# Iowa SF 2231: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the protected speech and expression rights of students, modifying provisions related to the duties of the department of education, and modifying eligibility and participation requirements for certain education programs, preschool programs, and tax provisions, providing civil penalties, and including retroactive applicability provisions. (Formerly SF 2060.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. Applicability date: 01/01/2026. Iowa SF 2231, A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the protected speech and expression rights of students, modifying provisions related to the duties of the department of education, and modifying eligibility and participation requirements for certain education programs, preschool programs, and tax provisions, providing civil penalties, and including retroactive applicability provisions. (Formerly SF 2060.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. Applicability date: 01/01/2026., is a 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) Senate bill sponsored by COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION; status signed, last action 2026-05-22 (Fiscal note.); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-18). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2231-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-18 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Iowa SF 2231 - State: Iowa - Session: 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) - Title: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the protected speech and expression rights of students, modifying provisions related to the duties of the department of education, and modifying eligibility and participation requirements for certain education programs, preschool programs, and tax provisions, providing civil penalties, and including retroactive applicability provisions. (Formerly SF 2060.) Effective date: 07/01/2026. Applicability date: 01/01/2026. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-02-09 - Last action: 2026-05-22, Fiscal note. - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: education, ways and means - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (144 yes, 120 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Stronger speech protections for Iowa students: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, Iowa districts and covered charter schools must protect students' religious, political, and ideological expression. Schools cannot penalize protected viewpoints in class, assignments, or student clubs; ordinary academic standards still apply. Districts must adopt policies an… - More community preschool choices for families: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2026, districts must sign agreements when community providers request to join approved local preschool programs. Eligible four-year-olds in child care centers, development homes, and existing preschools can receive services through these agreements. Agreements cannot cap the numbe… - More school expenses qualify for families: benefit, medium. For tax years beginning January 1, 2026, or later, Iowa's tuition and textbook tax credit covers more qualifying expenses. The definitions include extracurricular materials and expenses and no longer exclude otherwise qualifying religious instruction or materials. Expenses must still meet the credi… - Broader textbook aid for nonpublic students: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, state textbook aid for accredited nonpublic school pupils can cover religious as well as nonreligious books. Aid depends on legislative funding, and textbooks remain available by written request on terms comparable to public school pupils. Schools must certify enrollment by… - Religious college courses open to students: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, covered high school college-credit programs allow religious courses, including through concurrent enrollment. Students must meet application and enrollment requirements, and their district or accredited nonpublic school must not offer a comparable course. The district-to-com… - Religious education property gains financing access: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, religious use no longer excludes otherwise qualifying property from Iowa's education-project financing program. Property used mainly for religious teaching, worship, or training can qualify. Applicants must still satisfy the program's other project requirements. The law guar… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-20 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 28 | 16 | | | 2026-04-08 | House | Passed House | pass | 63 | 25 | | | 2026-04-08 | legislature | Motion to suspend rules for immediate consideration of amendment H-8313 | fail | 23 | 65 | | | 2026-03-03 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 30 | 14 | | ## Actions (50) - 2026-05-22: Fiscal note. (legislature) - 2026-05-19: Signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2026-05-05: Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. (Senate) - 2026-04-20: Message from Senate. (House) - 2026-04-20: Immediate message. (Senate) - 2026-04-20: Passed Senate, yeas 28, nays 16. (Senate) - 2026-04-20: Senate concurred with S-5177. (Senate) - 2026-04-20: Fiscal note. (legislature) - 2026-04-14: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2026-04-14: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2026-04-14: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2026-04-09: Message from House, with amendment S-5177. (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Immediate message. (House) - 2026-04-08: Passed House, yeas 63, nays 25. (House) - 2026-04-08: Motion to suspend rules failed. (House) - 2026-04-08: Motion to suspend rules for immediate consideration of amendment H-8313, yeas 23, nays 65. (House) - 2026-04-08: Point of order raised on Amendment H-8313, ruled not germane. (House) - 2026-04-08: Amendments H-8310, H-8311, H-8312 withdrawn. (House) - 2026-04-08: Amendment H-8316 adopted. (House) - 2026-04-08: Amendment H-8268 adopted, as amended. (House) - 2026-04-08: Motion to suspend rules prevailed. (House) - 2026-04-08: Motion to suspend rules for immediate consideration of amendment H-8268, as amended, yeas 64, nays 24. (House) - 2026-04-08: Point of order raised on amendment H-8268, as amended, ruled not germane. (House) - 2026-04-08: Amendment H-8309 to amendment H-8268 withdrawn. (House) - 2026-04-08: Amendment H-8308 to amendment H-8268 out of order. (House) - 2026-04-08: Amendment H-8315 to amendment H-8268 adopted. (House) - 2026-04-08: Amendment H-8308 to amendment H-8268 deferred. (House) - 2026-04-08: Amendment H-8307 to amendment H-8268 withdrawn. (House) - 2026-04-08: Amendment H-8267 withdrawn. (House) - 2026-04-08: Unanimous consent for immediate consideration. (House) - 2026-04-07: Amendments H-8307, H-8308, H-8309, H-8310, H-8311, H-8312, H-8313, H-8315, H-8316 filed. (House) - 2026-04-07: Placed on Ways and Means calendar. (House) - 2026-04-07: Committee vote: Yeas, 17. Nays, 8. (House) - 2026-04-07: Committee report, recommending passage. (House) - 2026-04-06: Rereferred to Ways and Means. (House) - 2026-03-26: Amendments H-8267 and H-8268 filed. (House) - 2026-03-26: Placed on calendar under unfinished business. (House) - 2026-03-19: Placed on calendar. (House) - 2026-03-19: Committee vote: Yeas, 16. Nays, 7. (House) - 2026-03-19: Committee report, recommending passage. (House) - 2026-03-16: Subcommittee recommends passage. (legislature) - 2026-03-10: Subcommittee Meeting: 03/16/2026 12:45PM RM 102. (legislature) - 2026-03-10: Subcommittee: Fett, Gehlbach and Matson. (House) - 2026-03-04: Read first time, referred to Education. (House) - 2026-03-03: Message from Senate. (House) - 2026-03-03: Immediate message. (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Passed Senate, yeas 30, nays 14. (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Fiscal note. (legislature) - 2026-02-09: Committee report, approving bill. (Senate) - 2026-02-09: Introduced, placed on calendar. (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/SF2231.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF2231.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/SF2231.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF2231.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) - [Iowa bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa/bills) - [Iowa state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/iowa) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF2231-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-18).