House File 597 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 597 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 219) A BILL FOR An Act relating to education, including modifying provisions 1 related to school district library programs and the 2 educational program provided to students enrolled in 3 school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter 4 schools. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 2501HV (2) 90 jda/jh

H.F. 597 Section 1. Section 256.11, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 1 2023, is amended to read as follows: 2 The state board shall adopt rules under chapter 17A and 3 a procedure for accrediting all public and nonpublic schools 4 in Iowa offering instruction at any or all levels from the 5 prekindergarten level through grade twelve. The rules of 6 the state board shall require that a an age-appropriate, 7 multicultural, and gender-fair approach is used by schools and 8 school districts. The educational program shall be taught from 9 a an age-appropriate, multicultural, and gender-fair approach. 10 Global perspectives shall be incorporated into all levels of 11 the educational program. The rules adopted by the state board 12 pursuant to section 256.17, Code Supplement 1987 , to establish 13 new standards shall satisfy the requirements of this section to 14 adopt rules to implement the educational program contained in 15 this section . The educational program shall be as follows: 16 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsections 4 and 9, Code 2023, are 17 amended to read as follows: 18 4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 19 eight: English-language arts; social studies; mathematics; 20 science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human 21 growth and development; career exploration and development; 22 physical education; music; and visual art. Computer science 23 instruction incorporating the standards established under 24 section 256.7, subsection 26 , paragraph “a” , subparagraph (4), 25 shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with 26 the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration 27 and development shall be designed so that students are 28 appropriately prepared to create an individual career 29 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 30 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 31 with the six career and technical education service areas 32 as defined in subsection 5 , paragraph “h” , and incorporate 33 relevant twenty-first century skills. The health curriculum 34 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 35 -1- LSB 2501HV (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 4

H.F. 597 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases, 1 including HPV and the availability of a vaccine to prevent 2 HPV, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The state board 3 as part of accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum 4 definitions for implementing the program in grades seven 5 and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to the 6 teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic 7 schools. For purposes of this section , “age-appropriate” , 8 “HPV” , and “research-based” mean the same as defined in section 9 279.50 . 10 9. a. Beginning July 1, 2006, each school district shall 11 have a qualified teacher librarian who shall be licensed by 12 the board of educational examiners under chapter 272 . Each 13 school district shall establish a kindergarten through grade 14 twelve library program that is consistent with the educational 15 standards established in this section, contains only 16 age-appropriate materials, and supports the student achievement 17 goals of the total school curriculum. 18 b. The state board shall establish in rule a definition 19 of and standards for an articulated sequential kindergarten 20 through grade twelve media program. 21 c. A school district that entered into a contract with an 22 individual for employment as a media specialist or librarian 23 prior to June 1, 2006, shall be considered to be in compliance 24 with this subsection until June 30, 2011, if the individual 25 is making annual progress toward meeting the requirements 26 for a teacher librarian endorsement issued by the board of 27 educational examiners under chapter 272 . A school district 28 that entered into a contract with an individual for employment 29 as a media specialist or librarian who holds at least a 30 master’s degree in library and information studies shall be 31 considered to be in compliance with this subsection until the 32 individual leaves the employ of the school district. 33 Sec. 3. Section 256.11, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 34 following new subsection: 35 -2- LSB 2501HV (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 4

H.F. 597 NEW SUBSECTION . 19. For purposes of this section: 1 a. (1) “Age-appropriate” means topics, messages, and 2 teaching methods suitable to particular ages or age groups 3 of children and adolescents, based on developing cognitive, 4 emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age 5 group. “Age-appropriate” does not include any material with 6 descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act as defined in 7 section 702.17 or section 728.1. 8 (2) Notwithstanding subparagraph (1), for purposes of the 9 human growth and development curriculum, “age-appropriate” means 10 the same as defined in section 279.50. 11 b. “HPV” means the same as defined in section 279.50. 12 c. “Research-based” means the same as defined in section 13 279.50. 14 EXPLANATION 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 16 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 17 This bill relates to education, including modifying 18 provisions related to school district library programs and the 19 educational program provided to students enrolled in school 20 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools. 21 Code section 256.11 (educational standards) requires that 22 the educational program adopted by the state board of education 23 for school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and 24 charter schools be taught from a multicultural and gender-fair 25 approach. The bill provides that the educational program shall 26 also be taught from an age-appropriate approach. The bill 27 defines “age-appropriate” in this context as topics, messages, 28 and teaching methods suitable to particular ages or age groups 29 of children and adolescents, based on developing cognitive, 30 emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age 31 group. Additionally, the bill provides that “age-appropriate” 32 does not include any material with descriptions or visual 33 depictions of a sex act. The bill does not affect the 34 definition of “age-appropriate” in the context of the human 35 -3- LSB 2501HV (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 4

H.F. 597 growth and development curriculum. 1 The bill requires each school district to establish 2 a kindergarten through grade 12 library program that 3 is consistent with Code section 256.11, contains only 4 age-appropriate materials, and supports the student achievement 5 goals of the total school curriculum. 6 -4- LSB 2501HV (2) 90 jda/jh 4/ 4