Bill Text: IA HF115 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act providing penalties for certain nonimmigrant visa holders attending or employed by certain institutions of higher education who express support for certain terrorist activities or organizations and including effective date provisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-03 - Subcommittee Meeting: 02/04/2025 8:00AM House Lounge (Cancelled). [HF115 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-HF115-Introduced.html
House
File
115
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
115
BY
COLLINS
and
HARRIS
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
providing
penalties
for
certain
nonimmigrant
visa
1
holders
attending
or
employed
by
certain
institutions
of
2
higher
education
who
express
support
for
certain
terrorist
3
activities
or
organizations
and
including
effective
date
4
provisions.
5
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
6
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Section
1.
SHORT
TITLE.
This
Act
shall
be
known
and
may
be
1
cited
as
the
“Combatting
Terrorist
Sympathizers
Act”.
2
Sec.
2.
Section
256.183,
subsection
1,
unnumbered
paragraph
3
1,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
4
“Accredited
private
institution”
means
an
institution
of
5
higher
learning
located
in
Iowa
which
is
operated
privately
6
and
not
controlled
or
administered
by
any
state
agency
or
7
any
subdivision
of
the
state
and
which
meets
the
criteria
in
8
paragraphs
“a”
and
“b”
and
all
of
the
criteria
in
paragraphs
“d”
9
through
“j”
“k”
,
except
that
institutions
defined
in
paragraph
10
“c”
of
this
subsection
are
exempt
from
the
requirements
of
11
paragraphs
“a”
and
“b”
:
12
Sec.
3.
Section
256.183,
subsection
1,
Code
2025,
is
amended
13
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
14
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
k.
Adopts
a
policy
for
compliance
with
15
chapter
261K.
16
Sec.
4.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.1
Definitions.
17
As
used
in
this
chapter,
unless
the
context
otherwise
18
requires:
19
1.
“Institution
of
higher
education”
means
an
institution
of
20
higher
learning
governed
by
the
state
board
of
regents
or
an
21
accredited
private
institution
as
defined
in
section
256.183.
22
2.
“Nonimmigrant
visa”
includes
but
is
not
limited
to
visa
23
categories
F-1,
M-1,
and
J-1.
24
3.
“Terrorist
activity”
and
“terrorist
organization”
mean
the
25
same
as
defined
in
8
U.S.C.
§1182.
26
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.2
Policy
on
nonimmigrant
visa
27
holders
——
support
of
terrorist
activities
or
organizations
——
28
suspension,
expulsion,
or
termination
of
employment.
29
Each
institution
of
higher
education
shall
adopt
and
enforce
30
a
policy
that
does
all
of
the
following:
31
1.
Prohibits
a
student,
faculty
member,
and
staff
member,
32
if
the
individual
holds
a
nonimmigrant
visa,
from
publicly
33
espousing
terrorist
activity
related
to
an
ongoing
conflict
or,
34
at
any
time
or
place,
persuading
others
to
endorse
or
espouse
35
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terrorist
activity
related
to
an
ongoing
conflict
or
to
support
1
a
terrorist
organization
unless
it
is
the
policy
or
practice
of
2
the
United
States
to
support
such
activity
or
organization.
3
2.
Upon
suspecting
or
receiving
a
credible
allegation
4
that
an
individual
has
violated
the
policy,
provides
for
5
an
investigation
of
the
individual
by
the
institution
and,
6
if
warranted
by
the
factual
results
of
the
investigation,
7
enforcement
of
the
policy
against
the
individual.
8
3.
Upon
a
first
finding
of
guilt
of
or
responsibility
for
a
9
violation
of
subsection
1
by
a
preponderance
of
the
evidence,
10
provides
for
the
suspension
of
a
student
or
termination
of
a
11
faculty
or
staff
member’s
employment
for
at
least
one
year.
12
4.
Upon
a
second
finding
of
guilt
of
or
responsibility
for
13
a
violation
of
subsection
1
by
a
preponderance
of
the
evidence,
14
provides
for
the
expulsion
of
a
student
or
termination
of
a
15
faculty
or
staff
member’s
employment
permanently.
16
5.
Immediately
upon
suspending
or
expelling
a
student
17
or
terminating
a
faculty
or
staff
member’s
employment
under
18
subsection
3
or
4,
requires
the
institution
to
update
the
19
individual’s
record
in
the
federal
department
of
homeland
20
security’s
student
exchange
visitor
information
system
or
a
21
successor
system
to
show
that
the
individual
is
no
longer
22
enrolled
as
a
full-time
student
of
the
institution
or
employed
23
by
the
institution.
24
6.
Prohibits
a
student,
faculty
member,
or
staff
member
25
from
transferring
to,
enrolling
at,
or
becoming
employed
by
the
26
institution
if
the
individual
has
been
suspended,
expelled,
or
27
terminated
from
employment
by
another
institution
of
higher
28
education
under
subsection
4.
29
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.3
Enforcement
against
30
institutions
——
attorney
general
——
ineligibility
for
tuition
31
grants.
