A bill for an act providing for a review by the state board of regents of academic programs offered at regents institutions.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Iowa Regents will review all Regent programs to align them with current/future workforce needs, and report keep/eliminate/change recommendations by Nov 30, 2025.

Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 420.

#collegesanduniversities #education #regentsboard

Overview

Bill number: HSB 50, introduced January 22, 2025; later approved by committee and renumbered as HF 420.

Title: A bill for an act providing for a review by the state board of regents of academic programs offered at regents institutions.

Short title: Workforce First Act.

Status: Committee report approving bill; renumbered as HF 420.

Subject: Colleges and universities; Education; Regents board.

Governing body: State Board of Regents (Iowa).

Purpose and intent

The bill requires the Iowa State Board of Regents to conduct a comprehensive review of all undergraduate and graduate academic programs offered at Regent-governed institutions. The central goal is to assess how each program aligns with current and future workforce needs in Iowa. The review is intended to inform near-term state planning and ensure that higher education offerings support the state's labor market priorities.

Key provisions

Scope of review: All undergraduate and graduate programs offered at institutions governed by the Board of Regents.

Alignment objective: Determine whether and to what extent each program aligns with current and future workforce needs in Iowa.

Collaboration: The Board must conduct the review in consultation with:

Department of Education
Department of Workforce Development

Timeline for completion: No later than the first meeting of the State Board of Regents occurring on or after November 1, 2025.

Reporting obligation: The Board must submit a report on the review results to the Governor and the General Assembly no later than November 30, 2025.

For each program reviewed, the report must indicate one of:

Remain unchanged
Be eliminated
Be changed, with a description of the recommended changes

Who is affected

Institutions governed by the Iowa Board of Regents (including universities and any regents-supported programs).

Students and prospective students enrolled in or considering regents programs, particularly those whose fields are subject to workforce alignment considerations.

State agencies involved in education and workforce development (Department of Education and Department of Workforce Development).

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction date: January 22, 2025.

Subcommittee actions: January 27–29, 2025; subcommittee recommended passage (January 29, 2025).

Committee actions: Substantive committee vote with passage favorable; final committee report approving the bill (February 12–13, 2025).

Renumbering: Bill renumbered to HF 420 as part of the committee process (February 13, 2025).

Final reporting deadline: November 30, 2025.

Next steps if enacted: Regent institutions and the Regents governance process would implement the review, prepare the required program-level recommendations, and align future offerings with the stated workforce alignment goals.

Potential impacts

Strategic realignment of academic offerings to workforce needs, including potential program eliminations or adjusted curricula.

Increased emphasis on data-driven decisions about program viability and state workforce priorities.

Enhanced coordination between higher education, state education policy, and workforce development planning.

Note: The bill does not specify funding or enforcement mechanisms beyond the reporting requirements and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly.

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