Senate File 2218 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2218 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3015) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the verification of the identity and 1 employment eligibility of individuals by the board of 2 educational examiners, school districts, accredited 3 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone 4 schools, and including applicability provisions. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 5046SV (1) 91 jda/jh

S.F. 2218 Section 1. Section 256.146, subsection 16, Code 2026, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 16. a. Adopt rules to require that a background 3 investigation be conducted by the division of criminal 4 investigation of the department of public safety on all initial 5 applicants for licensure. The board shall also require all 6 initial applicants to submit a completed fingerprint packet and 7 shall use the packet to facilitate a national criminal history 8 background check. 9 b. The board shall have access to, and shall review the 10 sex offender registry information under section 692A.121 11 available to the general public, information in the Iowa court 12 information system available to the general public, the central 13 registry for child abuse information established under chapter 14 235A , and the dependent adult abuse records maintained under 15 chapter 235B for information regarding applicants for license 16 renewal and, every five years, for practitioners who are not 17 subject to renewal requirements pursuant to subsection 1 , 18 paragraph “a” , subparagraph (2). The board may charge such 19 a practitioner who is not subject to renewal requirements a 20 reasonable fee for the review of the sex offender registry 21 information, information in the Iowa court information system, 22 the central registry for child abuse information, and the 23 dependent adult abuse records. 24 c. (1) The board shall require all initial applicants for 25 licensure, including individuals who apply for a license under 26 section 256.152, and all applicants for license renewal, to 27 produce evidence of the applicant’s lawful presence in the 28 United States as a condition of initial licensure or license 29 renewal. The board shall accept as proof of an applicant’s 30 lawful presence any of the following: 31 (a) A document that establishes both employment 32 authorization and identity, as described in 8 U.S.C. 33 §1324a(b)(1)(B). 34 (b) A document that evidences employment authorization, 35 -1- LSB 5046SV (1) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3

S.F. 2218 as described in 8 U.S.C. §1324a(b)(1)(C), and a document that 1 establishes the identity of the applicant, as described in 8 2 U.S.C. §1324a(b)(1)(D). 3 (2) The board shall require all practitioners who are not 4 subject to renewal requirements pursuant to subsection 1, 5 paragraph “a” , subparagraph (2), to produce evidence of the 6 practitioner’s lawful presence in the United States every five 7 years as a condition of remaining licensed. The board shall 8 accept as proof of a practitioner’s lawful presence any of the 9 following: 10 (a) A document that establishes both employment 11 authorization and identity, as described in 8 U.S.C. 12 §1324a(b)(1)(B). 13 (b) A document that evidences employment authorization, 14 as described in 8 U.S.C. §1324a(b)(1)(C), and a document that 15 establishes the identity of the practitioner, as described in 8 16 U.S.C. §1324a(b)(1)(D). 17 Sec. 2. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended 18 by adding the following new paragraph: 19 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0w. Be subject to and comply with the 20 requirements of section 280.37 relating to the verification of 21 the identity and employment eligibility of all individuals who 22 have accepted an offer of employment in the same manner as a 23 school district. 24 Sec. 3. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended 25 by adding the following new paragraph: 26 NEW PARAGRAPH . v. Be subject to and comply with the 27 requirements of section 280.37 relating to the verification of 28 the identity and employment eligibility of all individuals who 29 have accepted an offer of employment in the same manner as a 30 school district. 31 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 280.37 Verification of identity and 32 eligibility to work in the United States. 33 The board of directors of each school district and the 34 authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school 35 -2- LSB 5046SV (1) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3

S.F. 2218 shall verify the identity and employment eligibility of 1 all individuals who have accepted an offer of employment in 2 accordance with 8 U.S.C. §1324a. 3 Sec. 5. APPLICABILITY. The following applies to all 4 applications for initial licensure, and all applications for 5 license renewal, that are submitted to the board of educational 6 examiners on or after the effective date of this Act: 7 The section of this Act amending section 256.146. 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 the verification of the identity 12 and employment eligibility of individuals by the board of 13 educational examiners (BOEE), school districts, accredited 14 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone 15 schools. 16 The bill requires the BOEE to require all initial applicants 17 for licensure and all applicants for license renewal to 18 produce evidence of the applicant’s lawful presence in the 19 United States as a condition of initial licensure or license 20 renewal. These requirements apply to all applications for 21 initial licensure, and all applications for license renewal, 22 that are submitted to the BOEE on or after the effective date 23 of the bill. Practitioners who are not subject to license 24 renewal requirements are required to produce evidence of the 25 practitioner’s lawful presence in the United States every 26 five years as a condition of remaining licensed. The bill 27 establishes the documents that the BOEE will accept as proof of 28 an applicant’s or practitioner’s lawful presence. 29 The bill requires the board of directors of each school 30 district, the authorities in charge of each accredited 31 nonpublic school, and the governing board of each charter 32 school and innovation zone school to verify the identity and 33 employment eligibility of all individuals who have accepted an 34 offer of employment in accordance with federal law. 35 -3- LSB 5046SV (1) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3