Iowa HF 295: A bill for an act relating to accreditation of postsecondary educational institutions, prohibiting adverse action by accrediting agencies against certain postsecondary educational institutions for compliance with state law, providing remedies, and including effective date provisions.

Bill Text

House
File
295
-
Enrolled

House
File
295

AN
ACT

RELATING
TO
ACCREDITATION
OF
POSTSECONDARY
EDUCATIONAL

INSTITUTIONS,
PROHIBITING
ADVERSE
ACTION
BY
ACCREDITING

AGENCIES
AGAINST
CERTAIN
POSTSECONDARY
EDUCATIONAL

INSTITUTIONS
FOR
COMPLIANCE
WITH
STATE
LAW,
PROVIDING

REMEDIES,
AND
INCLUDING
EFFECTIVE
DATE
PROVISIONS.

BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:

Section
1.
SHORT
TITLE.
This
Act
shall
be
known
and
may
be

cited
as
the
“Accreditation
Autonomy
Act”.

Sec.
2.
Section
147A.1,
subsection
13,
Code
2025,
is
amended

to
read
as
follows:

13.
“Training
program”
means
an
Iowa
college
approved
by
the

higher
learning
commission

any
federally
recognized
accreditor

of
postsecondary
educational
institutions
,
an
Iowa
hospital

authorized
by
the
department,
or
a
medical
care
ambulance

service
or
nontransport
service
that
has
received
authorization

from
the
department
to
conduct
emergency
medical
care
services

training.

Sec.
3.
Section
147A.17,
subsection
1,
Code
2025,
is
amended

to
read
as
follows:

1.
An
Iowa
college
approved
by
the
higher
learning

commission
any
federally
recognized
accreditor
of
postsecondary

educational
institutions
,
an
Iowa
hospital
in
this
state,
or

a
medical
care
ambulance
service
or
nontransport
service
that

desires
to
provide
emergency
medical
care
services
training

leading
to
certification
as
an
emergency
medical
care
provider

House
File
295,
p.
2

shall
apply
to
the
department
for
authorization
to
establish
a

training
program.

Sec.
4.
Section
256.183,
subsection
1,
paragraphs
a,
b,
and

c,
Code
2025,
are
amended
to
read
as
follows:

a.
Is
accredited
by
the
higher
learning
commission

any

federally
recognized
accreditor
of
postsecondary
educational

institutions

.

b.
Is
accredited
by
the
higher
learning
commission
any

federally
recognized
accreditor
of
postsecondary
educational

institutions
,
is
exempt
from
taxation
under
section
501(c)(3)

of
the
Internal
Revenue
Code,
and
annually
provides
a
matching

aggregate
amount
of
institutional
financial
aid
equal
to
at

least
seventy-five
percent
of
the
amount
received
in
a
fiscal

year
by
the
institution’s
students
for
Iowa
tuition
grant

assistance
under
this
part
.
Commencing
with
the
fiscal
year

beginning
July
1,
2006,
the
matching
aggregate
amount
of

institutional
financial
aid
shall
increase
by
the
percentage

of
increase
each
fiscal
year
of
funds
appropriated
for
Iowa

tuition
grants
under
section
256.194,
subsection
1
,
to
a

maximum
match
of
one
hundred
percent.
The
institution
shall

file
annual
reports
with
the
commission
prior
to
receipt
of

tuition
grant
moneys
under
this
part
.
An
institution
whose

income
is
not
exempt
from
taxation
under
section
501(c)
of

the
Internal
Revenue
Code
and
whose
students
were
eligible
to

receive
Iowa
tuition
grant
money
in
the
fiscal
year
beginning

July
1,
2003,
shall
meet
the
match
requirements
of
this

paragraph
no
later
than
June
30,
2005.

c.
Is
a
specialized
college
that
is
accredited
by
the
higher

learning
commission

any
federally
recognized
accreditor
of

postsecondary
educational
institutions
,
and
which
offers
health

professional
programs
that
are
affiliated
with
health
care

systems
located
in
Iowa.

Sec.
5.
Section
260C.47,
subsection
1,
unnumbered
paragraph

1,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:

The
state
board
of
education
shall
establish
an

accreditation
process
for
community
college
programs.
The

process
shall
be
jointly
developed
and
agreed
upon
by
the

department
of
education
and
the
community
colleges.
The

state
accreditation
process
shall
be
integrated
with
the

House
File
295,
p.
3

accreditation
process
of
the
higher
learning
commission

a

federally
recognized
accreditor
of
postsecondary
educational

institutions
selected
by
the
board

,
including
the
evaluation

cycle,
the
self
study
process,
and
the
criteria
for
evaluation,

which
shall
incorporate
the
standards
for
community
colleges

developed
under
section
260C.48
;
and
shall
identify
and
make

provision
for
the
needs
of
the
state
that
are
not
met
by

the
commission’s

accreditor’s
accreditation
process.
The

department
of
education
shall
use
a
two-component
process
for

the
continued
accreditation
of
community
college
programs.

Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION

.
261K.1
Definitions.

For
purposes
of
this
chapter,
unless
the
context
otherwise

requires:

1.
“Accrediting
agency”
means
an
entity
that
provides

accreditation
of
public
institutions
of
higher
education
and

that
is
not
a
government
agency.

2.
“Public
institution
of
higher
education”
means
an

institution
of
higher
learning
governed
by
the
state
board
of

regents
or
a
community
college.

Sec.
7.
NEW
SECTION

.
261K.2
Accrediting
agencies
——

adverse
action
against
institutions
for
compliance
with
state
law

prohibited.

1.
An
accrediting
agency
shall
not
take
any
adverse
action

against
a
public
institution
of
higher
education
for
complying

with
a
state
law
or
refusing
to
violate
a
state
law.

2.
Any
advers