A bill for an act providing for general education requirements for undergraduate students at regents institutions and including applicability provisions.

2025-2026 Regular Session

The bill requires the Regents to establish a uniform core curriculum for undergraduates, detailing minimum credits in English, math, sciences, social sciences, humanities, and heri

Placed on calendar under unfinished business.

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Purpose

HF 401 requires the Iowa State Board of Regents to develop and adopt a uniform general education (core curriculum) policy for undergraduate students at regents institutions. The stated aim is to establish minimum, institution-level requirements in key liberal‑arts and heritage subject areas that students must complete to earn an undergraduate degree.

Key provisions

Short title: “Core Curriculum Act.”

Definitions:

“Board” = State Board of Regents.
“Institution” = an institution of higher learning governed by the board.

Board action: The board shall develop and adopt a policy establishing general education requirements for undergraduate students at regents institutions.

Minimum semester credit requirements (per institution) that must be completed for an undergraduate degree:

English: 6 semester credit hours.
Mathematics and statistics: 3 semester credit hours.
Natural sciences: 4 semester credit hours.
Social sciences: 6 semester credit hours.
Humanities: 6 semester credit hours.
Western heritage: 3 semester credit hours — introductory survey courses (examples: western civilization, British literature, Greek philosophy). Western heritage coursework may also satisfy required semester hours in English, social studies, or the humanities as designated by the institution.
American heritage: 3 semester credit hours — introductory survey courses (examples: American history, Iowa history, American government, American literature). A course on American history and civil government, if offered or required by the institution, satisfies this requirement.

Allowance for overlap: Certain heritage courses may double‑count toward other required categories as designated by the institution.

Who is affected

Primary: undergraduate students at public regents institutions and institutional curriculum offices responsible for degree requirements and catalogs.

Secondary: faculty and departments that will design, offer, or revise courses to meet the mandated categories; academic advisors; transfer articulation offices.

Procedural / timeline notes

Introduced: February 13, 2025.

House actions: Passed House March 18, 2025 (yeas 61 — nays 36). Amendment H-1110 was filed and adopted; amendment H-1085 was filed but noted as out of order.

Committee/Subcommittee activity: Subcommittee hearings and recommendations occurred in March–April 2025; committee report recommending passage issued April 7, 2025.

Current status: Placed on the calendar under unfinished business (April 10, 2025).

The bill text requires the board to adopt a policy but does not specify an implementation deadline or include a fiscal estimate in the reprinted text.

Potential impacts / considerations

Standardizes baseline core requirements across regents institutions, potentially affecting degree planning and transfer credit evaluation.

Inclusion of mandated “western heritage” and “American heritage” categories could shift course offerings and staffing; may prompt debate over scope/content of those courses.

Because some heritage courses may double‑count toward other categories, the overall additional credit load may be limited, but institutional implementation details will determine final credit requirements for degrees.

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