Bill Text: IA SF138 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to elective social studies courses emphasizing religious scripture that school districts may offer and teach.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-03 - Subcommittee Meeting: 02/13/2025 8:00AM Room 315. [SF138 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-SF138-Introduced.html
Senate
File
138
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
138
BY
GUTH
,
SALMON
,
CAMPBELL
,
and
EVANS
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
elective
social
studies
courses
emphasizing
1
religious
scripture
that
school
districts
may
offer
and
2
teach.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
TLSB
1827XS
(2)
91
jda/jh
S.F.
138
Section
1.
Section
256.7,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
15.
Adopt
rules
establishing
course
3
standards
for
elective
social
studies
courses
listed
in
4
paragraph
“a”
,
any
of
which
a
school
district
may
offer
and
5
teach
to
students
in
grades
nine
through
twelve
subject
to
6
the
provisions
of
section
279.50B.
The
rules
shall
include
7
practitioner
preparation
and
professional
development
8
requirements
for
practitioners
employed
by
a
school
district
to
9
teach
a
course
listed
under
paragraph
“a”
.
10
a.
(1)
A
course
on
the
Hebrew
Scriptures
or
the
Old
11
Testament
of
the
Bible.
12
(2)
A
course
on
the
New
Testament
of
the
Bible.
13
(3)
A
course
on
the
Hebrew
Scriptures
or
the
Old
Testament
14
of
the
Bible
and
the
New
Testament
of
the
Bible.
15
b.
A
school
district
may
offer
and
teach
a
course
listed
in
16
paragraph
“a”
for
all
of
the
following
purposes:
17
(1)
To
provide
students
with
knowledge
of
biblical
content,
18
characters,
poetry,
and
narratives
that
are
prerequisites
to
19
understanding
contemporary
society
and
culture,
including
but
20
not
limited
to
literature,
art,
music,
mores,
oratory,
and
21
public
policy.
22
(2)
To
familiarize
students
with,
as
applicable,
the
23
following:
24
(a)
The
contents
of
the
Hebrew
Scriptures
or
the
Old
25
Testament
of
the
Bible
or
the
New
Testament
of
the
Bible.
26
(b)
The
history
of
the
Hebrew
Scriptures
or
the
Old
27
Testament
of
the
Bible
or
the
New
Testament
of
the
Bible.
28
(c)
The
literary
style
and
structure
of
the
Hebrew
29
Scriptures
or
the
Old
Testament
of
the
Bible
or
the
New
30
Testament
of
the
Bible.
31
(d)
The
influence
of
the
Hebrew
Scriptures
or
the
Old
32
Testament
of
the
Bible
or
the
New
Testament
of
the
Bible
on
33
law,
history,
government,
literature,
art,
music,
customs,
34
morals,
values,
and
culture.
35
-1-
LSB
1827XS
(2)
91
jda/jh
1/
4
S.F.
138
c.
In
complying
with
this
subsection,
the
state
board
shall
1
not
violate
any
provision
of
law
as
defined
in
section
17A.2.
2
A
course
offered
and
taught
in
accordance
with
this
section
is
3
subject
to
federal
and
state
guidelines
regarding
religious
4
neutrality
and
the
diverse
religious
views,
traditions,
and
the
5
perspectives
of
students
enrolled
in
the
school
district
shall
6
be
recognized
and
accommodated.
A
course
offered
and
taught
7
in
accordance
with
this
subsection
shall
not
endorse,
favor,
8
promote,
or
disfavor,
or
be
hostile
toward,
any
particular
9
religion,
faith,
or
nonreligious
perspective.
10
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
279.50B
Elective
social
studies
11
courses
——
religious
scripture.
12
1.
If
the
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
considers
13
and
approves,
by
majority
vote
of
the
membership
of
the
school
14
board,
a
recommendation
from
the
school
improvement
advisory
15
committee
that
an
elective
social
studies
course
be
offered
and
16
taught
in
accordance
with
section
280.12,
subsection
4,
such
a
17
course
may
be
offered
and
taught
in
the
school
district.
18
2.
A
student
enrolled
in
a
course
offered
and
taught
19
pursuant
to
section
256.7,
subsection
15,
and
this
section,
20
shall
not
be
required
to
use
a
specific
translation
as
the
21
sole
text
for
the
Hebrew
Scriptures
or
the
Old
Testament
22
of
the
Bible,
or
the
New
Testament
of
the
Bible
for
the
23
course,
and
may
use
instead
a
translation
other
than
the
text
24
chosen
for
the
course
by
the
teacher,
the
school
improvement
25
advisory
committee,
the
school
district,
or
the
state
board
of
26
education.
27
3.
