House Higher Education Committee Steps Up to the Plate
The new House Higher Education Committee has been pitching fastballs this legislative session, but not in a good way. After decades of dormancy, the committee was revived without a clear agenda, aside from addressing what Republicans called a “crisis of confidence” in Iowa’s higher education system. But it didn’t take long for the committee to find direction, largely through the influence of the National Association of Scholars (NAS) and its partner organization, the Civics Alliance. The organization, which has presented twice to the Higher Education Committee, advocates against diversity and civic action, all with a goal of “saving American civics.”
It seems that at least three bills being considered by the committee have been inspired by policy proposals on the NAS website.
Take HSB 52, which is nearly identical to the Civics Alliance’s School of Intellectual Freedom Act. This bill would establish a School of Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa, dedicated to teaching and researching the ideas that shaped the American constitutional system. Unlike any other department at a regent institution, the school would operate independently, with its own faculty, funding, and governance structure. And this bill has legs, it’s running straight to the Iowa Senate, where SF 127 is moving forward as its companion. Both bills have passed subcommittees and are headed to the full committee.
HSB 56 follows a similar pattern, with almost identical language to the Civics Alliance’s American History Act. If passed, students at Iowa’s public colleges and universities would be required to take a three-credit course on American history and government to graduate starting in 2027. The course would cover key principles of the U.S. government, major historical events, landmark Supreme Court cases, and foundational documents like the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. While the bill sounds like a reasonable attempt to ensure students understand the basics of American governance, coupled with other legislation its supporters seem to be pushing a very specific narrative about what constitutes “American history”. This bill passed subcommittee on February 5th and is moving forward to the full committee.
HSB 55 is another bill from the Civics Alliance to keep an eye on. While it is a more lax version of the Syllabus Transparency Act, it still requires all public universities in Iowa to post their course syllabi online, including details like instructor names, major assignments, required readings, and a general course overview. The bill is framed as a push for transparency, but it could also be seen as a way to ensure that universities are teaching what lawmakers deem appropriate. The bill passed committee on February 5th and is now headed to the House floor under the number HF 270.
Another proposal, HSB 63 seeks to change general education requirements at Iowa’s three regents institutions. If passed, this bill would reduce the credit hours for general education courses to just 40 and mandate a set list of subjects, such as English, math, science, and American and Western heritage. But here’s the catch: it also explicitly bans courses that focus on identity politics or theories of systemic oppression. While the bill allows some exceptions for certain degree programs, it’s clear that the overarching goal is to limit the scope of what students can learn, particularly when it comes to courses that address race, gender, and power. This bill passed its subcommittee on January 28th, and it’s headed toward further legislative action.
Perhaps the most direct attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts comes from HSB 61 and HSB 60. These bills aim to prohibit both public and private universities from establishing DEI offices. HSB 61 extends an existing law that already bans DEI offices in public institutions to include community colleges, while HSB 60 threatens private colleges that receive the Iowa Tuition Grant with the loss of funding if they continue to maintain DEI offices. While HSB 61 has been tabled, HSB 60 is set to have a subcommittee hearing on February 12th. If they pass, these bills could have serious ramifications for how Iowa’s colleges support students from marginalized communities.
HSB 53, the so-called “Freedom from Indoctrination Act,” would prevent universities from requiring courses related to DEI or critical race theory (CRT) as part of degree programs. This bill also prevents universities from using DEI or CRT activities as conditions for faculty hiring, promotion, or tenure. HSB 53 has already passed subcommittee and committee, and it’s on its way to the House floor as HF 269.
And then there’s HF 115, also known as the “Combatting Terrorist Sympathizers Act,” because apparently Iowa’s biggest campus crisis isn’t underfunding or brain drain—it’s international students secretly cheering for terrorism. The bill requires public colleges to create policies banning visa-holding students and employees from publicly supporting terrorist organizations. How universities are supposed to enforce this remains unclear. Perhaps a “thoughts-on-terrorism” section in the student handbook? After a long debate this morning on the definition of terrorism, the bill passed subcommittee.Finally, we have what just might be the most important bill of the 2025 Iowa Legislative Session. HF 153 requires Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa to reinstate men’s baseball teams. The bill doesn’t just encourage schools to add teams, it requires them to compete at the NCAA level. Although the teams were originally cut due to lack of student support, the legislature must believe that if you build it, they will come.
This post was written by Chloe Gayer, Government Relations Associate with The Advocacy Cooperative