House File 2558 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2558 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 2327) A BILL FOR An Act relating to higher education, including by modifying 1 the responsibilities of private institutions of higher 2 education, community colleges, the state board of regents, 3 and institutions of higher education governed by the state 4 board of regents, modifying provisions related to diversity, 5 equity, and inclusion policies, tuition, and administrator 6 hiring at state universities, membership of the state board 7 of regents, and student-employer work and tuition programs 8 at state universities and community colleges, and including 9 applicability provisions. 10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 11 TLSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh

H.F. 2558 DIVISION I 1 SHORT TITLE 2 Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known and may be 3 cited as the “Higher Education Reform Act of 2024”. 4 DIVISION II 5 COMMUNITY COLLEGES 6 Sec. 2. Section 260C.14, Code 2024, is amended by adding the 7 following new subsections: 8 NEW SUBSECTION . 25. On or before December 31, 2024, 9 establish a program that satisfies all of the following 10 requirements: 11 a. Allows students admitted to the community college to 12 complete the community college’s associate’s degree program 13 while working part-time for an employer registered under the 14 program. 15 b. Requires the student and a representative of the 16 student’s employer to execute an agreement that requires the 17 student to work part-time for the student’s employer for at 18 least one calendar year and that describes the rights and 19 responsibilities of the student and the employer under the 20 program. 21 c. Requires the student’s employer to pay all of the tuition 22 and mandatory fees associated with the student’s participation 23 in the associate’s degree program during the fall and spring 24 semesters. 25 d. Requires the student’s employer to pay the student a rate 26 of compensation that shall not be less than the higher of the 27 applicable federal or state minimum wage. 28 NEW SUBSECTION . 26. Adopt policies and procedures that 29 require the community college to accept the classic learning 30 test, developed by classic learning initiatives, as a means 31 of determining whether to admit a student to the community 32 college. 33 NEW SUBSECTION . 27. Adopt policies and procedures that 34 require the community college to follow state law, regardless 35 -1- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 17

H.F. 2558 of any rules or directives of any accrediting agency. 1 NEW SUBSECTION . 28. Adopt policies and procedures that 2 require the community college to authorize the president of 3 the community college to initiate a post-tenure review of any 4 employee of the community college at any time. 5 NEW SUBSECTION . 29. Adopt policies and procedures 6 that require any strategic plan adopted by the community 7 college to include a description of how the community college 8 will prioritize degree programs that lead to employment 9 in high-demand fields within the state. The policies and 10 procedures shall also require that the community college’s 11 current strategic plan be revised to include a description of 12 how the community college will prioritize degree programs that 13 lead to employment in high-demand fields within the state. 14 NEW SUBSECTION . 30. Adopt policies and procedures that 15 prohibit any faculty senate committee or subcommittee from 16 having any governance authority over the community college. 17 The policies and procedures shall provide that the scope of 18 authority of a faculty senate committee or subcommittee is 19 limited to an advisory role. 20 DIVISION III 21 STATE BOARD OF REGENTS 22 Sec. 3. Section 262.1, Code 2024, is amended to read as 23 follows: 24 262.1 Membership. 25 1. The state board of regents consists of nine voting 26 members, eight of whom shall be selected from the state at 27 large solely with regard to their qualifications and fitness 28 to discharge the duties of the office. The ninth member shall 29 be a student enrolled on a full-time basis in good standing 30 at either the graduate or undergraduate level at one of the 31 institutions listed in section 262.7, subsection 1, 2, or 3 , 32 at the time of the member’s appointment. Not more than five 33 members shall be of the same political party. 34 2. In addition to the nine voting members, the membership 35 -2- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 17

