Bill Text: IA HSB57 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to accreditation of postsecondary educational institutions, prohibiting adverse action by accrediting agencies against certain postsecondary educational institutions for compliance with state law, providing remedies, and including effective date provisions.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-05 - Committee vote: Yeas, 7. Nays, 3. Excused, 1. H.J. 02/05. [HSB57 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-HSB57-Introduced.html
House
Study
Bill
57
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
HIGHER
EDUCATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
COLLINS)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
accreditation
of
postsecondary
educational
1
institutions,
prohibiting
adverse
action
by
accrediting
2
agencies
against
certain
postsecondary
educational
3
institutions
for
compliance
with
state
law,
providing
4
remedies,
and
including
effective
date
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
“Accreditation
Autonomy
Act”.
2
Sec.
2.
Section
147A.1,
subsection
13,
Code
2025,
is
amended
3
to
read
as
follows:
4
13.
“Training
program”
means
an
Iowa
college
approved
by
the
5
higher
learning
commission
any
federally
recognized
accreditor
6
of
postsecondary
educational
institutions
,
an
Iowa
hospital
7
authorized
by
the
department,
or
a
medical
care
ambulance
8
service
or
nontransport
service
that
has
received
authorization
9
from
the
department
to
conduct
emergency
medical
care
services
10
training.
11
Sec.
3.
Section
147A.17,
subsection
1,
Code
2025,
is
amended
12
to
read
as
follows:
13
1.
An
Iowa
college
approved
by
the
higher
learning
14
commission
any
federally
recognized
accreditor
of
postsecondary
15
educational
institutions
,
an
Iowa
hospital
in
this
state,
or
16
a
medical
care
ambulance
service
or
nontransport
service
that
17
desires
to
provide
emergency
medical
care
services
training
18
leading
to
certification
as
an
emergency
medical
care
provider
19
shall
apply
to
the
department
for
authorization
to
establish
a
20
training
program.
21
Sec.
4.
Section
256.183,
subsection
1,
paragraphs
a,
b,
and
22
c,
Code
2025,
are
amended
to
read
as
follows:
23
a.
Is
accredited
by
the
higher
learning
commission
any
24
federally
recognized
accreditor
of
postsecondary
educational
25
institutions
.
26
b.
Is
accredited
by
the
higher
learning
commission
any
27
federally
recognized
accreditor
of
postsecondary
educational
28
institutions
,
is
exempt
from
taxation
under
section
501(c)(3)
29
of
the
Internal
Revenue
Code,
and
annually
provides
a
matching
30
aggregate
amount
of
institutional
financial
aid
equal
to
at
31
least
seventy-five
percent
of
the
amount
received
in
a
fiscal
32
year
by
the
institution’s
students
for
Iowa
tuition
grant
33
assistance
under
this
part
.
Commencing
with
the
fiscal
year
34
beginning
July
1,
2006,
the
matching
aggregate
amount
of
35
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institutional
financial
aid
shall
increase
by
the
percentage
1
of
increase
each
fiscal
year
of
funds
appropriated
for
Iowa
2
tuition
grants
under
section
256.194,
subsection
1
,
to
a
3
maximum
match
of
one
hundred
percent.
The
institution
shall
4
file
annual
reports
with
the
commission
prior
to
receipt
of
5
tuition
grant
moneys
under
this
part
.
An
institution
whose
6
income
is
not
exempt
from
taxation
under
section
501(c)
of
7
the
Internal
Revenue
Code
and
whose
students
were
eligible
to
8
receive
Iowa
tuition
grant
money
in
the
fiscal
year
beginning
9
July
1,
2003,
shall
meet
the
match
requirements
of
this
10
paragraph
no
later
than
June
30,
2005.
11
c.
Is
a
specialized
college
that
is
accredited
by
the
higher
12
learning
commission
any
federally
recognized
accreditor
of
13
postsecondary
educational
institutions
,
and
which
offers
health
14
professional
programs
that
are
affiliated
with
health
care
15
systems
located
in
Iowa.
16
Sec.
5.
Section
260C.47,
subsection
1,
unnumbered
paragraph
17
1,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
18
The
state
board
of
education
shall
establish
an
19
accreditation
process
for
community
college
programs.
The
20
process
shall
be
jointly
developed
and
agreed
upon
by
the
21
department
of
education
and
the
community
colleges.
