Iowa Code § 280.9A — IA Code / Title VII / Chapter 280 / Section 280.9A
History and government required — voter registration.
Status: in_force

(1) The board of directors of each local public school district and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school shall require that all students in grades nine through twelve complete, as a condition of graduation, instruction in American history and the governments of Iowa and the United States, including instruction in voting statutes and procedures, voter registration requirements, the use of paper ballots and voting systems in the election process, and the method of acquiring and casting an absentee ballot.

(2) (a) Commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2026, the board of directors of each local public school district and the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school shall administer to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve the most recent version of the test distributed to the school district or accredited nonpublic school by the director of the department of education pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 78, in written or electronic format, and shall ensure that each student receives one passing score on the test as a condition of graduation. The board of directors of a local public school district and the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school shall not be required to administer the test to a student who has received a passing score on the test.

(2) (b) A student must answer at least sixty percent of the questions on the test described in paragraph “a” correctly to attain a passing score. A student who fails to answer at least sixty percent of the questions on such test correctly may retake the test as many times as is necessary.

(2) (c) The board of directors of a local public school district or the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school shall not impose or collect any fee in connection with the administration of the test described in paragraph “a”.

(2) (d) The board of directors of a local public school district and the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school may do all of the following:

(2) (d) Modify the test described in paragraph “a” for a student who has an individualized education program or a plan under section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. §794.

(2) (d) Develop and administer an alternate test to a student who has a significant intellectual disability.

(2) (d) Modify the test described in paragraph “a” for a student who is an English learner as defined in section 280.4.

(2) (e) On or before June 30 of each year, the board of directors of each local public school district and the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school shall submit the results of the test described in paragraph “a” to the department of education.

(2) (f) The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this subsection.

(3) The county auditor, upon request and at a site chosen by the county auditor, shall make available to schools within the county voting equipment or sample ballots that are generally used within the county, at times when this equipment or sample ballots are not in use for their recognized purpose.

(4) At least twice during each school year, the board of directors of each local public school district operating a high school and the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school operating a high school shall offer the opportunity to register to vote to each student who is at least seventeen years of age, as required by section 48A.23.

88 Acts, ch 1129, §1; 90 Acts, ch 1238, §38; 94 Acts, ch 1169, §57; 2008 Acts, ch 1031, §45; 2009 Acts, ch 57, §78; 2017 Acts, ch 110, §62, 64; 2025 Acts, ch 103, §5