House File 2458 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2458 BY GOSA , WILBURN , McBURNEY , MADISON , B. MEYER , and KRESSIG A BILL FOR An Act establishing the teacher and para-educator grant program 1 within the department of workforce development, and making 2 appropriations. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 6790YH (3) 91 jda/jh

H.F. 2458 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 84A.22 Teacher and para-educator 1 grant program. 2 1. The department of workforce development shall develop 3 and administer a teacher and para-educator grant program to 4 provide grants to all of the following individuals: 5 a. Individuals who are currently enrolled in a high school 6 in this state to offset the costs associated with obtaining 7 a para-educator certificate from the board of educational 8 examiners and an associate degree. 9 b. Individuals who currently hold a para-educator 10 certificate issued by the board of educational examiners to 11 offset the costs associated with obtaining a bachelor’s degree. 12 2. The department of workforce development, in consultation 13 with the department of education, shall adopt rules pursuant to 14 chapter 17A to administer this section. 15 3. a. A teacher and para-educator grant program fund 16 is established in the state treasury. The teacher and 17 para-educator grant program fund shall be administered by the 18 department of workforce development and shall consist of moneys 19 appropriated by the general assembly and other moneys received 20 by the department for deposit in the fund. The moneys in the 21 teacher and para-educator grant program fund are appropriated 22 to the department of workforce development for the teacher and 23 para-educator grant program. 24 b. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the teacher 25 and para-educator grant program fund at the close of the 26 fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for 27 expenditure for the teacher and para-educator grant program for 28 subsequent fiscal years. 29 c. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest 30 or earnings on moneys in the teacher and para-educator grant 31 program fund shall be credited to the fund. 32 Sec. 2. Section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph c, 33 subparagraph (2), subparagraph division (a), unnumbered 34 paragraph 1, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows: 35 -1- LSB 6790YH (3) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3

H.F. 2458 A student shall be credited a minimum of one week, but not 1 more than ten weeks, of prior work experience as a substitute 2 teacher or a para-educator, including prior experience under 3 the teacher and para-educator registered apprenticeship 4 grant program or the teacher and para-educator grant program 5 established pursuant to section 84A.22 , toward the requirements 6 associated with the fourteen-week student teaching experience, 7 if all of the following requirements are satisfied: 8 Sec. 3. DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT —— TEACHER 9 AND PARA-EDUCATOR GRANT PROGRAM. There is appropriated from 10 the general fund of the state to the department of workforce 11 development for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and 12 ending June 30, 2027, the following amount, or so much thereof 13 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated: 14 For deposit in the teacher and para-educator grant program 15 fund established pursuant to section 84A.22, if enacted: 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3,500,000 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 This bill establishes the teacher and para-educator grant 21 program within the department of workforce development. 22 The bill requires the department of workforce development 23 to develop and administer the teacher and para-educator 24 grant program to provide grants to two types of individuals: 25 individuals who are currently enrolled in a high school in 26 this state to offset the costs associated with obtaining 27 a para-educator certificate from the board of educational 28 examiners (BOEE) and an associate degree, and individuals who 29 currently hold a para-educator certificate issued by the BOEE 30 to offset the costs associated with obtaining a bachelor’s 31 degree. The bill requires the department of workforce 32 development, in consultation with the department of education, 33 to adopt rules to administer the teacher and para-educator 34 grant program. The bill appropriates $3.5 million from the 35 -2- LSB 6790YH (3) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3

H.F. 2458 general fund of the state to the department of workforce 1 development for FY 2026-2027 for purposes of the program. 2 Current law requires that a student be credited a minimum of 3 1 week, but not more than 10 weeks, of prior work experience as 4 a substitute teacher or para-educator toward the requirements 5 associated with the 14-week student teaching experience. The 6 bill provides that prior experience under the teacher and 7 para-educator grant program qualifies as such prior work 8 experience. 9 -3- LSB 6790YH (3) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3