H.F. 2558 of the state board of regents shall include two ex officio, 1 nonvoting members of the general assembly, with one member 2 designated by the majority leader of the senate and one member 3 designated by the speaker of the house of representatives. A 4 legislative member serves for a term as provided in section 5 69.16B. 6 Sec. 4. Section 262.2, Code 2024, is amended to read as 7 follows: 8 262.2 Appointment —— term of office. 9 The voting members shall be appointed by the governor 10 subject to confirmation by the senate. Prior to appointing 11 the ninth member as specified in section 262.1 , subsection 1, 12 the governor shall consult with the appropriate student body 13 government at the institution at which the proposed appointee 14 is enrolled. The term of each voting member of the board shall 15 be for six four years, unless the ninth member, appointed in 16 accordance with section 262.1 , subsection 1, graduates or 17 is no longer enrolled at an institution of higher education 18 under the board’s control, at which time the term of the 19 ninth member shall expire one year from the date on which the 20 member graduates or is no longer enrolled in an institution 21 of higher education under the board’s control. However, if 22 within that year the ninth member reenrolls in any institution 23 of higher education under the board’s control on a full-time 24 basis and is a student in good standing at either the graduate 25 or undergraduate level, the term of the ninth member shall 26 continue in effect. The terms of three the voting members of 27 the board shall be staggered and shall begin and expire in each 28 odd-numbered year as provided in section 69.19. 29 Sec. 5. Section 262.4, Code 2024, is amended to read as 30 follows: 31 262.4 Removals. 32 The governor, with the approval of a majority of the senate 33 during a session of the general assembly, may remove any voting 34 member of the board for malfeasance in office, or for any cause 35 -3- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 17

H.F. 2558 which would render the voting member ineligible for appointment 1 or incapable or unfit to discharge the duties of office, and 2 the voting member’s removal, when so made, shall be final. 3 Sec. 6. Section 262.5, Code 2024, is amended to read as 4 follows: 5 262.5 Suspension. 6 When the general assembly is not in session, the governor 7 may suspend any voting member so disqualified and shall appoint 8 another to fill the vacancy thus created, subject to the 9 approval of the senate when next in session. 10 Sec. 7. Section 262.6, Code 2024, is amended to read as 11 follows: 12 262.6 Vacancies. 13 Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner in which 14 regular appointments are required to be made. If the ninth 15 voting member resigns prior to the expiration of the term, 16 the individual appointed to fill the vacancy shall meet the 17 requirements for the ninth voting member specified in section 18 262.1 , subsection 1 . Other vacancies in the voting members 19 occurring prior to the expiration of the ninth voting member’s 20 term shall be filled in the same manner as the original 21 appointments for those vacancies. 22 Sec. 8. Section 262.8, Code 2024, is amended to read as 23 follows: 24 262.8 Meetings. 25 The board shall meet four times a year. Special meetings 26 may be called by the board, by the president of the board, or 27 by the executive director of the board upon written request of 28 any five voting members thereof. 29 Sec. 9. APPLICABILITY. The following applies to members of 30 the state board of regents appointed by the governor, and not 31 yet confirmed by the senate, on or after the effective date of 32 this division of this Act: 33 The section of this division of this Act amending section 34 262.2. 35 -4- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 4/ 17

H.F. 2558 DIVISION IV 1 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNED BY THE STATE BOARD 2 OF REGENTS 3 Sec. 10. Section 262.9, subsections 2 and 22, Code 2024, are 4 amended to read as follows: 5 2. a. Elect a president of each of the institutions of 6 higher learning; a treasurer and a secretarial officer for each 7 institution annually; professors, instructors, officers, and 8 employees; and fix their compensation. 9 b. (1) When electing a president of an institution of 10 higher learning, the board shall use a presidential selection 11 committee that shall provide the board with recommendations 12 related to the best candidate for the position. The board 13 shall not elect a president of an institution of higher 14 learning unless the presidential selection committee 15 recommended the election of the president to the board. 16 (2) Only members of the board shall serve as members of the 17 presidential selection committee. 18 (3) In carrying out its duties under this paragraph, the 19 presidential selection committee may do any of the following: 20 (a) Contract for and use the services of any person engaged 21 in the business of placing highly qualified job candidates in 22 leadership positions. 23 (b) Use moneys allocated to the committee by the board. 24 (4) The identity of a candidate for president of an 25 institution of higher learning being considered by the 26 presidential selection committee shall be confidential and 27 shall not be a public record subject to disclosure under 28 chapter 22. 29 22. a. Develop a policy and adopt rules relating to the 30 establishment of tuition rates which provide a predictable 31 basis for assessing and anticipating changes in tuition rates. 32 b. The rules shall provide that an institution of higher 33 education under the board’s control shall not increase the 34 total amount of resident tuition and mandatory fees associated 35 -5- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 5/ 17

