The NICHE Spotlight on the Iowa Legislature: A Toolbox for Iowa Home Educators
Justin LaVan, NICHE Legislative Committee Chair
Here are the bills from the 2011 Iowa Legislature that NICHE is actively monitoring:
Bill Gustoff, NICHE Iowa Legislative Liaison
HF 116 - Compulsory School Attendance Age An act relating to the compulsory school attendance age, a
driver's license penalty for failure to attend, and including effective date
provisions.
Sponsors: Rep. Jorgensen & Rep. Iverson Bill Summary: Thisbillraisesthecompulsoryschoolattendanceagefrom16to18.ThebillmakesacorrespondingchangetoCodesection299.1Btoprovidethatapersonwhoreachesage18afterSeptember15isineligibleforarestrictedorfulllicenseuntiltheendoftheregularschoolcalendar.Thebillauthorizesthesuperintendentofaschooldistrictortheadministratorofanaccreditednonpublicschooltowaivethecompulsoryattendancerequirementforastudentwhohasreachedtheageof16ifthestudent,thestudent'sparentorlegalguardian,andthesuperintendentoradministrator,asappropriate,agreeinwritingthatitisinthebestinterestofthestudentthatthestudentnotberequiredtoattendschool.Ifthecompulsoryattendancerequirementsarewaivedforastudent,theprovisionsofthechapter,includingprovisionsrelatingtotruancyandlossofdrivinglicenseprivileges,shallnotapplytothestudent.Thebillincludestechnicalamendmentstoeliminateareferencetothecompulsoryattendanceageforpurposesofdualenrollment. Current Bill History:
Passed by Subcommittee, Jorgensen, Hanson, and Koester.
H.J. 189.
Current NICHE Declaration on HF 116: AGAINST
HF 275 - Compulsory School Attendance Age
An Act relating to the compulsory school attendance age, a driver's
license penalty for failure to attend, and school district dropout
prevention measures, and including effective date provisions. Sponsor: Rep. Murphy Bill Summary: Thisbillraisesthecompulsoryschoolattendanceagefrom16to18.Thebillrequireseachschooldistricttomakeeveryefforttopreventstudentsfromdroppingoutofschool,andtoalignandmaximizefundingstreamsthatmaybeusedtosupportstudentswhohavethepotentialtodropoutofschool.ThebillmakesacorrespondingchangetoCodesection299.1Btoprovidethatapersonwhoreachesage18afterSeptember15isineligibleforarestrictedorfulllicenseuntiltheendoftheregularschoolcalendar.Thebillincludestechnicalamendmentstoeliminateareferencetothecompulsoryattendanceageforpurposesofdualenrollment.ThebillmayincludeastatemandateasdefinedinCodesection25B.3.ThebillrequiresthatthestatecostofanystatemandateincludedinthebillbepaidbyaschooldistrictfromstateschoolfoundationaidreceivedbytheschooldistrictunderCodesection257.16.Thespecificationisdeemedtoconstitutestatecompliancewithanystatemandatefunding-relatedrequirementsofCodesection25B.2.Theinclusionofthisspecificationisintendedtoreinstatetherequirementofpoliticalsubdivisionstocomplywithanystatemandatesincludedinthebill. Current Bill History:
Subcommittee, L. Miller, Forristall, and Willems.
H.J. 331.
