House File 2653 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2653 BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 728) A BILL FOR An Act relating to school districts, including by modifying 1 provisions related to the district management levy, waiving 2 certain specified duties, responsibilities, and requirements 3 for the school year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 4 30, 2024, and including effective date provisions. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 6324HV (2) 90 jda/jh

H.F. 2653 Section 1. Section 298.4, subsection 1, Code 2024, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . g. (1) To pay the costs of retention bonus 3 payments to employees for the school year beginning July 1, 4 2024, if the school district is the subject of a proclamation 5 of disaster emergency issued by the governor on January 8, 6 2024, and the school district is located in a county with a 7 population of greater than ninety-nine thousand five hundred 8 but less than one hundred thousand, a county with a population 9 of greater than twenty-six thousand but less than twenty-seven 10 thousand, and a county with a population of greater than eight 11 thousand seven hundred sixty but less than eight thousand eight 12 hundred, all according to the 2020 federal decennial census. 13 (2) Notwithstanding subparagraph (1), a school district 14 shall not pay more than seven hundred thousand dollars under 15 this paragraph. 16 (3) A school district shall not increase the amount of the 17 district management levy to make the payments described in this 18 paragraph. 19 (4) This paragraph is repealed July 1, 2025. 20 Sec. 2. WAIVER OF REQUIREMENTS. 21 1. For the school year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending 22 June 30, 2024, for a school district that is the subject of 23 a proclamation of disaster emergency issued by the governor 24 on January 8, 2024, and that is located in a county with a 25 population of greater than ninety-nine thousand five hundred 26 but less than one hundred thousand, a county with a population 27 of greater than twenty-six thousand but less than twenty-seven 28 thousand, and a county with a population of greater than eight 29 thousand seven hundred sixty but less than eight thousand eight 30 hundred, all according to the 2020 federal decennial census, 31 all of the following duties, responsibilities, and requirements 32 shall be deemed not to apply, and the state board of education 33 and department of education shall waive all such duties, 34 responsibilities, and requirements: 35 -1- LSB 6324HV (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 4

H.F. 2653 a. The administration of any assessment described in 1 section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph “b”. 2 b. The high school graduation requirements adopted pursuant 3 to section 256.7, subsection 26. 4 c. The administration of any assessment described in 5 section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “b”. 6 d. The required days or hours of instruction described in 7 section 279.10. 8 e. The administration of any assessment described in 9 section 279.60, subsection 1 or 3. 10 f. The administration of any assessment described in 11 section 279.68. 12 g. The administration of any assessment related to English 13 learners. 14 h. Any reporting requirement related to accreditation. 15 i. The administration of any requirement related to dynamic 16 learning assessments. 17 j. The administration of any assessment related to 18 mathematics, reading, or early literacy. 19 2. This section shall not be construed to waive any duty, 20 responsibility, or requirement established under federal law, 21 rule, or regulation. 22 3. The director of the department of education shall work 23 with the United States department of education and attempt to 24 obtain appropriate waivers of duties, responsibilities, and 25 requirements established under federal law, rule, or regulation 26 for a school district described in subsection 1. 27 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate 28 importance, takes effect upon enactment. 29 EXPLANATION 30 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 31 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 32 This bill relates to school districts, including by 33 modifying provisions related to the district management levy 34 and waiving certain specified duties, responsibilities, and 35 -2- LSB 6324HV (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 4

H.F. 2653 requirements for the school year beginning July 1, 2023, and 1 ending June 30, 2024. 2 The bill authorizes school districts to use the revenue from 3 the district management levy to pay the costs of retention 4 bonus payment to employees for the school year beginning 5 July 1, 2024, if the school district is the subject of a 6 proclamation of disaster emergency issued by the governor on 7 January 8, 2024, and the school district is located in a county 8 with a population of greater than 99,500 but less than 100,000, 9 a county with a population of greater than 26,000 but less than 10 27,000, and a county with a population of greater than 8,760 11 but less than 8,800. The bill provides that a school district 12 shall not expend more than $700,000 under this provision and 13 shall not increase the amount of the district management levy 14 in order to make the retention bonus payments. The bill 15 establishes that this provision is repealed July 1, 2025. 16 The bill provides that for the school year beginning July 17 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024, for a school district 18 that is the subject of a proclamation of disaster emergency 19 issued by the governor on January 8, 2024, and that is located 20 in a county with a population of greater than 99,500 but 21 less than 100,000, a county with a population of greater 22 than 26,000 but less than 27,000, and a county with a 23 population of greater than 8,760 but less than 8,800, certain 24 specified duties, responsibilities, and requirements shall 25 be deemed not to apply, including duties, responsibilities, 26 and requirements related to assessments, days or hours of 27 attendance, and graduation requirements. The bill provides 28 that these provisions shall not be construed to waive any 29 duty, responsibility, or requirement established under 30 federal law. The bill requires the director of the department 31 of education to work with the United States department of 32 education and attempt to obtain appropriate waivers of duties, 33 responsibilities, and requirements established under federal 34 law for such a school district. 35 -3- LSB 6324HV (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 4