A
school
improvement
advisory
committee
appointed
in
28
accordance
with
section
280.12,
or
the
principal
of
a
school
29
offering
an
elective
social
studies
course
in
accordance
with
30
section
256.7,
subsection
15,
and
this
section,
may
authorize
31
the
display
of
historic
artifacts,
monuments,
symbols,
and
32
texts,
including
religious
materials,
in
conjunction
with
33
the
course
if
such
display
is
appropriate
to
the
overall
34
educational
purpose
of
the
course
and
is
consistent
with
the
35
-2-
LSB
1827XS
(2)
91
jda/jh
2/
4
S.F.
138
provisions
of
section
280.6.
1
4.
In
offering
and
teaching
a
course
in
accordance
with
2
section
256.7,
subsection
15,
and
this
section,
a
school
3
district
shall
not
knowingly
violate
any
provision
of
law
as
4
defined
in
section
17A.2.
A
course
offered
in
accordance
with
5
section
256.7,
subsection
15,
and
this
section,
is
subject
to
6
federal
and
state
guidelines
regarding
religious
neutrality,
7
and
the
diverse
religious
views,
traditions,
and
the
course
so
8
offered
shall
recognize
and
acknowledge
the
perspectives
of
9
students
enrolled
in
the
school
district.
The
course
shall
not
10
endorse,
favor,
promote,
or
disfavor,
or
be
hostile
toward,
any
11
particular
religion,
faith,
or
nonreligious
perspective.
12
Sec.
3.
Section
280.12,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
13
following
new
subsection:
14
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
4.
Consider
a
recommendation
from
the
15
school
improvement
advisory
committee
that
an
elective
social
16
studies
course
which
meets
the
requirements
and
purposes
set
17
forth
in
section
256.7,
subsection
15,
be
offered
and
taught
in
18
the
school
district
in
accordance
with
section
279.50B.
19
EXPLANATION
20
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
21
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
22
This
bill
directs
the
state
board
of
education
to
adopt
23
rules
establishing
course
standards
for
elective
social
studies
24
courses
on
the
Hebrew
Scriptures
or
the
Old
or
New
Testament
of
25
the
Bible.
The
bill
authorizes
a
school
district
to
offer
and
26
teach
such
a
course
to
students
in
grades
9
through
12
if
the
27
district’s
school
improvement
advisory
committee
recommends,
28
and
the
board
of
directors
of
the
school
district
approves,
the
29
course.
30
The
purpose
of
the
course
must
be
to
provide
students
31
with
knowledge
of
biblical
content,
characters,
poetry,
and
32
narratives
that
are
prerequisites
to
understanding
contemporary
33
society
and
culture,
and
to
familiarize
students
with
the
34
contents,
history,
literary
style
and
structure,
and
influence
35
-3-
LSB
1827XS
(2)
91
jda/jh
3/
4
S.F.
138
of
the
Hebrew
Scriptures
or
the
Old
or
New
Testament
of
the
1
Bible.
2
The
state
board’s
rules
must
include
practitioner
3
preparation
and
professional
development
requirements
for
4
practitioners
employed
by
a
school
district
to
teach
such
a
5
course.
6
Under
the
bill,
the
state
board
and
school
districts
are
7
prohibited
from
violating
any
provision
of
law
in
complying
8
with
the
provisions
of
the
bill.
A
course
offered
under
the
9
bill
is
subject
to
federal
and
state
guidelines
regarding
10
religious
neutrality,
and
shall
recognize
and
accommodate
the
11
diverse
religious
views,
traditions,
and
the
perspectives
of
12
students
enrolled
in
the
school
district.
Such
a
course
shall
13
not
endorse,
favor,
promote,
or
disfavor,
or
be
hostile
toward,
14
any
particular
religion,
faith,
or
nonreligious
perspective.
15
If
a
school
improvement
advisory
committee
recommends
such
a
16
course,
the
school
board
must
consider
the
recommendation.
To
17
offer
and
teach
such
a
course,
the
school
board
must
approve
18
the
recommendation
by
majority
vote
of
its
membership.
19
A
student
enrolled
in
such
a
course
shall
not
be
required
20
to
use
a
specific
translation
as
the
sole
text
for
the
Hebrew
21
Scriptures
or
the
Old
or
New
Testament
of
the
Bible.
22
A
school
improvement
advisory
committee
or
the
principal
of
23
a
school
offering
such
a
course
may
authorize
the
display
of
24
historic
artifacts,
monuments,
symbols,
and
texts,
including
25
religious
materials,
in
conjunction
with
the
course
if
such
26
display
is
appropriate
to
the
overall
educational
purpose
of
27
the
course
and
does
not
require
a
child
to
read
religious
books
28
contrary
to
the
wishes
of
the
child’s
parent
or
guardian.
29
Under
current
law,
religious
text
books
such
as
the
Bible,
the
30
Torah,
and
the
Koran
shall
not
be
excluded
from
any
public
31
school.
32
-4-
LSB
1827XS
(2)
91
jda/jh
4/
4