H.F. 2558 with the baccalaureate program by more than three percent of 1 the total amount of tuition and mandatory fees the institution 2 charged residents during the immediately preceding academic 3 year unless approved by the legislative council. 4 Sec. 11. Section 262.9, Code 2024, is amended by adding the 5 following new subsections: 6 NEW SUBSECTION . 39. a. Direct the institutions of higher 7 education under its control to adopt policies and procedures 8 that prohibit the institution from hiring any new employee to 9 serve as an administrator unless the board approves the hiring 10 of the new employee. 11 b. The policies and procedures adopted pursuant to paragraph 12 “a” shall not prohibit an institution of higher education under 13 the control of the state board of regents from filling an open 14 administrator position with an administrator who is currently 15 employed by the institution of higher education. 16 c. For purposes of this subsection, “administrator” means an 17 employee who serves in the role of provost, vice president, or 18 otherwise directly reports to the president of the institution 19 of higher education. “Administrator” does not include the 20 president of the institution of higher education. 21 NEW SUBSECTION . 40. Direct the institutions of higher 22 education under its control to establish, on or before December 23 31, 2024, a program at each institution that satisfies all of 24 the following requirements: 25 a. Allows students admitted to the baccalaureate degree 26 program at the institution to complete the baccalaureate degree 27 program while working part-time for an employer registered 28 under the program. 29 b. Requires the student and a representative of the 30 student’s employer to execute an agreement that requires the 31 student to work part-time for the student’s employer for at 32 least one calendar year and that describes the rights and 33 responsibilities of the student and the employer under the 34 program. 35 -6- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 6/ 17

H.F. 2558 c. Requires the student’s employer to pay all of the tuition 1 and mandatory fees associated with the student’s participation 2 in the baccalaureate degree program during the fall and spring 3 semesters. 4 d. Requires the student’s employer to pay the student a rate 5 of compensation that shall not be less than the higher of the 6 applicable federal or state minimum wage. 7 NEW SUBSECTION . 41. Direct the institutions of higher 8 education under its control to structure university-wide 9 diversity, equity, and inclusion offices to eliminate any 10 diversity, equity, and inclusion function that is not necessary 11 for compliance with federal or state laws or accreditation. 12 The institutions of higher education shall make the support 13 services that were provided by such offices broadly available 14 to all students and employees, subject to applicable federal 15 and state eligibility requirements. 16 NEW SUBSECTION . 42. Direct the institutions of higher 17 education under its control to regularly do all of the 18 following: 19 a. Review the services provided by offices that support 20 diversity or multicultural affairs in other divisions of the 21 institution to ensure that such services are available to all 22 students, subject to applicable federal or state eligibility 23 requirements. 24 b. Update promotional and informational materials and 25 internet sites to clarify that the mission of offices that 26 support diversity or multicultural affairs in other divisions 27 of the institution is to support success broadly. 28 NEW SUBSECTION . 43. Direct the institutions of higher 29 education under its control to take reasonable steps to assure 30 all of the following: 31 a. That an employee, student, applicant, or campus visitor 32 is not required to submit a diversity, equity, and inclusion 33 statement, or be evaluated based on participation in a 34 diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative, unless required 35 -7- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 7/ 17

