any rules adopted 20 relating to demonstrations of competence for purposes of this 21 chapter shall require such demonstrations to be equivalent 22 to or of greater rigor than those required for high school 23 graduation, and such demonstrations shall include but are 24 not limited to a test battery, credit-based measures, and 25 attainment of other academic credentials. The rules shall 26 also require the demonstrations to include the applicant 27 attaining a passing score on the most recent version of the 28 civics test developed by the United States citizenship and 29 immigration services and a passing score on an assessment of 30 the applicant’s knowledge of personal financial literacy. 31 Sec. 5. APPLICABILITY. The following apply to individuals 32 applying for a high school equivalency diploma on or after the 33 effective date of this Act: 34 1. The section of this Act amending section 259A.1. 35 -2- LSB 6080YH (2) 89 jda/jh 2/ 4

H.F. 2263 2. The section of this Act amending section 259A.5, 1 subsection 2. 2 EXPLANATION 3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 4 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 5 This bill relates to education, including modifying 6 provisions related to required social studies instruction, 7 personal financial literacy instruction, and high school 8 equivalency diplomas. 9 The bill requires that the United States government 10 instruction provided in school districts and nonpublic schools 11 in grades 9 through 12, beginning with the students in the 12 2022-2023 graduating class, include an assessment of the 13 student’s knowledge of United States government and civics. 14 The bill provides that the most recent version of the civics 15 test developed by the United States citizenship and immigration 16 services shall be used for this assessment. The bill requires 17 a student to attain a passing score on the civics test as a 18 condition of graduation and allows a student to retake the 19 civics test as many times as necessary. 20 The bill provides that the personal financial literacy 21 instruction provided in school districts and nonpublic schools 22 in grades 9 through 12, beginning with the students in the 23 2022-2023 graduating class, shall require students to attain a 24 passing score on an assessment of the student’s knowledge of 25 personal financial literacy as a condition of graduation. The 26 bill authorizes a student who fails to attain a passing score 27 on the assessment to retake the assessment as many times as 28 necessary. 29 Current law requires the department of education to make 30 available to certain specified individuals a high school 31 equivalency diploma, which shall be issued on the basis of 32 demonstrated competency in reading, language arts, literacy, 33 mathematics, science, and social studies. The bill adds 34 personal financial literacy to this list of areas in which 35 -3- LSB 6080YH (2) 89 jda/jh 3/ 4

H.F. 2263 competency must be demonstrated. The bill also requires that 1 the rules adopted by the state board of education to carry out 2 Code chapter 259A (high school equivalency diplomas) shall 3 require the applicant to attain a passing score on the most 4 recent version of the civics test developed by the United 5 States citizenship and immigration services and a passing score 6 on an assessment of the applicant’s knowledge of personal 7 financial literacy. The bill provides that these provisions 8 apply to individuals applying for a high school equivalency 9 diploma on or after the effective date of the bill. 10 -4- LSB 6080YH (2) 89 jda/jh 4/ 4