Current NICHE Declaration on HF 275: AGAINST
HF 160 - Parent-Taught Driver Education: An Act concerning driver education instruction by a teaching parent. Sponsors: Hagenow, Winschitl, Watts, Lukan, De Boef, Huseman, Dolecheck, Doester, Fry, Pearson, Massie, Schultz, Alons, Forristall, Tjepkes, Hanusa Bill Summary: This bill allows a parent, guardian, or legal custodian who is providing competent private instruction to a student to teach the student driver education, provided the person has a valid driver's license that permits unaccompanied driving and has a clear driving record for the previous two years. The classroom instruction requirements for the alternative course of instruction are substantially the same as for an approved course of instruction offered by a public school district or private or commercial driver education school, with additional requirements for 40, rather than 20, hours of street or highway driving including night driving. the course of instruction must be a course approved by the department of transportation by rule and utilize driver education materials that meet or exceed standards established for driver education courses approved for public or private schools. A list of approved courses is to be posted on the transportation department's website. In order for the student to qualify for an intermediate driver's license, the teaching parent is required to document substantial compliance with the driver education course requirements and furnish an affidavit attesting to the student's satisfactory completion of the course work and street or highway driving to the department of education. Current Bill History:
Subcommittee, Pearson, Byrnes, and Hanson.
H.J. 276.
Current NICHE Declaration on HF 160: FOR
SF 146 - Parent-Taught Driver Education:
An Act concerning driver education instruction by a teaching parent.
Sponsor: Dandekar Bill Summary: [See HF 160 above] Current Bill History:
Subcommittee, Danielson, Bowman, and Zaun.
S.J. 272.
Current NICHE Declaration on HF 160: FOR
HSB 147 - Independent Private Instruction An Act relating to the establishment of an independent private instruction option for students of compulsory attendance age. Sponsor: Proposed Committee on Education Bill by Chairperson Forristall Bill Summary: ThisbillestablishesundertheCodechaptergoverningprivateinstructionanoptionforindependentprivateinstruction.Underthebill,"independentprivateinstruction"meansinstructionthatisnotaccredited;enrollsnotmorethanfourunrelatedstudents;doesnotchargetuition,fees,orotherremunerationforinstruction;providesprivateorreligious-basedinstructionasitsprimarypurpose;providesenrolledstudentswithinstructioninmathematics,readingandlanguagearts,science,andsocialstudies;provides,uponwrittenrequestfromthesuperintendentoftheschooldistrictinwhichtheindependentprivateinstructionisprovidedorfromthedirectorofthedepartmentofeducation,areportidentifyingtheprimaryinstructor,location,nameoftheauthorityresponsiblefortheindependentprivateinstruction,andthenamesofthestudentsenrolled;isnotanonpublicschoolandisdistinctfromcompetentprivateinstructionasdefinedinCodechapter299A(2);andisexemptfromallstatestatutesandadministrativerulesapplicabletoaschool,aschoolboard,oraschooldistrict,exceptasotherwiseprovidedinCodechapters299and299A,relatingtocompulsoryeducationandprivateinstruction.Studentswhoarereceivingindependentprivateinstructionareallowedtoaccessthedistrict-to-communitycollegesharingorconcurrentenrollmentprogramthroughtheschooldistrictinwhichtheprivateinstitutionislocated.Studentswhoreceiveindependentprivateinstructionarenotdeemedtruantunlesstheyfailtoattendtheindependentprivateinstruction.Atruancyofficermaytakeintocustodywithoutwarrantanyapparentlytruantchildandplacethechildenrolledinindependentprivateinstructioninthechargeoftheauthorityprovidingindependentprivateinstructiondesignatedbytheparent,guardian,orlegaloractualcustodian.Codesection299.12,whichprovidesforattendancecooperationmeetingsandagreements,isinapplicabletoachildreceivingindependentprivateinstruction.Personalinformationinrecordsregardingachildreceivingindependentprivateinstructionthataremaintained,created,collected,orassembledbyorforastateagency,shallbekeptconfidentialinthesamemanneraspersonalinformationinstudentrecordsmaintained,created,collected,orassembledbyorforaschoolcorporationoreducationalinstitution.Thepublicschooldistrictinwhichastudentreceivesindependentprivateinstructionshallofferormakeavailabletothestudentanapprovedcourseindrivereducation.AstudentreceivingindependentprivateinstructionisnotrequiredtomeetthecompetentprivateinstructionrequirementsofCodechapter299A,suchasannualachievementevaluationsandrequirementsestablishingconsequencesforfailuretomakeadequateprogress,noraretheyeligibletoparticipateindualenrollmentandthehomeschoolassistanceprogram.Achildidentifiedasrequiringspecialeducationiseligibleforplacementundercompetentprivateinstruction,butnotifthe child is under independent private instruction. Current Bill History:
February 22, 2011
Date Recorded
February 22, 2011
Education: Forristall Chair,Byrnes, and Mascher.
