Bill Text: IA SF252 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education governed by the board of regents and community colleges.(Formerly SF 58.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2024-03-12 - Subcommittee recommends passage. Vote Total: 3-0. [SF252 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-SF252-Introduced.html
Senate
File
252
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
252
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SF
58)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
students
who
are
pregnant
or
who
recently
1
gave
birth
who
attend
state
institutions
of
higher
education
2
governed
by
the
board
of
regents
and
community
colleges.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
261J.1
Student
parents
at
1
institutions.
2
1.
For
the
purposes
of
this
section:
3
a.
“Institution”
means
an
institution
of
higher
education
4
governed
by
the
state
board
of
regents
or
a
community
college
5
established
under
chapter
260C.
“Institution”
also
includes
6
the
faculty,
staff,
and
other
employees
of
such
institution
of
7
higher
education
or
community
college
established
under
chapter
8
260C.
9
b.
“Reasonable
accommodations”
includes
but
is
not
limited
10
to
all
of
the
following:
11
(1)
Taking
additional
health
and
safety
measures.
12
(2)
Allowing
a
student
to
reschedule
tests
and
assignment
13
due
dates
that
are
missed
for
reasons
related
to
the
student’s
14
pregnancy.
15
(3)
Allowing
a
student
to
take
a
leave
of
absence.
16
(4)
Excusing
absences
for
reasons
deemed
medically
17
necessary
due
to
the
pregnancy.
18
2.
An
institution
shall
not
require
a
student
enrolled
19
in
a
course
of
study
or
research
activity
to
take
a
leave
20
of
absence,
withdraw
from
a
program,
or
limit
the
student’s
21
participation
in
academic
activities
solely
due
to
pregnancy.
22
An
institution
shall
make
reasonable
accommodations
to
a
23
pregnant
student
to
allow
the
student
to
complete
a
course
of
24
study
or
research.
25
3.
a.
An
institution
shall
allow
a
student
who
is
pregnant
26
or
has
recently
given
birth
an
additional
amount
of
time
to
27
take
examinations
up
to
the
longer
of
a
period
consistent
with
28
the
policies
of
the
institution
or
twelve
months
from
the
29
originally
scheduled
examination
date,
unless
a
longer
period
30
is
medically
necessary.
31
b.
An
institution
shall
allow
a
student
who
is
pregnant
32
or
has
recently
given
birth
an
additional
amount
of
time
to
33
complete
a
degree
or
candidacy
for
a
degree
up
to
the
longer
34
of
a
period
consistent
with
the
policies
of
the
institution
35
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or
twelve
months
from
the
date
originally
scheduled
for
1
completion,
unless
a
longer
period
is
medically
necessary.
2
4.
An
institution
shall
allow
a
student
who
is
pregnant
3
or
has
recently
given
birth
a
period
of
up
to
twelve
months
to
4
take
a
leave
of
absence
unless
there
is
a
medically
necessary
5
reason
for
a
longer
leave
of
absence.
Following
the
leave
6
of
absence,
the
student
shall
be
allowed
to
return
to
the
7
student’s
program
with
the
same
standing
as
the
student
left
to
8
the
degree
reasonably
possible.
9
5.
a.
The
attorney
general
shall
maintain
a
system
to
10
receive
and
investigate
complaints
from
students
alleging
a
11
violation
of
this
section.
12
b.
The
attorney
general
shall
forward
complaints
it
13
has
determined
as
founded
to
the
United
States
department
14
of
education’s
office
for
civil
rights
to
allow
for
an
15
investigation
into
the
institution’s
compliance
with
the
16
federal
Higher
Education
Act
of
1965,
as
amended,
20
U.S.C.
17
§1681
et
seq.
18
6.
An
institution
shall
do
all
of
the
following:
19
a.
Maintain
a
written
policy
for
students
on
pregnancy
20
discrimination
and
procedures
for
addressing
pregnancy
21
discrimination
complaints
under
this
section
and
the
federal
22
Higher
Education
Act
of
1965,
as
amended,
20
U.S.C.
§1681
et
23
seq.
The
institution
shall
provide
a
copy
of
the
policy
to
24
institution
faculty,
staff,
and
employees
in
required
training.
25
The
institution
shall
provide
a
copy
of
the
policy
to
all
26
students
attending
orientation
at
the
institution.
27
b.
Prominently
post
notice
of
the
protections
afforded
to
28
pregnant
students
and
students
who
have
recently
given
birth
29
under
the
federal
Higher
Education
Act
of
1965,
as
amended,
20
30
U.S.C.
§1681
et
seq.,
on
the
institution’s
internet
site.
31
c.
Provide
information
concerning
the
protections
afforded
32
to
pregnant
students
and
students
who
have
recently
given
birth
33
under
the
federal
Higher
Education
Act
of
1965,
as
amended,
20
34
U.S.C.
§1681
et
seq.,
through
the
institution’s
medical
center
35
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and
student
health
center
to
a
student
upon
the
student’s
1
request
and
when
otherwise
appropriate.
2
d.
Assign
responsibility
for
pregnancy
and
parenting
support
3
and
protection
to
a
staff
member
of
the
institution.
The
4
institution
shall
post
the
responsible
staff
member’s
name,
5
title,
and
contact
information
on
the
institution’s
internet
6
site.
Responsibilities
assigned
to
a
staff
member
pursuant
to
7
this
paragraph
shall
include
but
not
be
limited
to:
8
(1)
Maintaining
current
knowledge
of
the
provisions
of
this
9
section.
10
(2)
Overseeing
institution
compliance
with
this
section.
