Bill Text: IA HF165 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act requiring students to pass the United States citizenship and immigration services naturalization civics test as a condition of high school graduation and high school equivalency diplomas.(Formerly HSB 30.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-30 - Introduced, placed on calendar. H.J. 151. [HF165 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-HF165-Introduced.html
House
File
165
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
165
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
30)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
requiring
students
to
pass
the
United
States
citizenship
1
and
immigration
services
naturalization
civics
test
as
2
a
condition
of
high
school
graduation
and
high
school
3
equivalency
diplomas.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
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Section
1.
Section
259A.1,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
259A.1
Assessment
of
competency.
3
The
department
of
education
shall
cause
to
be
made
available
4
for
qualified
individuals
a
high
school
equivalency
diploma.
5
The
diploma
shall
be
issued
on
the
basis
of
demonstrated
6
to
qualified
individuals
who
successfully
pass
the
civics
7
examination
as
set
forth
in
section
280.9A,
and
demonstrate
8
competence
in
all
of
the
following
core
areas:
reading,
9
language
arts,
literacy,
mathematics,
science,
and
social
10
studies.
11
Sec.
2.
Section
280.9A,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
12
following
new
subsection:
13
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
1A.
a.
Commencing
with
the
school
year
14
beginning
July
1,
2026,
the
board
of
directors
of
each
local
15
public
school
district
and
the
authorities
in
charge
of
each
16
nonpublic
school
shall
require
that
all
students
in
grades
nine
17
through
twelve
attain,
as
a
condition
of
graduation,
a
passing
18
score
on
an
assessment
that
consists
of
the
multiple
choice
19
questions
contained
in
the
most
recent
version
of
the
civics
20
test
developed
by
the
United
States
citizenship
and
immigration
21
services.
22
b.
A
student
must
answer
at
least
sixty
percent
of
the
23
questions
on
the
assessment
described
in
paragraph
“a”
24
correctly
to
attain
a
passing
score.
A
student
who
fails
25
to
answer
at
least
sixty
percent
of
the
questions
on
such
26
assessment
correctly
may
retake
the
assessment
as
many
times
as
27
is
necessary.
28
c.
The
board
of
directors
of
a
local
public
school
district
29
or
the
authorities
in
charge
of
an
accredited
nonpublic
school
30
shall
not
impose
or
collect
any
fee
in
connection
with
the
31
administration
of
the
assessment
described
in
paragraph
“a”
.
32
d.
The
state
board
of
education
shall
adopt
rules
pursuant
33
to
chapter
17A
to
administer
this
subsection.
34
EXPLANATION
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The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
1
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
2
This
bill
requires
students
to
pass
the
United
States
3
citizenship
and
immigration
services
naturalization
civics
4
test
as
a
condition
of
high
school
graduation
and
high
school
5
equivalency
diplomas.
6
The
bill
provides
that
the
board
of
directors
of
each
7
local
public
school
district
and
the
authorities
in
charge
8
of
each
nonpublic
school
are
to
require,
commencing
with
the
9
school
year
beginning
July
1,
2026,
all
students
in
grades
9
10
through
12
to
attain,
as
a
condition
of
graduation,
a
passing
11
score
on
an
assessment
that
consists
of
the
multiple
choice
12
questions
contained
in
the
most
recent
version
of
the
civics
13
test
developed
by
the
United
States
citizenship
and
immigration
14
services.
A
student
must
answer
at
least
60
percent
of
the
15
questions
on
the
assessment
correctly
to
attain
a
passing
16
score.
A
student
who
fails
to
answer
at
least
60
percent
of
the
17
questions
on
the
assessment
correctly
may
retake
the
assessment
18
as
many
times
as
is
necessary.
The
bill
prohibits
school
19
districts
and
accredited
nonpublic
schools
from
imposing
or
20
collecting
any
fee
in
connection
with
the
administration
of
the
21
assessment.
The
bill
requires
the
state
board
of
education
to
22
adopt
rules
to
administer
these
provisions.
The
bill
provides
23
that
individuals
seeking
a
high
school
equivalency
diploma
must
24
also
pass
such
an
examination.
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