Senate File 485 - Introduced SENATE FILE 485 BY WEINER , QUIRMBACH , PETERSEN , KNOX , BISIGNANO , WAHLS , TRONE GARRIOTT , BLAKE , ZIMMER , DOTZLER , DONAHUE , WINCKLER , BENNETT , TOWNSEND , CELSI , and STAED A BILL FOR An Act establishing requirements related to nonpublic schools 1 that receive tuition payments from parents or guardians 2 whose students are participating in the education savings 3 account program. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 2859XS (3) 91 jda/jh

S.F. 485 Section 1. Section 257.11B, subsection 1, paragraph b, 1 subparagraph (1), Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 (1) “Qualified educational expenses” includes tuition 3 and fees at a nonpublic school that is in compliance with 4 subsection 12 , textbooks, fees or payments for educational 5 therapies, including tutoring or cognitive skills training, 6 curriculum fees, software, and materials for a course of 7 study for a specific subject matter or grade level, tuition 8 or fees for nonpublic online education programs, tuition for 9 vocational and life skills education approved by the department 10 of education, education materials and services for pupils with 11 disabilities from an accredited provider, including the cost of 12 paraprofessionals and assistants who are trained in accordance 13 with state law, standardized test fees, and advanced placement 14 examinations or examinations related to postsecondary education 15 admission or credentialing. 16 Sec. 2. Section 257.11B, subsection 10, paragraph a, Code 17 2025, is amended to read as follows: 18 a. This section shall not be construed to authorize the 19 state or any political subdivision of the state to exercise 20 authority over any nonpublic school or construed to require a 21 nonpublic school to modify its academic standards for admission 22 or educational program in order to receive payment from a 23 parent or guardian using funds from a pupil’s account in the 24 education savings account fund. 25 Sec. 3. Section 257.11B, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 26 following new subsection: 27 NEW SUBSECTION . 12. A nonpublic school shall not receive 28 tuition payments from parents or guardians whose students 29 are participating in the education savings account program 30 unless the nonpublic school satisfies all of the following 31 requirements: 32 a. The governing body of the nonpublic school must adhere to 33 the accountability and transparency requirements applicable to 34 the boards of directors of school districts in the same manner 35 -1- LSB 2859XS (3) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3

S.F. 485 as the boards of directors of school districts. 1 b. The nonpublic school must adhere to the data reporting 2 requirements applicable to school districts in the same manner 3 as a school district. 4 c. The nonpublic school must adhere to the accreditation 5 standards applicable to school districts that are currently 6 accredited by the department of education, including standards 7 related to courses offered and taught by the nonpublic school, 8 in the same manner as a school district. 9 d. The nonpublic school must adhere to the teacher 10 employment and teacher licensing requirements applicable to 11 school districts in the same manner as a school district. 12 EXPLANATION 13 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 14 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 15 This bill establishes requirements related to nonpublic 16 schools that receive tuition payments from parents or guardians 17 whose students are participating in the education savings 18 account program. 19 Current Code section 257.11B establishes the education 20 savings account program, which allows for payments to be 21 made to parents and guardians for the payment of qualified 22 educational expenses. Current law defines “qualified 23 educational expenses” to include tuition and fees at a 24 nonpublic school. The bill modifies the definition of 25 “qualified educational expenses” for purposes of the education 26 savings account program to provide that the nonpublic school 27 must adhere to all of the following: the accountability and 28 transparency requirements applicable to the boards of directors 29 of school districts, the data reporting requirements applicable 30 to school districts, the accreditation standards applicable 31 to school districts, and the teacher employment and teacher 32 licensing requirements applicable to school districts. 33 The bill strikes a provision of Code section 257.11B that 34 prohibits the Code section from being construed to authorize 35 -2- LSB 2859XS (3) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3

S.F. 485 the state or any political subdivision of the state to require 1 a nonpublic school to modify the nonpublic school’s educational 2 program in order to receive payment from a parent or guardian 3 using funds from a pupil’s account in the education savings 4 account fund. 5 -3- LSB 2859XS (3) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3