# Iowa SF 647: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, and state board of regents, and including contingent effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1231.) Effective date: 07/01/2025. Iowa SF 647, A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, and state board of regents, and including contingent effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1231.) Effective date: 07/01/2025., is a 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) Senate bill sponsored by COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS; status signed, last action 2025-06-27 (Explanations of votes.); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-18). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IA-SF647-2025-2026 - 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 647 - State: Iowa - Session: 91st General Assembly (2025–2026) - Title: A bill for an act relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, department of education, and state board of regents, and including contingent effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1231.) Effective date: 07/01/2025. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-05-06 - Last action: 2025-06-27, Explanations of votes. - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (120 yes, 108 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 51 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Early services funded for young children: benefit, medium. For 2025–2026, the law provides $574,500 for Early Head Start pilot projects serving children from birth to age three. Projects support children's learning, social, emotional, and developmental needs and can include prenatal help for qualified families. Priority goes to organizations that previousl… - College Classes Get High School Funding: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Iowa provides $600,000 for college-level classes outside the regular school year, including summer. Students must be Iowa residents in grades 9–12, taking classes through a community college–school district contract. Classes must be at a community college or taught by an ins… - Nearby-state students get resident tuition support: benefit, medium. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, Iowa provides $1.5 million for University of Northern Iowa tuition support. Undergraduates residing in states bordering Iowa can receive Iowa-resident classification for tuition and mandatory fees. The benefit is subject to available funding. The law does no… - Young children get expanded disability services: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, Iowa provides about $1.72 million to expand services for children from birth through age three. Children must qualify under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. The funding responds to growing numbers of qualifying children. It does not set a… - Funding supports University of Iowa operations: benefit, medium. For fiscal year 2025–2026, the University of Iowa receives about $223.5 million for general operations, including financial aid. The law allows up to 5,058.55 full-time equivalent positions for those operations. The Oakdale campus receives about $2.1 million and authorization for up to 38.25 full-t… - State Funding Supports Colleges And Students: benefit, medium. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, Iowa provides about $243.36 million in general community college aid. Iowa State University gets about $178.45 million for operations, including financial aid, with up to 3,647.42 full-time-equivalent positions. The University of Northern Iowa gets about $10… - Funding supports specialized care for children: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, specialized child health services receive $634,502 and authorization for 4.16 full-time equivalent positions. Supported services include childhood cancer diagnosis and treatment networks, rural hemophilia care, and follow-up care for high-risk infants. The appropriation d… - Chiropractic funds can support loan forgiveness: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, Iowa can use chiropractic loan revolving fund money for chiropractic loan forgiveness. The money must support the existing loan forgiveness program. The law does not specify new funding, individual forgiveness amounts, or new eligibility rules. - Dedicated funds support college tuition grants: benefit, low. Starting July 1, 2025, separate funds receive annual tuition grant funding, and unused money carries forward. Private-college grants receive about $53.76 million yearly, up from $52.71 million. For-profit college grants receive $112,914, up from $110,700; vocational-technical grants receive about $… - Equipment grants help court reporter trainees: benefit, low. Starting July 1, 2025, a new court reporter equipment grant program receives $50,000 for fiscal year 2025–2026. Applicants must enroll in an Iowa court reporter training program and use awards for training equipment and software. The College Student Aid Commission gives priority to applicants doing… - Funding Supports Teachers And School Hiring: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, Iowa provides $948,715 for the Teach Iowa Scholar Program. The University of Northern Iowa gets $1.5 million to recruit students into programs leading to teacher licensure. Another $265,000 runs an online job site for the education department, districts, charter schools, regional edu… - Loan Repayment Help For Rural Veterinarians: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, Iowa provides $700,000 for rural veterinarian loan repayment. Eligible rural veterinarians can receive help with education debt through the existing program. This appropriation does not set individual repayment amounts or add eligibility rules. - Opportunity scholarships reach private college students: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship receives about $3.23 million for fiscal year 2025–2026. The law expands eligible schools for that year to include accredited private institutions defined by state law. This expansion requires funding above $500,000, a threshold this appro… - Scholarships help Iowa National Guard members: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, Iowa provides $6.6 million for National Guard service scholarships. Eligible Iowa National Guard members receive help through the existing scholarship program. This appropriation does not set individual awards or add eligibility rules. - Tuition help supports workforce students: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, Iowa funds three programs that help eligible students pay education costs. Future Ready Iowa last-dollar scholarships receive about $23.93 million. Skilled workforce shortage tuition grants receive $5 million, and gap tuition assistance receives $2 million.