Senate
Study
Bill
3092
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
EDUCATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
ROZENBOOM)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
authorizing
school
districts,
charter
schools,
and
1
innovation
zone
schools
to
employ
chaplains,
or
engage
2
volunteer
chaplains,
to
provide
services
to
students.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
Section
256E.7,
subsection
1,
Code
2024,
is
1
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
2
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
j.
Employ
chaplains,
or
engage
chaplains
to
3
serve
without
compensation
or
remuneration,
in
the
same
manner
4
as
a
school
district
under
section
279.84.
5
Sec.
2.
Section
256F.4,
Code
2024,
is
amended
by
adding
the
6
following
new
subsection:
7
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
9.
A
charter
school
or
innovation
zone
8
school
may
employ
chaplains,
or
engage
chaplains
to
serve
9
without
compensation
or
remuneration,
in
the
same
manner
as
a
10
school
district
under
section
279.84.
11
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
279.84
School
chaplains.
12
1.
The
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
may
employ
a
13
chaplain,
or
engage
a
chaplain
to
serve
without
compensation
or
14
remuneration,
to
provide
support,
services,
and
programs
for
15
students
as
assigned
by
the
board
of
directors
of
the
school
16
district.
17
2.
The
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
shall
not
18
require
a
chaplain
employed
or
engaged
under
this
section
to
19
have
a
license,
endorsement,
certification,
authorization,
or
20
statement
of
recognition
issued
by
the
board
of
educational
21
examiners.
22
3.
The
procedure
for
background
investigations
and
23
termination
established
in
section
279.69
shall
apply
to
24
chaplains
employed
or
engaged
under
this
section.
25
4.
The
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
shall
not
26
require
or
coerce
a
student
to
utilize
the
support,
services,
27
or
programs
provided
by
a
chaplain
who
is
employed
or
engaged
28
by
the
board
of
directors
of
the
school
district
pursuant
to
29
this
section.
30
EXPLANATION
31
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
32
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
33
This
bill
authorizes
school
districts,
charter
schools,
34
and
innovation
zone
schools
to
employ
chaplains,
or
engage
35
-1-
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5517XC
(1)
90
jda/jh
1/
2
S.F.
_____
volunteer
chaplains,
to
provide
support,
services,
and
programs
1
for
students.
The
bill
provides
that
such
chaplains
are
2
not
required
to
have
a
license,
endorsement,
certification,
3
authorization,
or
statement
of
recognition
issued
by
the
board
4
of
educational
examiners.
The
bill
requires
school
districts,
5
charter
schools,
and
innovation
zone
schools
to
follow
the
6
background
investigation
and
termination
procedures
established
7
under
Code
section
279.69
when
employing
chaplains
or
engaging
8
volunteer
chaplains.
The
bill
prohibits
school
districts,
9
charter
schools,
and
innovation
zone
schools
from
requiring
10
or
coercing
a
student
to
utilize
the
support,
services,
or
11
programs
provided
by
a
chaplain.
12
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