Bill Text: IA HF504 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to robotics, including by establishing a robotics grant program within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics collaborative initiative and requiring the university of northern Iowa to develop a public-private partnership to support robotics competitions, and making appropriations.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-3)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-20 - Introduced, referred to Higher Education. H.J. 375. [HF504 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-HF504-Introduced.html
House
File
504
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
504
BY
KRESSIG
,
LEVIN
,
WICHTENDAHL
,
GJERDE
,
WILBURN
,
AMOS
JR.
,
McBURNEY
,
KURTH
,
BAETH
,
YOUNG
,
B.
MEYER
,
MADISON
,
JACOBY
,
BAGNIEWSKI
,
SIECK
,
SIEGRIST
,
KONFRST
,
BROWN-POWERS
,
GOSA
,
and
CROKEN
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
robotics,
including
by
establishing
a
1
robotics
grant
program
within
the
science,
technology,
2
engineering,
and
mathematics
collaborative
initiative
and
3
requiring
the
university
of
northern
Iowa
to
develop
a
4
public-private
partnership
to
support
robotics
competitions,
5
and
making
appropriations.
6
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
7
TLSB
2314YH
(3)
91
jda/jh
H.F.
504
Section
1.
Section
256.111,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
5A.
a.
The
collaborative
initiative
shall
3
develop
and
administer
a
robotics
grant
program
to
provide
4
grants
to
school
districts,
accredited
nonpublic
schools,
5
charter
schools,
and
innovation
zone
schools
to
support
6
robotics
programs
by
offsetting
costs
associated
with
all
of
7
the
following:
8
(1)
The
payment
of
stipends
to
members
of
school
robotics
9
teams.
10
(2)
Fees,
kits,
and
supplies
that
are
required
to
establish
11
or
maintain
a
school
robotics
team
or
to
participate
in
a
12
robotics
competition.
13
(3)
Event
registration,
materials,
transportation
costs,
14
travel
costs,
and
other
expenses
related
to
attending
a
15
robotics
competition.
16
b.
The
collaborative
initiative
shall
establish
the
17
application
processes,
deadlines,
eligibility
requirements,
and
18
award
criteria
associated
with
the
robotics
grant
program.
19
c.
Moneys
awarded
under
this
subsection
shall
be
used
to
20
supplement,
not
supplant,
existing
public
funding
used
by
a
21
school
district
for
similar
purposes.
22
Sec.
2.
DEPARTMENT
OF
EDUCATION
——
ROBOTICS
GRANT
23
PROGRAM.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
the
24
state
to
the
department
of
education
for
the
fiscal
year
25
beginning
July
1,
2025,
and
ending
June
30,
2026,
the
following
26
amount,
or
so
much
thereof
as
is
necessary,
to
be
used
for
the
27
purposes
designated:
28
For
purposes
of
the
robotics
grant
program
established
29
pursuant
to
section
256.111,
subsection
5A,
if
enacted:
30
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
$
400,000
31
Sec.
3.
UNIVERSITY
OF
NORTHERN
IOWA
——
ROBOTICS
32
COMPETITION.
There
is
appropriated
from
the
general
fund
of
33
the
state
to
the
state
board
of
regents
for
the
fiscal
year
34
beginning
July
1,
2025,
and
ending
June
30,
2026,
the
following
35
-1-
LSB
2314YH
(3)
91
jda/jh
1/
2
H.F.
504
amount,
or
so
much
thereof
as
is
necessary,
to
be
used
for
the
1
purposes
designated:
2
For
the
university
of
northern
Iowa
for
purposes
of
3
developing
a
public-private
partnership
with
a
person
or
4
persons
who
provide
matching
funds
to
support
the
Iowa
regional
5
FIRST
robotics
competition,
including
salaries,
support,
6
maintenance,
and
miscellaneous
purposes:
7
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
$
100,000
8
EXPLANATION
9
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
10
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
11
This
bill
relates
to
robotics,
including
by
establishing
12
a
robotics
grant
program
within
the
science,
technology,
13
engineering,
and
mathematics
collaborative
initiative
and
14
requiring
the
university
of
northern
Iowa
to
develop
robotics
15
competitions.
16
The
bill
requires
the
science,
technology,
engineering,
and
17
mathematics
collaborative
initiative
within
the
innovation
18
division
of
the
department
of
education
to
develop
and
19
administer
a
robotics
grant
program
to
provide
grants
to
school
20
districts,
accredited
nonpublic
schools,
charter
schools,
21
and
innovation
zone
schools
to
support
robotics
programs
22
by
offsetting
certain
specified
costs.
The
collaborative
23
initiative
is
required
to
establish
the
application
processes,
24
deadlines,
eligibility
requirements,
and
award
criteria
25
associated
with
the
robotics
grant
program.
The
bill
26
appropriates
$400,000
to
the
department
of
education
for
27
purposes
of
the
robotics
grant
program
for
FY
2025-2026.
28
The
bill
appropriates
$100,000
for
FY
2025-2026
to
the
29
state
board
of
regents
for
the
university
of
northern
Iowa
30
for
purposes
of
developing
a
public-private
partnership
with
31
a
person
or
persons
who
provide
matching
funds
to
support
the
32
Iowa
regional
FIRST
robotics
competition.
33
-2-
LSB
2314YH
(3)
91
jda/jh
2/
2