… - Workforce Grants Get State Funding: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, Iowa deposits $425,000 into the Future Ready Iowa skilled workforce grant fund. The Iowa workforce grant and incentive fund gets $6.5 million. The College Student Aid Commission gets $591,533 and up to 4.95 full-time-equivalent positions for administration, including last-dollar scho… - Campus police budgets protected from cuts: benefit, low. From July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, the Board of Regents cannot reduce campus police budgets. Its governed institutions face the same ban. The law protects budgeted amounts but does not set a specific funding level. - Iowa Flood Center receives state funding: benefit, low. The law provides about $1.21 million for the Iowa Flood Center for July 2025 through June 2026. The University of Iowa College of Engineering uses the money for the center's work under state law. The appropriation does not create a direct household payment or change household eligibility. - Funding supports family medicine training: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, the University of Iowa family practice residency program receives about $2.22 million. It allows up to 2.71 full-time equivalent positions; the medical school dean allocates money with advisory board approval. The primary health care initiative receives $624,374 and allow… - Funding supports health testing and research: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, the University of Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory receives about $4.82 million and allows 102.50 full-time equivalent positions. The statewide cancer registry receives $143,410 and allows 2.10 full-time equivalent positions. Substance abuse research and evaluation receive… - School mental health and grief services funded: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, the law provides about $3.38 million to area education agencies for school-based children's mental health services. This includes mental health awareness training for educators. Of that funding, $200,000 supports a grief and loss pilot for children in rural school districts or accred… - State matching money supports school meals: benefit, low. The law provides about $2.18 million in state matching money for federal school food programs for July 2025 through June 2026. The money must be distributed under federal rules. The provision also allows up to 26.42 full-time equivalent staff positions. It does not set new household eligibility rul… - University funded to study Iowa cancer: benefit, low. The University of Iowa receives $1 million for a cancer assessment and intervention plan for July 2025 through June 2026. The state health department directs the work. The plan examines possible causes of Iowa's high cancer rate and guides policy, prevention, screening, awareness, and evidence-base… - Funding Supports Deaf And Blind Services: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, the Iowa School for the Deaf gets about $12.05 million and up to 121 full-time-equivalent positions. Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired gets about $5.01 million and up to 56 positions. The Department for the Blind gets about $3.21 million and up to 88.98 po… - Funding supports science and technology learning: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, Iowa provides $700,000 for its STEM BEST program. The Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics initiative receives $463,616. These appropriations support education programs, not set payments to students. - Funding Supports Students With Disabilities: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, Iowa provides $5 million and up to 60 full-time-equivalent positions for special education supervision, oversight, and compliance. The therapeutic classroom incentive fund gets about $2.35 million. Best Buddies Iowa gets $35,000 for district opportunities supporting friendships, inte… - High-need schools get yearly funding: benefit, low. Starting July 1, 2026, Iowa provides $10 million each year for supplemental assistance to high-need schools. The Department of Education administers the funding under the existing high-need school program. Up to $100,000 yearly can support administration and one full-time equivalent position. - Intellectual freedom center receives state funding: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, the Board of Regents receives $1 million for the Center for Intellectual Freedom. The funding depends on the center's establishment under House File 437. Unspent, uncommitted money remains available after the fiscal year ends. - Iowa pays regional higher education dues: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, the law provides $115,000 to pay Iowa's annual membership obligation to the Midwestern Higher Education Compact. Unused funds remain available through the end of the next fiscal year. This pays a state membership obligation, not a direct student benefit. - Northern Iowa Gets Civic Education Center: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, the University of Northern Iowa gets $1 million to establish and run a civic education center. The center promotes free speech, civic leadership, public service, and citizenship. Its work includes civic learning, respectful dialogue, and educational resources. - Schools Get Funding For Early Reading: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, Iowa provides about $7.82 million to districts for early reading services. Another $1.915 million funds statewide literacy screening and tracking from prekindergarten through grade six. The Iowa Reading Research Center gets $1.5 million for work with regional education agencies. Up t… - State Funds Iowa Public Broadcasting: benefit, low. For July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, Iowa provides about $8.17 million for public broadcasting. The money supports operations, capital costs, and up to 57.11 full-time-equivalent positions. It does not create a direct household payment. - State Funds School Administration And Testing: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, education department administration gets about $7.07 million and up to 71.62 full-time-equivalent positions. Career and technical education administration gets $721,779 and up to 10.80 positions. School performance goals, reviews, report cards, websites, and data systems get $250,000… - State Funds Teacher Training And Quality: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, Iowa provides about $2.99 million for student achievement and teacher quality, supporting up to 5.87 full-time-equivalent positions. Required training for public and nonpublic schools gets about $2.18 million. The computer science professional development incentive fund gets $500,000… - Students Get Career Learning Support: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, Iowa provides about $9.95 million for district work-based learning, credentials, and Jobs for America’s Graduates services. Program specialists provide direct career education to identified middle and high school students in school districts. Regional career and technical education p… - Farm research and extension services funded: benefit, low. For July 2025 through June 2026, Iowa State University's Agricultural Experiment Station receives about $30.46 million. The money supports salaries, operations, maintenance, and related purposes, with up to 185.63 full-time equivalent staff positions. Agricultural and home-economics extension servi… - Iowa nonprofit resource center receives funding: benefit, low. The Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center