Senate File 286 - Introduced SENATE FILE 286 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 72) A BILL FOR An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions 1 related to the national board certification pilot project 2 and establishing the advanced dyslexia specialist 3 endorsement competitive scholar program within the college 4 student aid commission, and including effective date 5 provisions. 6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 7 TLSB 1349SV (2) 91 jda/jh

S.F. 286 Section 1. Section 256.44, subsection 1, unnumbered 1 paragraph 1, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 A national board certification pilot project program is 3 established to be administered by the department of education. 4 A teacher, as defined in section 256.145 , who registers for or 5 achieves national board for professional teaching standards 6 certification, and who is employed by a school district in Iowa 7 and receiving a salary as a classroom teacher, may be eligible 8 for the following: 9 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 256.220A Advanced dyslexia specialist 10 endorsement competitive scholar program. 11 1. As used in this section: 12 a. “Commission” means the college student aid commission. 13 b. “Teacher” means an individual holding a practitioner’s 14 license issued by the board of educational examiners under part 15 3. 16 2. An advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive 17 scholar program is established to be administered by the 18 commission. The purpose of the advanced dyslexia specialist 19 endorsement competitive scholar program is to provide tuition 20 reimbursement to teachers to offset the costs associated with 21 obtaining an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement issued by 22 the board of educational examiners. 23 3. A teacher is eligible for the advanced dyslexia 24 specialist endorsement competitive scholar program if the 25 teacher is employed by a school district, accredited nonpublic 26 school, charter school, innovation zone school, or an area 27 education agency, and the teacher is working toward obtaining 28 an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement issued by the 29 board of educational examiners pursuant to section 256.146, 30 subsection 21. 31 4. Each applicant for tuition reimbursement under the 32 advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar 33 program shall, in accordance with the rules adopted by the 34 commission pursuant to subsection 8, do all of the following: 35 -1- LSB 1349SV (2) 91 jda/jh 1/ 5

S.F. 286 a. Complete and file an application for tuition 1 reimbursement. The applicant shall be responsible for 2 the prompt submission of any information required by the 3 commission. 4 b. File a new application and submit information as 5 required by the commission annually on the basis of which the 6 applicant’s eligibility for the renewed tuition reimbursement 7 will be evaluated and determined. 8 c. Complete and return, on a form approved by the 9 commission, an affidavit of practice verifying the applicant is 10 teaching in an Iowa school or an area education agency. 11 5. An individual shall be eligible for tuition 12 reimbursement under this section for not more than two years. 13 The total amount of tuition reimbursement provided to a 14 recipient under this section shall not exceed the recipient’s 15 total dyslexia specialist endorsement tuition costs. The 16 commission shall determine the number of individuals who 17 receive tuition reimbursement, and the tuition reimbursement 18 amounts provided to each individual, based on the number of 19 individuals who apply for tuition reimbursement under this 20 section and the funding available for tuition reimbursement. 21 6. An advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive 22 scholar program fund is established in the state treasury. The 23 fund shall be administered by the commission and shall consist 24 of moneys appropriated by the general assembly and other moneys 25 received by the commission for deposit in the fund. The moneys 26 in the fund are appropriated to the commission for the advanced 27 dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar program. 28 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund at the close 29 of the fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of 30 the state but shall remain available for expenditure for the 31 advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive scholar 32 program for subsequent fiscal years. Notwithstanding section 33 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund 34 shall be credited to the fund. 35 -2- LSB 1349SV (2) 91 jda/jh 2/ 5

S.F. 286 7. The commission shall incorporate into the annual report 1 submitted to the general assembly pursuant to section 256.177, 2 subsection 8, information related to the advanced dyslexia 3 specialist endorsement competitive scholar program, including 4 the number of individuals who received tuition reimbursement 5 pursuant to this section, where the recipients taught, the 6 amount paid to each recipient, and other information identified 7 by the commission as indicators of outcomes of the program. 8 8. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 9 to administer this section, including rules related to tuition 10 reimbursement application materials, eligibility requirements, 11 application evaluation criteria, and award criteria. 12 Sec. 3. Section 284.13, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 13 2025, is amended to read as follows: 14 a. (1) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and 15 ending June 30, 2025, to the department, the amount of five 16 hundred eight thousand two hundred fifty dollars for the 17 issuance of national board certification awards in accordance 18 with section 256.44 . Of the amount allocated under this 19 paragraph, not less than eighty-five thousand dollars shall 20 be used to administer the ambassador to education position in 21 accordance with section 256.45 . 22 (2) Notwithstanding section 8.33, funds appropriated 23 for purposes of this paragraph which remain unencumbered or 24 unobligated at the close of the fiscal year for which the funds 25 were appropriated shall not revert but shall be transferred 26 to the advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement competitive 27 scholar program fund established pursuant to section 256.220A, 28 if enacted. 29 Sec. 4. CODE EDITOR DIRECTIVE. The Code editor shall 30 designate section 256.220A, as enacted in this Act, as a new 31 section within chapter 256, subchapter VII, part 4, subpart 32 J, and may redesignate the preexisting subpart and correct 33 internal references as necessary, including references to 34 subpart headnotes. 35 -3- LSB 1349SV (2) 91 jda/jh 3/ 5

S.F. 286 Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate 1 importance, takes effect upon enactment. 2 EXPLANATION 3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 4 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 5 This bill relates to education, including by modifying 6 provisions related to the national board certification pilot 7 project and establishing the advanced dyslexia specialist 8 endorsement competitive scholar program within the college 9 student aid commission (CSAC). 10 Current law establishes a national board certification 11 pilot project, which is administered by the department of 12 education (DE). The project is a certification program that 13 is available to teachers and that provides financial awards to 14 those teachers if the teachers can achieve certification. The 15 bill changes the name of this project to the national board 16 certification program. 17 The bill provides that the advanced dyslexia specialist 18 endorsement competitive scholar program will provide tuition 19 reimbursement to teachers to offset the costs associated with 20 obtaining an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement issued by 21 the board of educational examiners. A teacher is eligible for 22 the program if the teacher is employed by a school district, 23 accredited nonpublic school, charter school, innovation zone 24 school, or an area education agency, and the teacher is working 25 toward obtaining an advanced dyslexia specialist endorsement. 26 The bill provides that an individual shall be eligible for 27 tuition reimbursement under the program for not more than 28 two years. The bill establishes the total amount of tuition 29 reimbursement that CSAC may provide to a recipient. 30 The bill establishes an advanced dyslexia specialist 31 endorsement competitive scholar program fund. The bill also 32 establishes reporting requirements for CSAC related to the 33 program. CSAC is required to adopt rules to administer the 34 program. 35 -4- LSB 1349SV (2) 91 jda/jh 4/ 5

S.F. 286 The bill provides that funds appropriated to DE for purposes 1 of the issuance of national board certification awards pursuant 2 to Code section 284.13(1)(a) for fiscal year 2025 that remain 3 unencumbered or unobligated at the close of that fiscal year 4 shall be transferred to the advanced dyslexia specialist 5 endorsement competitive scholar program fund. 6 The bill takes effect upon enactment. 7 -5- LSB 1349SV (2) 91 jda/jh 5/ 5