House File 2192 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2192 BY DIEKEN and FETT A BILL FOR An Act relating to bond election requirements and limitations 1 applicable to school districts. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5527YH (4) 91 mb/md

H.F. 2192 Section 1. Section 75.1, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 1. a. When a proposition to authorize an issuance of 3 bonds by a county, township, school corporation that is not a 4 school district , city, or by any local board or commission, is 5 submitted to the electors, such proposition shall not be deemed 6 carried or adopted, anything in the statutes to the contrary 7 notwithstanding, unless the vote in favor of such authorization 8 is equal to at least sixty percent of the total vote cast for 9 and against said proposition at said election. All elections 10 on such proposition shall be held on the date specified in 11 section 39.2, subsection 4 , paragraph “d” . 12 b. When a proposition to authorize an issuance of bonds by a 13 school district is submitted to the electors, such proposition 14 shall not be deemed carried or adopted, anything in the 15 statutes to the contrary notwithstanding, unless the vote in 16 favor of such authorization is equal to at least eighty percent 17 of the total vote cast for and against said proposition at said 18 election. All elections on such proposition shall be held on 19 the date specified in section 39.2, subsection 4, paragraph 20 “d” . When a proposition to authorize an issuance of bonds by 21 a school district has been submitted to the electors under 22 this subsection and the proposal fails to gain approval by the 23 required percentage of votes, another proposal submitted to 24 the electors under this subsection on or after July 1, 2026, 25 shall not be submitted to the electors for a period of four 26 years from the date of such failed regular or special election 27 and may only be submitted on a date specified in section 39.2, 28 subsection 4, paragraph “d” . 29 Sec. 2. Section 296.3, Code 2026, is amended to read as 30 follows: 31 296.3 Election called. 32 1. Within ten days of receipt of a petition filed under 33 section 296.2 , the president of the board of directors shall 34 call a meeting of the board. The meeting shall be held within 35 -1- LSB 5527YH (4) 91 mb/md 1/ 3

H.F. 2192 thirty days after the petition was received. At the meeting, 1 the board shall call the election, fixing the time of the 2 election as required by section 39.2, subsection 4 , paragraph 3 “d” . However, if the board determines by unanimous vote that 4 the proposition or propositions requested by a petition to be 5 submitted at an election are grossly unrealistic or contrary 6 to the needs of the school district, no election shall be 7 called. If more than one petition has been received by the 8 time the board meets to consider the petition triggering the 9 meeting, the board shall act upon the petitions in the order 10 they were received at the meeting called to consider the 11 initial petition. The decision of the board may be appealed to 12 the state board of education as provided in chapter 290 . The 13 president shall notify the county commissioner of elections of 14 the time of the election. 15 2. Before calling an election under this section, the board 16 of directors of a school district shall designate and deposit 17 in one or more funds of the school district an amount equal to 18 or greater than fifty percent of the total cost of the project 19 or purpose for which the bonds are proposed to be issued. The 20 amount so deposited and designated shall be used solely for 21 the project or purpose unless the proposition of issuing the 22 bonds fails at election or the proposal to issue the bonds is 23 abandoned by the board of directors. 24 Sec. 3. Section 296.6, Code 2026, is amended to read as 25 follows: 26 296.6 Bonds. 27 If the vote in favor of the issuance of such bonds is equal 28 to at least sixty percent of the total vote cast for and 29 against said proposition at said election meets the applicable 30 vote requirement under section 75.1 , the board of directors 31 shall issue the same and make provision for payment thereof. 32 EXPLANATION 33 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 34 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 35 -2- LSB 5527YH (4) 91 mb/md 2/ 3

H.F. 2192 This bill makes changes relating to election requirements 1 and limitations for the issuance of bonds by a school district. 2 The bill requires that a proposition to authorize the 3 issuance of bonds by a school district receive the affirmative 4 vote of at least 80 percent of the total votes cast for and 5 against the proposition at the election. The bill retains 6 the existing requirement that propositions to authorize the 7 issuance of bonds by a county, city, school corporation that 8 is not a school district, township, or other local board or 9 commission receive the affirmative vote of at least 60 percent 10 of the total votes cast for and against the proposition. 11 Under the bill, if a school district submits a bond 12 proposition under Code section 75.1 that fails to gain approval 13 of the voters, the school district is then prohibited from 14 submitting another bond proposal to voters for a period of four 15 years. 16 As a condition of and prior to calling an election for the 17 issuance of bonds under Code chapter 296, the bill requires the 18 school district to designate and deposit in one or more funds 19 of the school district an amount equal to or greater than 50 20 percent of the total cost of the project or purpose for which 21 the bonds are proposed to be issued. The amount so deposited 22 and designated shall be used solely for the project or purpose 23 unless the proposition of issuing the bonds fails at election 24 or the proposal to issue bonds is abandoned by the school 25 board. 26 The bill makes a corresponding change in Code section 296.6. 27 -3- LSB 5527YH (4) 91 mb/md 3/ 3