The
22
state
accreditation
process
shall
be
integrated
with
the
23
accreditation
process
of
the
higher
learning
commission
a
24
federally
recognized
accreditor
of
postsecondary
educational
25
institutions
selected
by
the
board
,
including
the
evaluation
26
cycle,
the
self-study
process,
and
the
criteria
for
evaluation,
27
which
shall
incorporate
the
standards
for
community
colleges
28
developed
under
section
260C.48
;
and
shall
identify
and
make
29
provision
for
the
needs
of
the
state
that
are
not
met
by
30
the
commission’s
accreditor’s
accreditation
process.
The
31
department
of
education
shall
use
a
two-component
process
for
32
the
continued
accreditation
of
community
college
programs.
33
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.1
Definitions.
34
For
purposes
of
this
chapter,
unless
the
context
otherwise
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requires:
1
1.
“Accrediting
agency”
means
an
entity
that
provides
2
accreditation
of
public
institutions
of
higher
education
and
3
that
is
not
a
government
agency.
4
2.
“Public
institution
of
higher
education”
means
an
5
institution
of
higher
learning
governed
by
the
state
board
of
6
regents
or
a
community
college.
7
Sec.
7.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.2
Accrediting
agencies
——
8
adverse
action
against
institutions
for
compliance
with
state
law
9
prohibited.
10
1.
An
accrediting
agency
shall
not
take
any
adverse
action
11
against
a
public
institution
of
higher
education
for
complying
12
with
a
state
law
or
refusing
to
violate
a
state
law.
13
2.
Any
adverse
action
taken
by
an
accrediting
agency
against
14
a
public
institution
of
higher
education
based,
in
whole
or
15
in
part,
on
the
institution’s
compliance
with
a
state
law
or
16
refusal
to
violate
a
state
law
constitutes
a
violation
of
this
17
section
that
is
subject
to
section
261K.3.
18
Sec.
8.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.3
Civil
action.
19
A
public
institution
of
higher
education
that
is
negatively
20
affected
by
adverse
action
taken
against
the
institution
by
an
21
accrediting
agency
in
violation
of
section
261K.2
may
bring
a
22
civil
action
against
the
accrediting
agency
in
this
state
if
23
authorized
by
the
attorney
general.
The
attorney
general
may
24
bring
the
action
on
behalf
of
the
institution.
The
institution
25
or
attorney
general
may
obtain
injunctive
relief
and
liquidated
26
damages
in
the
amount
of
the
federal
financial
aid
received
by
27
the
institution
in
the
academic
year
preceding
the
violation,
28
as
well
as
court
costs
and
reasonable
attorney
fees.
29
Sec.
9.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
Act,
being
deemed
of
immediate
30
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
31
EXPLANATION
32
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
33
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
34
This
bill
prohibits
an
accrediting
agency
from
taking
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any
adverse
action
against
a
public
institution
of
higher
1
education
for
complying
with
a
state
law
or
refusing
to
violate
2
a
state
law.
The
bill
defines
“accrediting
agency”
as
an
3
entity
that
provides
accreditation
of
public
institutions
of
4
higher
education
and
that
is
not
a
government
agency.
The
5
bill
defines
“public
institution
of
higher
education”
as
an
6
institution
of
higher
learning
governed
by
the
state
board
of
7
regents
or
a
community
college.
8
Any
adverse
action
taken
by
an
accrediting
agency
against
9
a
public
institution
of
higher
education
based,
in
whole
or
10
in
part,
on
the
institution’s
compliance
with
a
state
law
or
11
refusal
to
violate
a
state
law
constitutes
a
violation
of
the
12
prohibition.
13
The
bill
provides
that
a
public
institution
of
higher
14
education
that
is
negatively
affected
by
adverse
action
taken
15
against
the
institution
by
an
accrediting
agency
in
this
manner
16
may
bring
a
civil
action
against
the
accrediting
agency
in
this
17
state
if
authorized
by
the
attorney
general.
The
attorney
18
general
may
bring
the
action
on
behalf
of
the
institution.
The
19
institution
or
attorney
general
may
obtain
injunctive
relief
20
and
liquidated
damages
in
the
amount
of
the
federal
financial
21
aid
received
by
the
institution
in
the
academic
year
preceding
22
the
violation,
as
well
as
court
costs
and
reasonable
attorney
23
fees.
24
The
bill
also
strikes
references
in
the
Iowa
Code
to
25
the
higher
learning
commission,
a
nongovernmental
entity
26
that
provides
an
accreditation
process
for
postsecondary
27
institutions
that
grant
degrees.
The
bill
instead
provides
28
references
to
federally
recognized
accreditors
of
postsecondary
29
educational
institutions.
30
The
bill
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
31
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