House File 229 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 229 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 103) A BILL FOR An Act relating to temporary in-person and remote learning 1 instruction and instructional time requirements for school 2 districts and accredited nonpublic schools, and including 3 effective date provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1913HV (2) 89 kh/jh

H.F. 229 Section 1. IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION DURING THE 2020-2021 1 SCHOOL YEAR. 2 1. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, 3 including 2020 Iowa Acts, chapter 1107, beginning no later than 4 the second Monday following the effective date of this Act and 5 ending June 30, 2021, a brick-and-mortar school district or 6 accredited nonpublic school shall provide an opportunity for 7 a parent or guardian of each student enrolled in the school 8 district or accredited nonpublic school to select full-time 9 in-person instruction for the parent’s or guardian’s student 10 unless this requirement is explicitly waived for one or 11 more school districts or accredited nonpublic schools in a 12 proclamation of a public health disaster emergency issued by 13 the governor pursuant to section 29C.6 and related to COVID-19. 14 A school district or accredited nonpublic school that is not 15 providing an opportunity for full-time in-person instruction 16 on the effective date of this Act shall provide to the parents 17 and guardians of students enrolled in the school district 18 or accredited nonpublic school notice of the opportunity to 19 select full-time in-person instruction and shall allow the 20 parent or guardian at least five days to decide whether to 21 select the full-time in-person option if the school district or 22 accredited nonpublic school will also continue to offer other 23 instructional options. 24 2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, 25 for the school year beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 26 30, 2021, any instruction provided by a school district or 27 accredited nonpublic school shall be deemed to meet the days 28 and hours of instructional time requirements of Iowa law 29 only if the instruction is provided in compliance with all 30 requirements of Iowa law, including this Act; or pursuant 31 to 2020 Iowa Acts, chapter 1107; or under a proclamation of 32 a public health disaster emergency issued by the governor 33 pursuant to section 29C.6 and related to COVID-19. 34 Sec. 2. REQUESTS TO MOVE TO REMOTE LEARNING FOR A SCHOOL 35 -1- LSB 1913HV (2) 89 kh/jh 1/ 3

H.F. 229 BUILDING OR DISTRICT. For the school year beginning July 1, 1 2020, and ending June 30, 2021, to the extent the governor 2 waives the requirement for full-time in-person instruction 3 pursuant to subsection 1 of section 1 of this Act or authorizes 4 a brick-and-mortar school district or accredited nonpublic 5 school to provide instruction primarily through continuous 6 remote learning pursuant to 2020 Iowa Acts, chapter 1107, by 7 conditioning the waiver or authorization on approval by the 8 department of education, the department of education shall 9 consider, in addition to any other factors or information, 10 data regarding the number of teachers employed by the school 11 district or school who are quarantining due to exposure to 12 COVID-19, as well as the scarcity of substitute teachers and 13 school bus drivers. 14 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate 15 importance, takes effect upon enactment. 16 EXPLANATION 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 18 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 19 This bill relates to in-person and remote learning 20 instruction and instructional time requirements for school 21 districts and accredited nonpublic schools for the 2020-2021 22 school year. 23 Beginning no later than the second Monday following 24 the effective date of the bill and ending June 30, 2021, a 25 brick-and-mortar school district or accredited nonpublic school 26 shall provide an opportunity for a parent or guardian of each 27 student enrolled to select full-time in-person instruction for 28 the student unless this requirement is explicitly waived in 29 a proclamation of a public health disaster emergency issued 30 by the governor pursuant to Code section 29C.6 and related to 31 COVID-19. 32 A school district or accredited nonpublic school that is not 33 providing an opportunity for full-time in-person instruction 34 on the effective date of the bill must notify the parents and 35 -2- LSB 1913HV (2) 89 kh/jh 2/ 3

H.F. 229 guardians of the opportunity to allow the parent or guardian 1 at least five days to decide whether to select the full-time 2 in-person option if the school district or accredited nonpublic 3 school will also continue to offer other instructional options. 4 For the school year beginning July 1, 2020, and ending 5 June 30, 2021, any instruction provided by a school district 6 or accredited nonpublic school shall be deemed to meet the 7 days and hours of instructional time requirements of Iowa 8 law only if the instruction is provided in compliance with 9 all requirements of Iowa law, including those in the bill; 10 or pursuant to 2020 Iowa Acts, chapter 1107; or under a 11 proclamation of a public health disaster emergency, which is 12 related to COVID-19 and issued by the governor. 13 Also for the 2020-2021 school year, to the extent the 14 governor waives the requirement for full-time in-person 15 instruction pursuant to the bill, or authorizes a 16 brick-and-mortar school district or accredited nonpublic 17 school to provide instruction primarily through continuous 18 remote learning by conditioning the waiver or authorization on 19 approval by the department of education, the department shall 20 consider, in addition to any other factors or information, 21 data regarding the number of teachers employed by the school 22 district or school who are quarantining due to exposure to 23 COVID-19, as well as the scarcity of substitute teachers and 24 school bus drivers. 25 The bill takes effect upon enactment. 26 -3- LSB 1913HV (2) 89 kh/jh 3/ 3