House File 316 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 316 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 44) A BILL FOR An Act relating to career education, including middle school 1 career exploration and industry-recognized credential seals 2 and certificates for high school students. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1461HV (1) 91 jda/jh

H.F. 316 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 69. a. Develop and make available on 3 the department’s internet site a list of industry-recognized 4 credentials or certifications that are attainable by students 5 enrolled in grades nine through twelve and that are aligned 6 with career and technical education service areas. 7 b. Develop and distribute to school districts a seal 8 aligned to the list of industry-recognized credentials or 9 certifications described in paragraph “a” to be affixed to high 10 school transcripts or certificates pursuant to section 279.87. 11 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, Code 2025, are 12 amended to read as follows: 13 3. a. The All of the following areas shall be taught in 14 grades one through six: 15 (1) English-language arts , social . 16 (2) Social studies , mathematics, science, health, physical . 17 (3) Mathematics. 18 (4) Science. 19 (5) Health. The health curriculum shall include the 20 characteristics of communicable diseases. 21 (6) Physical education , traffic . 22 (7) Traffic safety , music, visual . 23 (8) Music. 24 (9) Visual art , and, subject . 25 (10) Subject to section 279.80 , age-appropriate and 26 research-based human growth and development. 27 (11) In grades five and six, career planning and pathways. 28 The career planning and pathways curriculum shall include 29 career investigation, career connections, and career intentions 30 to help such students understand career opportunities in order 31 to fully utilize the individualized career and academic plan 32 developed pursuant to section 279.61. 33 b. Computer science instruction incorporating the standards 34 established under section 256.7, subsection 26 , paragraph 35 -1- LSB 1461HV (1) 91 jda/jh 1/ 5

H.F. 316 “a” , subparagraph (4), shall be offered in at least one grade 1 level commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2023. 2 The health curriculum shall include the characteristics of 3 communicable diseases. 4 c. The state board as part of accreditation standards shall 5 adopt curriculum definitions for implementing the elementary 6 program. 7 4. a. The All of the following shall be taught in grades 8 seven and eight: 9 (1) English-language arts ; social . 10 (2) Social studies, including instruction related to 11 civics ; mathematics; science; health; . 12 (3) Mathematics. 13 (4) Science. 14 (5) Health. The health curriculum shall include 15 age-appropriate and research-based information regarding the 16 characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. 17 (6) Age-appropriate and research-based human growth and 18 development ; career . 19 (7) Career instruction, exploration , and development ; 20 physical , which shall include career investigation, career 21 connections, and career intentions. 22 (8) Physical education ; music; and visual . 23 (9) Music. 24 (10) Visual art. 25 b. Computer science instruction incorporating the standards 26 established under section 256.7, subsection 26 , paragraph “a” , 27 subparagraph (4), shall be offered in at least one grade level 28 commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career 29 exploration and development shall be designed so that students 30 are appropriately prepared to create an individual career 31 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 32 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 33 with the six career and technical education service areas as 34 defined in subsection 5 , paragraph “h” , incorporate relevant 35 -2- LSB 1461HV (1) 91 jda/jh 2/ 5

H.F. 316 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness, 1 and introduce students to career opportunities within the 2 local community and across this state. The health curriculum 3 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 4 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. 5 c. The state board as part of accreditation standards shall 6 adopt curriculum definitions for implementing the program in 7 grades seven and eight. However, this 8 d. This subsection shall not apply to the teaching of career 9 instruction, exploration , and development in nonpublic schools. 10 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 279.87 Industry-recognized credentials 11 or certifications —— recognition. 12 1. A school district shall report to the department of 13 education the identity of a student enrolled in the school 14 district who attains an industry-recognized credential or 15 certification that is aligned to the student’s career and 16 technical education program of study and that is on the list 17 described in section 256.9, subsection 69, paragraph “a” , and 18 the specific credential or certification the student attained. 19 The report shall be confidential and shall not be a public 20 record subject to disclosure under chapter 22. 21 2. A school district shall recognize high school graduates 22 who, prior to graduation, have attained an industry-recognized 23 credential or certification that is aligned to the student’s 24 career and technical education program of study and that is on 25 the list described in section 256.9, subsection 69, paragraph 26 “a” , by doing one of the following: 27 a. Affixing the seal described in section 256.9, subsection 28 69, paragraph “b” , to the student’s high school transcript. 29 b. Providing the student with a certificate to which the 30 seal described in section 256.9, subsection 69, paragraph “b” , 31 is affixed. 32 Sec. 4. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 33 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 34 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 35 -3- LSB 1461HV (1) 91 jda/jh 3/ 5

H.F. 316 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 1 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 2 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 3 to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of 4 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding 5 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act 6 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school 7 districts. 8 EXPLANATION 9 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 10 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 11 This bill relates to career education, including middle 12 school career exploration and industry-recognized credential 13 seals and certificates for high school students. 14 The bill requires the director of the department of 15 education (DE) to develop and make available on DE’s 16 internet site a list of industry-recognized credentials 17 or certifications that are attainable by students enrolled 18 in grades 9 through 12 and that are aligned with career 19 and technical education service areas. The director must 20 also develop and distribute to school districts a seal that 21 is aligned to the list. The bill establishes that school 22 districts are to report to DE information related to students 23 who attain an industry-recognized credential or certification 24 that is aligned to the student’s career and technical education 25 program of study and that is on the list. School districts 26 must also recognize high school graduates who, prior to 27 graduation, have attained an industry-recognized credential 28 or certification that is aligned to the student’s career and 29 technical education program of study and that is on the list by 30 either affixing the seal developed by the director of DE to the 31 student’s high school transcript or by providing the student 32 with a certificate to which the seal is affixed. 33 The bill modifies provisions related to the instruction 34 provided to students enrolled in grades five and six to require 35 -4- LSB 1461HV (1) 91 jda/jh 4/ 5

H.F. 316 instruction related to career planning and pathways, which 1 shall include career investigation, career connections, and 2 career intentions. 3 The bill modifies provisions related to the career 4 exploration and development curriculum provided to students 5 enrolled in grades seven and eight by requiring the provision 6 of a career instruction, exploration, and development 7 curriculum, which shall include career investigation, career 8 connections, and career intentions. 9 The bill makes nonsubstantive, stylistic changes to Code 10 section 256.11(3) and (4), which describe the subjects that 11 must be taught to students enrolled in grades one through 12 eight. 13 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 14 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of 15 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 16 district from state school foundation aid received by the 17 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 18 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 19 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 20 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 21 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 22 mandates included in the bill. 23 -5- LSB 1461HV (1) 91 jda/jh 5/ 5