32
1.
The
attorney
general
shall
enforce
this
chapter
and
33
may
investigate
suspected
violations
of
this
chapter
by
an
34
institution
of
higher
education.
35
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2.
The
attorney
general
may
compel
production
of
documents
1
and
other
evidence
from
an
institution
suspected
of
violating
2
this
chapter,
including
all
education
and
employment
records
3
and
other
relevant
records.
4
3.
a.
The
attorney
general
may
bring
an
action
against
5
an
institution
of
higher
education
for
a
writ
of
mandamus
to
6
compel
the
institution
to
comply
with
this
chapter.
7
b.
Upon
a
determination
by
the
court
that
an
institution
8
of
higher
education
that
is
not
a
regents
institution
has
9
violated
this
chapter,
the
institution
shall
be
ineligible
to
10
receive
funds
from
the
state
for
tuition
grants
under
chapter
11
256,
subchapter
VII,
part
4,
subpart
B,
for
the
academic
year
12
beginning
after
the
date
of
the
finding.
The
attorney
general
13
shall
petition
the
court
to
make
such
a
determination.
The
14
court
shall
submit
a
copy
of
the
determination
to
the
college
15
student
aid
commission.
16
Sec.
7.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
Act
takes
effect
December
31,
17
2025.
18
EXPLANATION
19
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
20
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
21
This
bill
requires
an
institution
of
higher
education
to
22
adopt
and
enforce
a
policy
relating
to
certain
expressions
of
23
support
for
terrorist
activities
or
organizations,
as
defined
24
under
federal
law,
by
nonimmigrant
visa
holders
attending
or
25
working
at
the
institution.
The
bill
defines
“institution
26
of
higher
education”
as
an
institution
of
higher
learning
27
governed
by
the
state
board
of
regents
or
an
accredited
private
28
institution
for
purposes
of
tuition
grants
under
Code
chapter
29
256,
subchapter
VII,
part
4,
subpart
B.
30
The
policy
shall
prohibit
a
student,
faculty
member,
and
31
staff
member,
if
the
individual
holds
a
nonimmigrant
visa,
from
32
publicly
espousing
terrorist
activity
related
to
an
ongoing
33
conflict
or,
at
any
time
or
place,
persuading
others
to
endorse
34
or
espouse
terrorist
activity
related
to
an
ongoing
conflict
35
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or
to
support
a
terrorist
organization
unless
it
is
the
policy
1
or
practice
of
the
United
States
to
support
such
activity
or
2
organization.
3
Upon
suspecting
or
receiving
a
credible
allegation
of
a
4
violation
by
an
individual,
the
policy
shall
provide
for
5
an
investigation
of
the
individual
by
the
institution
and,
6
if
warranted
by
the
factual
results
of
the
investigation,
7
enforcement
of
the
policy
against
the
individual.
8
Upon
a
first
finding
of
guilt
of
or
responsibility
for
a
9
violation
by
a
preponderance
of
the
evidence,
the
policy
shall
10
provide
for
the
suspension
of
a
student
or
termination
of
a
11
faculty
or
staff
member’s
employment
for
at
least
one
year.
12
Upon
a
second
such
finding,
the
policy
shall
provide
for
the
13
expulsion
of
a
student
or
termination
of
a
faculty
or
staff
14
member’s
employment
permanently.
15
Immediately
upon
suspending
or
expelling
a
student
or
16
terminating
a
faculty
or
staff
member’s
employment
in
this
17
manner,
the
policy
shall
require
the
institution
to
update
18
the
individual’s
record
in
the
federal
department
of
homeland
19
security’s
student
exchange
visitor
information
system
or
a
20
successor
system
to
show
that
the
individual
is
no
longer
21
enrolled
as
a
full-time
student
of
the
institution
or
employed
22
by
the
institution.
23
The
policy
must
prohibit
a
student,
faculty
member,
or
staff
24
member
from
transferring
to,
enrolling
at,
or
becoming
employed
25
by
the
institution
if
the
individual
has
been
suspended,
26
expelled,
or
terminated
from
employment
by
another
institution
27
of
higher
education
as
provided
under
the
bill.
28
The
bill
shall
be
enforced
by
the
attorney
general,
who
may
29
investigate
suspected
violations
by
an
institution
of
higher
30
education.
The
attorney
general
may
compel
production
of
31
documents
and
other
evidence
from
an
institution
suspected
of
a
32
violation.
The
attorney
general
may
bring
an
action
against
an
33
institution
for
a
writ
of
mandamus
to
compel
the
institution
34
to
comply.
35
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Upon
a
determination
by
the
court
that
an
institution
that
1
is
not
a
regents
institution
has
committed
a
violation,
the
2
institution
shall
be
ineligible
to
receive
funds
from
the
state
3
for
tuition
grants
under
Code
chapter
256,
subchapter
VII,
part
4
4,
subpart
B,
for
the
academic
year
beginning
after
the
date
5
of
the
finding.
6
The
bill
takes
effect
December
31,
2025.
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