11
(3)
Understanding
and
publicizing
topics
related
to
12
pregnancy
and
parenting,
including
but
not
limited
to
child
13
care
availability,
breastfeeding
accommodations,
and
pregnancy
14
and
parenting
assistance
from
public
and
private
providers,
in
15
order
to
enhance
campus
life
and
academic
performance.
16
EXPLANATION
17
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
18
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
19
This
bill
relates
to
students
who
are
pregnant
or
who
20
recently
gave
birth
who
attend
state
institutions
of
higher
21
education
governed
by
the
board
of
regents.
22
The
bill
defines
the
term
“institution”
as
an
institution
of
23
higher
education
governed
by
the
state
board
of
regents
or
a
24
community
college.
“Institution”
also
includes
the
faculty,
25
staff,
and
other
employees
of
such
institution
of
higher
26
education
or
community
college.
27
The
bill
defines
“reasonable
accommodations”
as
including
28
but
not
being
limited
to
taking
additional
health
and
safety
29
measures;
allowing
a
student
to
reschedule
tests
and
assignment
30
due
dates
that
are
missed
for
reasons
related
to
the
student’s
31
pregnancy;
allowing
a
student
to
take
a
leave
of
absence;
and
32
excusing
absences
for
reasons
deemed
medically
necessary
due
33
to
the
pregnancy.
34
The
bill
prohibits
an
institution
from
requiring
a
student
35
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252
enrolled
in
a
course
of
study
or
research
activity
to
take
1
a
leave
of
absence,
withdraw
from
a
program,
or
limit
the
2
student’s
participation
in
academic
activities
solely
due
to
3
pregnancy.
4
The
bill
requires
an
institution
to
make
reasonable
5
accommodations
to
a
pregnant
student
to
allow
the
student
to
6
complete
a
course
of
study
or
research.
7
The
bill
requires
an
institution
to
allow
a
student
who
is
8
pregnant
or
has
recently
given
birth
an
additional
amount
of
9
time
to
take
examinations,
complete
a
degree,
or
complete
a
10
candidacy
for
a
degree
up
to
the
longer
of
a
period
consistent
11
with
the
policies
of
the
institution
or
12
months
from
the
date
12
originally
scheduled
for
examination
or
completion,
unless
a
13
longer
period
is
medically
necessary.
14
The
bill
requires
an
institution
to
allow
a
student
who
15
is
pregnant
or
has
recently
given
birth
a
period
of
up
to
12
16
months
to
take
a
leave
of
absence
unless
there
is
a
medically
17
necessary
reason
for
a
longer
leave
of
absence.
Following
the
18
leave
of
absence,
the
student
shall
be
allowed
to
return
to
19
the
student’s
program
with
the
same
standing
and
manner
as
the
20
student
left
to
the
degree
reasonably
possible.
21
The
bill
requires
the
state
attorney
general
to
maintain
22
a
system
to
receive
and
investigate
complaints
from
students
23
alleging
a
violation
relating
to
pregnancy
and
recent
birth
24
accommodations.
25
The
bill
requires
the
attorney
general
to
forward
complaints
26
it
has
determined
as
founded
to
the
United
States
department
27
of
education’s
office
for
civil
rights
to
allow
for
an
28
investigation
into
the
institution’s
compliance
with
the
29
federal
Higher
Education
Act
of
1965.
30
The
bill
requires
an
institution
to
maintain
a
written
31
policy
for
students
on
pregnancy
discrimination
and
procedures
32
for
addressing
pregnancy
discrimination
complaints
under
this
33
Code
section
and
the
federal
Higher
Education
Act
of
1965.
The
34
institution
must
provide
a
copy
of
the
policy
to
institution
35
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1360SV
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5
S.F.
252
faculty,
staff,
and
employees
in
required
training
and
to
all
1
students
attending
orientation
at
the
institution.
2
The
bill
requires
an
institution
to
prominently
post
3
notice
of
the
protections
afforded
to
pregnant
students
and
4
students
who
have
recently
given
birth
under
the
federal
Higher
5
Education
Act
of
1965
on
the
institution’s
internet
site.
6
The
bill
requires
an
institution
to
provide
information
7
concerning
the
protections
afforded
to
pregnant
students
and
8
students
who
have
recently
given
birth
under
the
federal
9
Higher
Education
Act
of
1965,
as
amended,
20
U.S.C.
§1681
et
10
seq.,
through
the
institution’s
medical
center
and
student
11
health
center
to
a
student
upon
the
student’s
request
and
when
12
otherwise
appropriate.
13
The
bill
requires
an
institution
to
assign
responsibility
14
for
pregnancy
and
parenting
support
and
protection
to
a
staff
15
member
of
the
institution.
The
institution
must
post
the
16
responsible
person’s
name,
title,
and
contact
information
17
on
the
institution’s
internet
site.
The
responsibilities
18
assigned
to
the
staff
member
include
but
are
not
limited
to
19
maintaining
current
knowledge
of
Code
provisions
relating
to
20
accommodations
afforded
to
pregnant
students
and
students
21
who
recently
gave
birth;
overseeing
institution
compliance
22
with
Code
provisions
relating
to
accommodations
afforded
to
23
pregnant
students
and
students
who
recently
gave
birth;
and
24
understanding
and
publicizing
topics
related
to
pregnancy
25
and
parenting,
including
but
not
limited
to
child
care
26
availability,
breastfeeding
accommodations,
and
pregnancy
and
27
parenting
assistance
from
public
and
private
providers,
in
28
order
to
enhance
campus
life
and
academic
performance.
29
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1360SV
(2)
90
dg/jh
5/
5
