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HF 865

Rock County; water tower funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Schomacker

HF 865 broadens harassment/bullying definition to cover any repeat act based on any actual or perceived trait, removes the separate trait list, and updates school cross-references.

Introduction and first reading, referred to Capital Investment
#bonds #counties-specific #water #waterresources #andwaterways
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Bill Summary · HF 865

Note on documents provided
- The header information you supplied (Bill No. HF 865 — “Rock County; water tower funding provided…”) does not match the legislative text and enrolled bill in the documents. The documents and enrolled bill attached are Iowa House File 865 (2025) amending state law on harassment and bullying in schools. This summary covers the Iowa HF 865 materials provided (the harassment/bullying bill), not the Rock County water-tower funding topic.

Summary — Iowa House File 865 (2025)

Title: An Act modifying provisions related to the harassment or bullying of students enrolled in school districts or accredited nonpublic schools.

Main purpose and intent

HF 865 revises how “harassment” and “bullying” are defined in Iowa Code and removes a separate statutory definition of a student’s “trait or characteristic.” The bill makes conforming language changes in a school‑year/calendar statute that referenced that definition. The goal is to modify statutory language used across several education statutes that govern school anti‑bullying policies and related administrative procedures.

Key provisions and changes

  • Amends Iowa Code §280.28(2)(b) to define “harassment” and “bullying” as:
    • “any repeated and targeted electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student which is based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more specified conditions.”
    • (The bill text rephrases/clarifies the construction of the harassment/bullying definition; the core language emphasizes “actual or perceived” traits and an “objectively hostile school environment.”)
  • Strikes paragraph (c) of §280.28(2) — removing the separate statutory definition/list of “trait or characteristic of the student.” The prior enumerated list (if present in paragraph c) is deleted.
  • Conforming change to §279.10(2)(b) (relating to year‑round attendance centers and exemptions): the cross‑reference to the definition of “trait or characteristic of the student” is updated to cite the definition as contained in Code §280.28 (as of Code 2024), reflecting the moved/deleted language.
  • Affects statutory cross‑references that rely on §280.28’s definitions (noted in legislative analysis): e.g., §§ 279.82 (intra‑district enrollment), 279.83 (notice to parents/guardians re physical injuries/harassment/bullying), and 282.18 (open enrollment).

Who is affected

  • Students enrolled in public school districts and accredited nonpublic schools in Iowa.
  • School districts, school administrators, boards, and staff responsible for adopting and enforcing harassment/bullying policies and for compliance with intradistrict/open‑enrollment procedures and parental notice requirements.
  • Parents/guardians who receive statutory notices tied to harassment/bullying incidents and related actions.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduced: March 7, 2025.
  • House passage: March 18, 2025 (yeas 64, nays 33).
  • Senate passage: April 29, 2025 (yeas 32, nays 16).
  • Enrolled and sent to Governor: May 19, 2025.
  • Signed by Governor Kim Reynolds: May 27, 2025.
  • Enacted as Chapter 114, 2025 (became law upon signature).

Potential impacts and considerations

  • By removing the separate enumerated list of protected “traits or characteristics,” the statute now relies on the phrasing “any actual or perceived trait or characteristic,” which may broaden interpretive scope in some respects but eliminates explicit statutory examples. This could affect how schools interpret protected categories, draft policies, train staff, and apply reporting/notice rules tied to prior enumerations.
  • School policy updates and staff training will likely be necessary to ensure consistent application with the revised statutory language.
  • Parties relying on prior statutory cross‑references should review impacted code sections (279.82, 279.83, 282.18, etc.) for necessary conforming adjustments.

Related bill

  • Companion: SF 336.

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

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