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SF 288

A bill for an act relating to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth who attend state institutions of higher education governed by the board of regents and community colleges.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Iowa public colleges must provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant/postpartum students, adopt policies, post notices, and create a pregnancy/parenting support office.

Signed by Governor.
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Bill Summary · SF 288

Summary — SF 288 (Chapter 129, 2025)

Status: Signed by Governor (approved June 6, 2025)
Introduced: February 12, 2025
New law location: Iowa Code section 261K.1
Subject: Reasonable accommodations for pregnant and postpartum students at public higher education institutions

Purpose

SF 288 requires Iowa public institutions of higher education — those governed by the State Board of Regents and community colleges — to provide reasonable accommodations to students who are pregnant or who recently gave birth, and to adopt policies and procedures to implement and publicize those protections.

Key provisions

  • Definitions

    • “Institution” = regents institutions and community colleges (including their faculty, staff, employees).
    • “Student” is defined in the statute as a biological female.
    • “Reasonable accommodations” explicitly includes: additional health and safety measures; rescheduling missed tests and assignment due dates for pregnancy-related reasons; allowing leaves of absence; excusing medically necessary absences.

  • Academic accommodations and continuity

    • Institutions may not force pregnant students to take leave, withdraw, or limit participation solely due to pregnancy.
    • Institutions must make reasonable accommodations so pregnant students can complete coursework or research.
    • Institutions must allow an additional, reasonable, mutually agreed period to take examinations and to complete degree or degree candidacy consistent with institutional policies.
    • Institutions must allow a reasonable leave of absence (mutually agreed and policy-consistent); upon return the student must be reinstated to substantially the same academic standing “to the extent reasonably possible.”

  • Administrative structure and notice

    • The institution employee charged with Title IX coordination must maintain a system to receive and investigate complaints alleging violations of this section.
    • Institutions must maintain a written policy on pregnancy discrimination, provide the policy in required faculty/staff training and to students at orientation, and prominently post notice of federal protections (20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq.) on their website.
    • Institutions must provide pregnancy-related protections information through campus medical/health centers upon request or when appropriate.
    • Responsibility for pregnancy/parenting support and information must be assigned to an institutional office other than the Title IX compliance office; the office’s name, location, and contact must be posted online. Responsibilities include oversight of compliance and publicizing child care, breastfeeding, and parenting resources.

  • Scope limitation

    • The section does not apply to a student with respect to the student’s employment by the institution.

Who is affected

  • Directly: pregnant and postpartum students (as defined — biological females) attending Iowa regents institutions and community colleges.
  • Indirectly: institutional administrations, Title IX coordinators, campus health centers, student services offices, faculty and staff who must be trained and implement accommodations.

Enforcement and implementation

  • Enforcement mechanism: complaint intake and investigation handled by the institution’s Title IX coordinator; institutions are responsible for internal policy, training, notices, and an assigned pregnancy/parenting support office.
  • Legislative/procedural timeline: passed both chambers (Senate and House) with concurrence on amendments; enrolled and signed into law June 6, 2025.

Practical impact

Institutions will need to adopt or revise written policies, assign or expand a campus office for pregnancy/parenting support, train staff, post required notices, and implement case-by-case accommodations (exam/extensions/leaves). The law excludes work-related employment matters and limits coverage to biological females by its statutory definition of “student.”

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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