# Iowa HF 2754: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to charter school approval, contracts, funding, and operations, services provided to charter schools by area education agencies, charter school student participation in extracurricular activities provided by public schools, the Iowa public employees’ retirement system, education savings accounts, independent accreditation, teacher training and licensure, the statewide voluntary preschool program, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, open enrollment, school tuition organizations, private instruction, and innovation zone schools; making appropriations; and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly HF 2713, HSB 735.) Effective date: 05/12/2026. Applicability date: 07/01/2026.

Iowa HF 2754, A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to charter school approval, contracts, funding, and operations, services provided to charter schools by area education agencies, charter school student participation in extracurricular activities provided by public schools, the Iowa public employees’ retirement system, education savings accounts, independent accreditation, teacher training and licensure, the statewide voluntary preschool program, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, open enrollment, school tuition organizations, private instruction, and innovation zone schools; making appropriations; and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly HF 2713, HSB 735.) Effective date: 05/12/2026. Applicability date: 07/01/2026., is a 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) House bill sponsored by COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS; status signed, last action 2026-05-26 (Fiscal note.); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2754-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-10-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Iowa HF 2754
- State: Iowa
- Session: 91st General Assembly (2025–2026)
- Title: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to charter school approval, contracts, funding, and operations, services provided to charter schools by area education agencies, charter school student participation in extracurricular activities provided by public schools, the Iowa public employees’ retirement system, education savings accounts, independent accreditation, teacher training and licensure, the statewide voluntary preschool program, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, open enrollment, school tuition organizations, private instruction, and innovation zone schools; making appropriations; and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly HF 2713, HSB 735.) Effective date: 05/12/2026. Applicability date: 07/01/2026.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-04-06
- Last action: 2026-05-26, Fiscal note.
- Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 3 (136 yes, 85 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 19

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- More retirement protection for charter workers: benefit, medium. Beginning May 12, 2026, eligible employees at Subchapter I charter schools can join Iowa’s public employee retirement system. Their school must meet all federal participation requirements. When a charter closes, its assets must first pay unpaid employee wages and retirement-system debts. Other cred…
- Charter students gain college course access: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, chapter 256E charter students can access the district-to-community college course-sharing program. They use the district where their charter school is located. Students whose charter delivers all instruction and course content online can instead use their district of residen…
- Charter students gain public school activities: benefit, low. Beginning May 12, 2026, districts must admit eligible Subchapter I charter students to covered sports, theater, choir, band, and activities. A district-charter agreement is required, and students must live in the district or a neighboring district. The charter must not have offered the activity dur…
- Families gain more state preschool providers: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, approved community providers can join Iowa’s statewide voluntary preschool program directly, without going through districts. State-funded children must be four years old by September 15 in the base year and attend the approved program. Younger or older children can attend w…
- Private instruction diplomas gain legal recognition: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, completing qualifying competent or independent private secondary instruction counts as completing high school. The responsible parent, guardian, custodian, or instructor can issue a diploma, final transcript, or other completion record. State law requires acceptance like sch…
- Private schools gain protections from regulation: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, this provision bars state and local control of nonpublic schools and required admissions or program changes. Rules unnecessary to carry out the provision are unauthorized. Rules placing an undue burden on a nonpublic school are invalid. Schools must still follow state and fe…
- Charter schools gain building financing options: benefit, low. Beginning May 12, 2026, a new revolving loan fund helps Subchapter I charters buy, develop, rebuild, remodel, or replace buildings. The Iowa Finance Authority must allocate available money annually, and repayments and earnings stay in the fund. Unused, uncommitted money carries forward rather than…
- Charter schools gain more funding support: benefit, low. Beginning May 12, 2026, governing boards of charters approved under section 256E.5 qualify as local education agencies for federal funding. That status covers all attendance centers they oversee, but does not guarantee an award. For school budget years starting July 1, 2026, Subchapter I charter fu…
- Targeted startup help for qualifying preschools: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, a qualifying school tuition organization can fund a preschool’s first-year service costs, up to those costs. The preschool must have started in 2025 in a city with 39,001–39,999 residents in the 2020 census. That city must be in a county with 155,001–179,999 residents in the…
- Deaccredited private schools face three-year limits: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, a nonpublic school deaccredited by an approved independent agency faces a three-year restriction. During that period, it cannot seek accreditation from an agency on Iowa’s approved list. It can immediately seek accreditation through the separate state-law process in section…
- Innovation zone schools lose legal framework: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Iowa removes the innovation zone school approval framework and references in affected education provisions. The law does not require every existing school to close, and preserves legacy charters and the legacy approval ban dating to July 1, 2021. Beginning May 12, 2026, inno…
- District funding counts drop older references: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, district foundation-funding counts no longer include resident pupils enrolled under charter-school chapter 256F. Resident pupils enrolled under chapter 256E remain counted. The provision does not state how much district funding changes.
- Families gain broader private instruction options: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, required competent-private-instruction reports identify the instruction period and can list either a course outline or texts. An outline includes subjects, lesson plans, and time spent; the reporting change covers compulsory-age children outside accredited schools or school-…
- Families gain half-year education account option: mixed, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, parents of eligible pupils can apply for one semester of education savings account payments. Applications run from October 15 through November 15 before the semester. The payment equals 50% of that school budget year’s regular program state cost per pupil. Approval covers on…
- Charters must provide driver education access: mixed, low. Beginning May 12, 2026, every Subchapter I charter must offer or arrange approved driver education for its students. Public districts must also make approved courses available to resident students attending those charters, under district policies. The charter must pay all district costs for providi…
- Charter oversight expands with rule waivers: mixed, low. Beginning May 12, 2026, the University of Northern Iowa can audit charter finances, programs, and compliance. It can also waive required school days or hours during the application process. Beginning July 1, 2026, it oversees its approved charters and can renew, revoke, or decline to renew them. It…
- New approval paths for charter schools: mixed, low. Beginning May 12, 2026, only the State Board of Education and University of Northern Iowa authorize new Subchapter I charters. They must decide applications within 75 calendar days. Schools generally open two school years after signing; they can open after one with proven readiness or request more…
- Charter services shift district aid payments: mixed, low. Beginning May 12, 2026, area education agencies must provide media services to Subchapter I charter schools. They must also provide specified educational services when charter students request them, at least matching the July 1, 1974 level. For school budget years starting July 1, 2026, Iowa may de…
- Community preschools gain aid with limits: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, approved direct-participation community preschools can receive foundation aid from an existing state appropriation. First-year aid equals state cost per pupil × 50% × eligible enrollment; later years use the regular calculation. Monthly payments run from September 15 to abou…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-27 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 29 | 17 |   |
| 2026-04-16 | House | Passed House | pass | 53 | 34 |   |
| 2026-04-16 | legislature | Amendment H-8372 to amendment H-8371 | pass | 54 | 34 |   |