H.F. 2558 for compliance or accreditation related to diversity, equity, 1 and inclusion. 2 b. That an employee, student, applicant, or campus visitor 3 is not compelled to disclose the employee’s, student’s, 4 applicant’s, or campus visitor’s preferred pronouns. 5 NEW SUBSECTION . 44. Develop a policy that each 6 institution of higher education under the control of the board 7 shall approve, institute, and enforce, that prohibits the 8 consideration of race and other protected class characteristics 9 during the admissions process that is consistent with current 10 federal and state law. 11 NEW SUBSECTION . 45. Develop a policy that each institution 12 of higher education under the control of the board shall 13 approve, institute, and enforce, that contains guidance for 14 employees of each institution related to the separation of 15 personal political advocacy from the employee’s job duties and 16 the business of the institution. 17 NEW SUBSECTION . 46. Direct the institutions of higher 18 education under its control to adopt policies and procedures 19 to advance the diversity of intellectual and philosophical 20 perspectives in faculty and staff applicant pools. 21 NEW SUBSECTION . 47. Provide an annual notice to the 22 institutions of higher education under its control concerning 23 the board’s policy related to institution statements on matters 24 of public concern. 25 NEW SUBSECTION . 48. Require the institutions of higher 26 education under its control to accept the classic learning 27 test, developed by classic learning initiatives, as a means of 28 determining whether to admit a student to the baccalaureate 29 program offered by the institution. 30 NEW SUBSECTION . 49. Direct the institutions of higher 31 education under its control to follow state law, regardless of 32 any rules or directives of any accrediting agency. 33 NEW SUBSECTION . 50. a. Direct the institutions of higher 34 education under its control to adopt policies that require 35 -8- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 8/ 17

H.F. 2558 all undergraduate students admitted on or after the 2024-2025 1 academic year to complete a three-credit-hour course devoted to 2 American history and civics prior to graduation. 3 b. Direct the institutions of higher education under its 4 control to develop the curriculum and materials related to the 5 American history and civics course, subject to the approval 6 of the board. The curriculum shall focus on the founding of 7 the United States and shall emphasize the federalist papers, 8 the United States Constitution, and the three branches of 9 government. 10 NEW SUBSECTION . 51. Direct the institutions of higher 11 education under its control to adopt policies that authorize 12 the president of the institution to initiate a post-tenure 13 review of any employee of the institution at any time. 14 NEW SUBSECTION . 52. Direct the institutions of higher 15 education under its control to adopt policies that require 16 any strategic plan adopted by the institution to include a 17 description of how the institution will prioritize degree 18 programs that lead to employment in high-demand fields within 19 the state. The policies and procedures shall also require that 20 the institution’s current strategic plan be revised to include 21 a description of how the institution will prioritize degree 22 programs that lead to employment in high-demand fields within 23 the state. 24 NEW SUBSECTION . 53. Prohibit the institutions of higher 25 education under its control from allowing any Confucius 26 institute, or any other educational institute funded in whole 27 or in part by the People’s Republic of China, to be located on 28 any property owned by the institution of higher education. 29 NEW SUBSECTION . 54. Direct the institutions of higher 30 education under its control to adopt policies and procedures 31 that prohibit any faculty senate committee or subcommittee 32 from having any governance authority over the institution of 33 higher education. The policies and procedures shall provide 34 that the scope of authority of a faculty senate committee or 35 -9- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 9/ 17

