House File 166 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 166 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 32) A BILL FOR An Act relating to public schools, including requiring public 1 schools to display the national motto and the state motto 2 and to start each day of classroom instruction with silent 3 time. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1996HV (1) 91 jda/jh
H.F. 166 Section 1. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2025, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0r. Be subject to and comply with the 3 requirements of section 279.87 relating to the display of the 4 national motto and the state motto in the same manner as a 5 school district. 6 Sec. 2. Section 256E.7, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 7 following new subsection: 8 NEW SUBSECTION . 6A. A charter school shall start each day 9 of classroom instruction by allowing students two minutes of 10 silent time. 11 Sec. 3. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 12 by adding the following new paragraph: 13 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Be subject to and comply with the 14 requirements of section 279.87 relating to the display of the 15 national motto and the state motto in the same manner as a 16 school district. 17 Sec. 4. Section 256F.4, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 18 following new subsection: 19 NEW SUBSECTION . 5A. A charter school or innovation zone 20 school shall start each day of classroom instruction by 21 allowing students two minutes of silent time. 22 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 279.87 Display of national motto and 23 state motto. 24 The board of directors of a school district shall display 25 the national motto of the United States, established under 36 26 U.S.C. §302, and the state motto of Iowa, established under 27 section 1A.1, in the main entryway of each attendance center in 28 the school district or in another location within an attendance 29 center if the board of directors of the school district 30 determines that such location is more visible to students. 31 Sec. 6. Section 280.5, Code 2025, is amended to read as 32 follows: 33 280.5 Display of United States flag and Iowa state flag —— 34 silent time —— pledge of allegiance. 35 -1- LSB 1996HV (1) 91 jda/jh 1/ 2
H.F. 166 1. The board of directors of each public school district 1 and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school shall 2 provide and maintain a suitable flagstaff on each school site 3 under its control, and the United States flag and the Iowa 4 state flag shall be raised on all school days when weather 5 conditions are suitable. 6 2. The board of directors of each public school district 7 shall administer the pledge of allegiance in grades one through 8 twelve each school day. Immediately prior to the recitation 9 of the pledge of allegiance, each student shall be allowed two 10 minutes of silent time. Each classroom in which the pledge of 11 allegiance is recited pursuant to this subsection shall display 12 the United States flag during the recitation. A student shall 13 not be compelled against the student’s objections or those of 14 the student’s parent or guardian to recite the pledge. 15 EXPLANATION 16 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 17 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 18 This bill relates to public schools, including requiring 19 public schools to display the national motto and the state 20 motto and to start each day of classroom instruction with 21 silent time. 22 The bill requires school districts, charter schools, and 23 innovation zone schools to display the national motto of the 24 United States and the state motto of Iowa in the main entryway 25 of each attendance center or in another location within an 26 attendance center if the school determines that such location 27 is more visible to students. 28 Current law requires school districts to administer the 29 pledge of allegiance in grades 1 through 12 each day. The 30 bill provides that, immediately prior to the recitation of 31 the pledge of allegiance, each student shall be allowed two 32 minutes of silent time. The bill also requires charter schools 33 and innovation zone schools to start each day of classroom 34 instruction by allowing students two minutes of silent time. 35 -2- LSB 1996HV (1) 91 jda/jh 2/ 2