## Actions (28)

- 2026-05-26: Fiscal note. (legislature)
- 2026-05-12: Signed by Governor. (House)
- 2026-05-06: Reported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor. (House)
- 2026-05-02: Explanation of vote. (House)
- 2026-05-02: Explanation of vote. (House)
- 2026-05-02: Explanation of vote. (House)
- 2026-04-28: Message from Senate. (House)
- 2026-04-27: Immediate message. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Passed Senate, yeas 29, nays 17. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Amendment S-5224 filed, lost. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Amendment S-5223 filed, lost. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Amendment S-5222 filed, lost. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Amendment S-5221 filed, lost. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Amendment S-5220 filed, lost. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Amendment S-5219 filed, lost. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Deferred. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Substituted for SF 2501. (Senate)
- 2026-04-27: Fiscal note. (legislature)
- 2026-04-16: Read first time, attached to SF 2501. (Senate)
- 2026-04-16: Message from House. (Senate)
- 2026-04-16: Immediate message. (House)
- 2026-04-16: Passed House, yeas 53, nays 34. (House)
- 2026-04-16: Amendment H-8371 adopted, as amended. (House)
- 2026-04-16: Amendment H-8372 to amendment H-8371, yeas 54, nays 34, filed, adopted. (House)
- 2026-04-16: Amendment H-8373 to amendment H-8371, yeas 27, nays 60, filed, adopted. (House)
- 2026-04-15: Amendment H-8371 filed. (House)
- 2026-04-09: Fiscal note. (legislature)
- 2026-04-06: Introduced, placed on Appropriations calendar. (House)

## Bill text

- As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/HF2754.pdf)
- Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/HF2754.pdf)

## Related bills

- HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly HSB 785.) Effective date: 10/02/20… (signed)
- SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial authority, and budgets, by modifying property assessment provisions, divisions… (signed)
- HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ballot issue campaigns by foreign nationals and investigations of election misconduc… (signed)
- SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly SSB 3162.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed)
- SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Formerly SF 2317, SSB 3121.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. (signed)
- SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program. (Formerly SF 2176.) Vetoed 6-2-26. (vetoed)

## Sources
- [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/HF2754.pdf)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/HF2754.pdf)

## Related
- [HF 2801: A bill for an act modifying the major economic growth attraction program, and i…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2801-2025-2026)
- [SF 2472: A bill for an act relating to state and local government taxes, fees, financial…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2472-2025-2026)
- [HF 2601: A bill for an act relating to campaign finance, including participation in ball…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2601-2025-2026)
- [SF 2399: A bill for an act relating to bail and bond amounts and conditions. (Formerly S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2399-2025-2026)
- [SF 2471: A bill for an act relating to fees for lifetime fur harvester licenses. (Former…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2471-2025-2026)
- [SF 2299: A bill for an act relating to the district-to-community college sharing or conc…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2299-2025-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-HF2754-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-18).