February 28, 2011
11:00AM; House Lobbyist Lounge Education.
Current NICHE Declaration on HSB 147: FOR
SF 160 - Independent Private Instruction An Act relating to the establishment of an independent private instruction option for students of compulsory attendance age. Sponsor: Feenstra Bill Summary: [See summary for HSB 147 above] Current Bill History:
Subcommittee, Dvorsky, Feenstra, and Hogg.
S.J. 252.
Current NICHE Declaration on SF 160: FOR SF 190 Direction of Education for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Children An Act providing for a deaf and hard-of-hearing children's educational bill of rights. Sponsor: Sodders HSLDA Bill Summary: Parents have the right to direct the education of their children, but SF 190 appears to give the power of choice of education to the child himself. And we know from experience that when a law gives rights to children without clearly making parents the custodian of those rights, government agents are empowered to usurp the role of parents and claim the power to decide what the child really wants or needs. Although the bill ostensibly gives rights to children, in fact it takes rights away from parents. For example, one part of the bill gives deaf children the right to "recess, lunch...and ...social" activities. This sounds like a back door way to prevent any parent from ever homeschooling his deaf child. Current Bill History:
Subcommittee, Sodders, Beall, and Boettger.
S.J. 282.
Current NICHE Declaration on SF 190: AGAINST SSB 1163 CPI Student Eligibility for Senior Year Plus An Act relating to the demonstration of proficiency by students receiving private instruction for purposes of senior year plus program eligibility. Sponsors: Committee on Education Bill by Chairperson Quirmbach Bill Summary: ThisbillprovidesthatastudentwhoisreceivingcompetentprivateinstructionmaydemonstratetheproficiencyrequiredtoensurestudentreadinessforpostsecondarycourseworkunderthesenioryearplusprogrameligibilityrequirementsbyprovidingevidencethatthestudentachievedacompositeACTscoreofatleast21,asumoftheSATcriticalreadingandmathematicsscoresofatleast990,oraPSATselectionindexof141.ThebillalsoprovidesthatifastudenthasnottakentheACT,PSAT,orSAT,orhasnotachievedtherequiredminimumscores,theschoolboardmayestablishalternativebut equivalentqualifyingperformancemeasures,includingbutnotlimitedtoadditionaladministrationsofthestateassessment,portfoliosofstudentwork,studentperformancerubric,orend-of-courseassessments. Current Bill History:
February 28, 2011
Date Recorded
February 28, 2011
Education: Quirmbach Chair,Hamerlinck, and Bowman.
March 1, 2011
12:00PM; Senate Lobbyist Lounge Education.
March 2, 2011
Voted - Education.
Current NICHE Declaration on SSB 1163: AGAINST HF 115 Child Custody & Educational Setting An Act relating to considering the educational setting of a minor child in a child custody proceeding. Sponsor: Hagenow Bill Summary: Thisbillprovidesthatindeterminingtemporaryorfinalcustodyordersforaminorchild,thecourtistoconsidertheeducationalsettingofanyminorchild.Thebillprovidesthatthereisarebuttablepresumptionthatitisinthebestinterestoftheminorchildtoremainintheeducationalsettinginwhichtheminorchildwasenrolledduringtheschoolyearimmediatelyprecedingoratthetimeofentryofthetemporaryorfinalcustodyorder. Current Bill History:
Serving Families Homeschooling in Iowa - Since 1992 Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators - Box 158, Dexter, IA, 50070 - (515) 830-1614 - (800) 723-0438 in Iowa