receives $156,389 for July 2025 through June 2026. The law also allows up to 2.75 full-time equivalent staff positions. This supports the center and its staff; the provision does not specify household services or payments. - University biocatalysis center and staff funded: benefit, low. The University of Iowa Center for Biocatalysis receives $696,342 for July 2025 through June 2026. The law also allows up to 6.28 full-time equivalent staff positions. The money supports the center's operations and staffing, not direct household assistance. - Specialized schools receive prescription expense funds: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, the Department of Administrative Services must forward county-collected money for student prescription expenses. Payments go to the Iowa School for the Deaf and Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The law does not create a separate prescription… - Community colleges get building project funding: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, Iowa provides $6 million for qualifying community college building projects. Projects must meet the state's building infrastructure definition. They must include accelerated career education construction or major renovations or repairs. Eligible work includes health, life… - Funding Supports Health Workers And Nursing: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, the law sets aside about $7.99 million for the health care professional incentive fund. That funding depends on enactment of Senate File 618, House File 972, or successor legislation establishing the fund. The University of Iowa also gets $2.8 million to hire additional nursing instr… - Funding supports public university coordination: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, the State Board of Regents office receives $764,642 for operations. The law allows up to 2.48 full-time equivalent positions. The Western Iowa Regents Resource Center receives $268,297 to support its operations or services. - Funding Supports Science And Technology Learning: benefit, low. For 2025–2026, Iowa provides about $6.35 million and up to five full-time-equivalent positions for science, technology, engineering, and math education. It supports teacher recruitment, school math and science, and teacher training and curriculum work with community colleges. At least $500,000 must… - Funding supports workforce training and pathways: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, workforce training and economic development funds receive $15.1 million. The Department of Education can use no more than $100,000 of that amount for administration. Academic, career, and employment pathways receive $4.8 million; workforce education and employment outcome… - State universities can finance energy savings: benefit, low. From July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, the Board of Regents can borrow for university energy-saving projects. Projects must be expected to save enough energy costs to recover their costs within an average of six years. The law sets no dollar limit for this authority. It does not specify househol… - Teachers get awards and development support: benefit, low. For fiscal year 2025–2026, national board certification awards receive $508,250, including at least $85,000 for ambassador-to-education administration. Teacher development and evaluator training receive up to $728,216; development academies receive up to about $1.08 million. Beginning fine arts tea… - University entrepreneurship centers receive added funding: benefit, low. The law provides $125,000 for John Pappajohn Centers for Entrepreneurship for July 2025 through June 2026. The University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa split the money equally. The funds must add to, not replace, the centers' other funding. The law does not establi… - State work-study funding and aid reserves cut: cost, medium. The law sets state general fund support for the college work-study program at $0 for July 2025 through June 2026. It does not end the program itself. On July 1, 2025, the law also repeals the scholarship and tuition grant reserve fund. Any money left in that reserve that is not committed moves to t… - Best Buddies groups must report student data: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, organizations receiving Best Buddies Iowa funds must report identifying data about participating students each year. Reports go to the Iowa Department of Education and must follow its instructions. Reporting is required to receive funding. This duty falls on funded organizat… - Conditional funding cap for at-risk children: cost, low. The law sets a conditional cap of about $10.52 million for specified at-risk children's programs in 2025–2026. The cap applies only if the standing-funding reduction in Senate File 445 or successor legislation is not enacted. Any reduction must be shared proportionally among the three listed progra… - Schools Can Face Literacy Screening Fees: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the education department can charge districts and accredited nonpublic schools for literacy assessments. The per-pupil fee cannot exceed actual statewide license costs left after subtracting the state appropriation, divided by pupils assessed. Districts can use specified sta… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-13 | legislature | Amendment H-1344 | fail | 27 | 62 | | | 2025-05-13 | House | Passed House | pass | 59 | 32 | | | 2025-05-12 | Senate | Passed Senate | pass | 34 | 14 | | ## Actions (23) - 2025-06-27: Explanations of votes. (House) - 2025-06-27: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2025-06-27: Explanation of vote. (House) - 2025-06-11: Item vetoed, signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2025-06-02: NOBA: Final (legislature) - 2025-05-23: Reported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Message from House. (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Immediate message. (House) - 2025-05-13: Passed House, yeas 59, nays 32. (House) - 2025-05-13: Amendment H-1344, yeas 27, nays 62, filed, lost. (House) - 2025-05-13: NOBA: Senate Floor (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Amendment H-1345, yeas 29, nays 62, filed, lost. (House) - 2025-05-13: Substituted for HF 1045. (House) - 2025-05-13: Read first time, passed on file. (House) - 2025-05-13: Message from Senate. (House) - 2025-05-12: Immediate message. (Senate) - 2025-05-12: Passed Senate, yeas 34, nays 14. (Senate) - 2025-05-12: Amendment S-3144 adopted, as amended. (Senate) - 2025-05-12: Amendment S-3157 to S-3144 filed, adopted. (Senate) - 2025-05-09: Amendment S-3144 filed. (Senate) - 2025-05-06: NOBA: Senate Full Approps (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Committee report, approving bill. (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Introduced, placed on Appropriations calendar. (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/SF647.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF647.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/SF647.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/SF647.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-SF647-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-18).