H.F. 2558 subcommittee is limited to an advisory role. 1 NEW SUBSECTION . 55. In a timely manner, respond to and 2 fulfill any request for information submitted to the board by a 3 member of the general assembly or the governor. 4 Sec. 12. INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNED BY THE 5 STATE BOARD OF REGENTS —— REQUIRED REVIEWS. 6 1. On or before December 31, 2024, each institution of 7 higher education governed by the state board of regents shall 8 do all of the following: 9 a. Review all college, department, and unit-level 10 diversity, equity, and inclusion positions to determine whether 11 diversity, equity, and inclusion-specific job responsibilities 12 are necessary for compliance with federal or state law, 13 accreditation, or for the provision of student or employee 14 support services. 15 b. Adjust or eliminate any diversity, equity, and inclusion 16 position that is not necessary for those purposes described in 17 paragraph “a”. 18 c. Review all employee position names and working titles to 19 ensure that the position names and working titles appropriately 20 reflect the employee’s responsibilities. 21 2. Each institution of higher education governed by the 22 state board of regents shall initiate and conduct a review of 23 general education categories related to diversity, equity, and 24 inclusion and update such categories to accurately reflect the 25 array of options students may select in order to satisfy the 26 requirements associated with such categories and to ensure a 27 breadth of offerings. 28 Sec. 13. INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNED BY THE 29 STATE BOARD OF REGENTS —— REQUIRED DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ACADEMIC 30 PROGRAM. Prior to the November 2024 meeting of the state board 31 of regents, each institution of higher education governed by 32 the state board of regents shall develop and submit to the 33 state board of regents, the general assembly, and the governor, 34 a proposed baccalaureate degree program that requires a student 35 -10- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 10/ 17

H.F. 2558 to complete no more than ninety semester hours of classroom 1 work. 2 Sec. 14. COMPREHENSIVE STUDY —— REDUCTION OF COSTS. Each 3 institution of higher education governed by the state board of 4 regents shall do all of the following: 5 1. Conduct a comprehensive study related to how to reduce 6 costs, maintain close to current levels of tuition and 7 mandatory fees, and maintain noninstructional costs below ten 8 percent of the institution’s annual budget. 9 2. Prior to the November 2024 meeting of the state board 10 of regents, each institution of higher education governed by 11 the state board of regents shall develop and submit to the 12 state board of regents, the general assembly, and the governor 13 a report detailing the results of the comprehensive study 14 described in subsection 1. 15 Sec. 15. TUITION AND MANDATORY FEES. 16 1. The rules adopted by the state board of regents 17 pursuant to section 262.9, subsection 22, shall provide 18 that the amount of tuition and mandatory fees charged by an 19 institution of higher education under the board’s control to 20 an undergraduate student who began the undergraduate program 21 during the 2024-2025 academic year shall not increase during 22 the student’s first four full academic years of participation 23 in the undergraduate program. 24 2. Subsection 1 shall not prohibit an institution of higher 25 education under the board’s control from increasing the amount 26 of tuition and mandatory fees charged to an undergraduate 27 student who began the undergraduate program during the 28 2024-2025 academic year, consistent with section 262.9, 29 subsection 22, paragraph “b”, as amended by this division 30 of this Act, after the student’s first two full academic 31 years of participation in the undergraduate program, if the 32 undergraduate student had attained at least thirty semester 33 hours of undergraduate credit, but less than sixty semester 34 hours of undergraduate credit, on or before the student’s date 35 -11- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 11/ 17

H.F. 2558 of admission. 1 3. Subsection 1 shall not prohibit an institution of 2 higher education under the board’s control from increasing 3 the amount of tuition and mandatory fees charged to an 4 undergraduate student who began the undergraduate program 5 during the 2024-2025 academic year, consistent with section 6 262.9, subsection 22, paragraph “b”, as amended by this 7 division of this Act, after the student’s first full academic 8 year of participation in the undergraduate program, if the 9 undergraduate student had attained at least sixty semester 10 hours of undergraduate credit on or before the student’s date 11 of admission. 12 Sec. 16. INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNED BY 13 THE STATE BOARD OF REGENTS —— EDUCATION AND RESEARCH ON FREE 14 SPEECH AND CIVIC EDUCATION PROPOSAL. Prior to the November 15 2024 meeting of the state board of regents, each institution 16 of higher education governed by the state board of regents 17 shall develop and submit to the state board of regents, the 18 general assembly, and the governor, a proposal related to the 19 establishment of a center, institute, or initiative that is 20 dedicated to expanding opportunities for education and research 21 concerning freedom of speech and civic education. 22 DIVISION V 23 CLOSURE OF PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION 24 Sec. 17. NEW SECTION . 261J.1 Closure of private 25 institutions of higher education. 26 1. An accredited private institution shall provide notice 27 to the department of education immediately upon a vote of the 28 accredited private institution’s governing board to close the 29 institution. 30 2. Within three days after providing notice under 31 subsection 1, an accredited private institution shall 32 provide the department of education with copies of all of the 33 following: 34 a. Teachout plan. 35 -12- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 12/ 17

