HF 2124 — A bill for an act modifying the duties of the department of education related to electronic systems.

Bill Text

• Introduced View text Current pdf

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill modifies the responsibilities of the Iowa Department of Education regarding electronic data systems, mandating the creation of a comprehensive data collection system and the modernization of electronic systems and procedures.

• Section 256.9, subsection 11

  11. a. Approve, coordinate, and supervise the use of electronic data and information processing by school districts, area education agencies, and merged areas. → 11. a. Approve, coordinate, and supervise the use of electronic data and information processing by school districts, area education agencies, and merged areas, including the procurement or development of a single, comprehensive, statewide, data collection system that is required to be used by all school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and area education agencies.

  The change expands the Department of Education's responsibilities to include the requirement for a statewide data collection system.

• Section 256.9, subsection 11

  b. The data collection system described in paragraph “a” must satisfy all of the following requirements: (1) Be designed for the purpose of establishing standardized electronic data collections and reporting protocols that facilitate compliance with state and federal reporting requirements. (2) Improve school-to-school and district-to-district information exchanges. (3) Maintain the confidentiality of student and staff data. (4) Provide for the electronic transfer of individual student records between attendance centers, school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, area education agencies, postsecondary institutions, merged areas, and the department. (5) (a) Be designed to ensure compatibility with any student information system utilized by school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, or area education agencies. (b) The developer of the software must allow a school district, accredited nonpublic school, or area education agency to purchase a student information system from the developer that maintains a shared database architecture with the data collection system. (6) Validate data for accuracy prior to a school district, accredited nonpublic school, or area education agency submitting the data to the department. (7) Allow the department, school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and area education agencies to communicate regarding state reporting within the data collection system. (8) Be hosted by the developer of the software to reduce the burden on the department, school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and area education agencies associated with maintaining the data collection system.

  The addition specifies detailed requirements for the new data collection system to enhance functionality and compliance.

• Section 256.9

  1. The department of education shall modernize the department’s electronic systems and procedures in order to ensure all of the following: a. The proper disbursement of moneys in a timely manner by increasing the ease and frequency of reporting submissions and collections throughout the school year. b. That the department’s systems are able to communicate with other state agencies, and with school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, to better identify needs for students and prepare students for the future workforce.

  The bill mandates the Department of Education to modernize its electronic systems to improve financial disbursement and communication with educational entities.

• Section 256.9

  2. The modernization described in subsection 1 must include the deployment of a portal, on or before July 1, 2027, which satisfies all of the following requirements: a. Allows school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to do all of the following: (1) Validate the prior submission of data to the department. (2) Perform a cross-district enrollment check prior to the submission of information. (3) Embed the communication tools between the department and other school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools. b. Provides school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools with access to a data dictionary that updates automatically. c. Includes a calendar with key dates. d. Is hosted by the developer of the software to reduce the burden on the department associated with maintaining the portal.

  The provision requires the implementation of a portal with specific functionalities to support schools in data submission and communication.

Action History

1. March 09, 2026

   Withdrawn.

2. February 16, 2026

   Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 2546.

3. February 11, 2026

   Committee vote: Yeas, 19. Nays, 4.

4. February 11, 2026

   Committee report, recommending amendment and passage.

5. January 29, 2026

   Subcommittee recommends passage.

6. January 22, 2026

   Subcommittee Meeting: 01/28/2026 12:30PM House Lounge.

7. January 21, 2026

   Subcommittee: Gehlbach, Bradley and Gosa.

8. January 21, 2026

   Introduced, referred to Education.

Sponsors

• Dan Gehlbach · Primary

Votes

Subjects