H.F. 2558 b. The notice to faculty, staff, and students that the 1 institution will close. 2 c. Plans to coordinate alternative program options. 3 d. A comprehensive list of students with contact information 4 and information related to each student’s current status at the 5 institution as of the date the institution will close. 6 e. The institution’s plan to provide transitional support. 7 f. The institution’s transcript retention plan. 8 g. The process and contact person for student concerns, 9 complaints, and questions related to the closure of the 10 institution, both before and after the institution closes. 11 3. For purposes of this section, “accredited private 12 institution” means the same as defined in section 256.183. 13 DIVISION VI 14 INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNED BY THE STATE BOARD 15 OF REGENTS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES —— COORDINATION OF ACADEMIC 16 PROGRAMS 17 Sec. 18. NEW SECTION . 261K.1 Coordination of academic 18 programs. 19 The members of the state board of regents, the presidents and 20 provosts of each institution of higher learning governed by the 21 state board of regents, the chancellors and presidents of each 22 community college, and the president of the board of directors 23 of each community college shall meet annually to discuss the 24 coordination of academic programs in order to increase student 25 outcomes and efficiencies for the state. 26 EXPLANATION 27 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 28 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 29 This bill relates to higher education, including by 30 modifying the responsibilities of private institutions of 31 higher education, community colleges, the state board of 32 regents, and institutions of higher education governed by 33 the state board of regents, modifying provisions related 34 to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, tuition, and 35 -13- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 13/ 17

H.F. 2558 administrator hiring at state universities, membership of the 1 state board of regents, and student-employer work and tuition 2 programs at state universities and community colleges. 3 DIVISION I —— SHORT TITLE. The bill shall be known and may 4 be cited as the “Higher Education Reform Act of 2024”. 5 DIVISION II —— COMMUNITY COLLEGES. The bill makes several 6 modifications to Code section 260C.14 (authority of boards 7 of directors of community colleges) to require the board of 8 directors of each community college to take certain actions, 9 including actions related to the establishment of a program 10 that allows students to complete an associate’s degree while 11 working part-time for an employer registered under the program, 12 the acceptance of certain admissions tests, and the adoption 13 of policies related to post-tenure reviews. The bill also 14 requires the board of directors of each community college to 15 adopt policies that prohibit any faculty or senate committee 16 or subcommittee from having any governance authority over the 17 community college. 18 DIVISION III —— STATE BOARD OF REGENTS. Current law provides 19 that the state board of regents consists of nine members, 20 all of whom are appointed by the governor and subject to 21 confirmation by the senate. The bill adds two legislative 22 members to the state board of regents, one who is appointed 23 by the speaker of the house of representatives and one who is 24 appointed by the president of the senate. The bill provides 25 that the legislative members serve as ex officio, nonvoting 26 members. The bill makes conforming changes. 27 Current law provides that the term of each member of the 28 state board of regents is six years. The bill modifies this 29 provision to provide that the term of each member of the 30 state board of regents who is appointed by the governor, and 31 subject to confirmation by the senate, is four years. The 32 bill provides that this modification applies to members of the 33 state board of regents appointed by the governor, and not yet 34 confirmed by the senate, on or after the effective date of the 35 -14- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 14/ 17

H.F. 2558 bill. 1 DIVISION IV —— INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNED BY 2 THE STATE BOARD OF REGENTS. Current law requires the state 3 board of regents to elect a president of each institution 4 of higher learning. The bill provides that, when electing 5 the president, the state board of regents shall utilize a 6 presidential selection committee that is required to provide 7 the board with recommendations related to the best candidate 8 for the position. The bill prohibits the state board of 9 regents from electing a president unless the presidential 10 selection committee recommended the election of the president. 11 The bill establishes that only members of the state board of 12 regents shall serve as members of the presidential selection 13 committee. The bill authorizes the presidential selection 14 committee to utilize the services of any person engaged 15 in the business of placing highly qualified job candidates 16 in leadership positions and to use moneys allocated to 17 the committee by the state board of regents. The bill 18 establishes that the identity of a candidate for president 19 of an institution of higher learning being considered by the 20 presidential selection committee shall be confidential and 21 shall not be a public record subject to disclosure. 22 Current law requires the state board of regents to develop 23 a policy and adopt rules relating to the establishment of 24 tuition rates. The bill requires these rules to provide that 25 an institution of higher education shall not increase the total 26 amount of resident tuition and mandatory fees associated with 27 the baccalaureate program by more than 3 percent of the total 28 amount of tuition and mandatory fees the institution charged 29 to residents during the immediately preceding academic year 30 unless approved by the legislative council. The bill also 31 provides that these rules shall prohibit institutions of higher 32 education from increasing the total amount of tuition and 33 mandatory fees charged to an undergraduate student who began 34 the undergraduate program during the 2024-2025 academic year 35 -15- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 15/ 17

H.F. 2558 during the student’s first four full academic years, subject to 1 certain limitations that apply to transfer students. 2 The bill makes several modifications to the duties of 3 the state board of regents, including but not limited to 4 modifications related to the hiring of administrators, the 5 establishment of a program that allows students to complete a 6 baccalaureate degree while working part-time for an employer 7 registered under the program; the elimination of diversity, 8 equity, and inclusion functions; the development of admissions 9 policies; the development of employment policies; the addition 10 of required courses for undergraduate students; the adoption 11 of policies related to post-tenure review; the prohibition of 12 Confucius institutes; and the review of efforts and positions 13 related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 14 The bill requires each institution of higher education 15 to develop and submit to the state board of regents, the 16 general assembly, and the governor, prior to the November 2024 17 meeting of the state board of regents, a proposed baccalaureate 18 degree program that requires no more than 90 semester hours 19 of classroom work, a report detailing the results of a 20 comprehensive study related to the reduction of costs and 21 how to maintain levels of tuition and mandatory fees, and a 22 proposal related to the establishment of a center that is 23 dedicated to expanding opportunities for education and research 24 concerning freedom of speech and civic education. 25 DIVISION V —— CLOSURE OF PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 26 EDUCATION. The bill requires accredited private institutions, 27 as defined in Code section 256.183 (Iowa tuition grants 28 program), to provide notice to the department of education 29 immediately upon a vote of the institution’s governing board to 30 close. The bill also requires accredited private institutions 31 to provide the department of education with copies of certain 32 specified documents within three days after providing such 33 notice. 34 DIVISION VI —— INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION GOVERNED 35 -16- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 16/ 17

H.F. 2558 BY THE STATE BOARD OF REGENTS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES —— 1 COORDINATION OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. The bill requires the 2 members of the state board of regents, the presidents and 3 provosts of each institution of higher education governed by 4 the state board of regents, the chancellors and presidents 5 of each community college, and the president of the board 6 of directors of each community college to meet annually to 7 coordinate academic programs in order to increase student 8 outcomes and efficiencies for the state. 9 -17- LSB 5335HV (2) 90 jda/jh 17/ 17