Government : 5 bipartisan bills to help students & improve schools

The bills moving through the Iowa Legislature that get the most public attention are often the few controversial pieces of legislation. The reality is that most initiatives we take up at the Statehouse have bipartisan support, and many pass unanimously.

Here are five bipartisan bills that recently came out of the Senate Education Committee, on which I serve, and are well on their way to becoming law this year:

1. Helping students with intellectual disabilities achieve their full potential - HF 2495 sets up a scholarship program through the College Student Aid Commission to help young adults with intellectual disabilities transition to and pay for the college and career training that meets their needs.

2. Ensuring literacy for deaf and hard-of-hearing children - HF 604 establishes a program to assess, monitor and track language development for deaf and hard-of-hearing kids. The goal is to use American Sign Language and spoken-word communication to support students in hitting their grade-level milestones.

3. Putting more good teachers in Iowa classrooms - HF 2081 eliminates certain standardized testing requirements that put up unnecessary barriers for many prospective teachers who are highly qualified to be in our classrooms. With Iowa's on-going workforce shortage and many teachers leaving the profession, this bill couldn't come at a better time.

4. Maintaining healthier school buildings - Iowa has the highest average indoor radon concentration in the nation. Under HF 2412, school districts will be able to use school infrastructure funds to test for and reduce dangerous levels of deadly gas. In addition, all new school buildings will use radon-resistant construction techniques. Known as the "Gail Orcutt School Radon Safety Act," the bill is named for an Iowa teacher who was exposed to radon while working on the lower level of a school building. Gail became a strong advocate for radon testing and mitigation. Unfortunately, she died in 2020 from radon-induced lung cancer.

5. Saving lives with new asthma protocols - HF 771 allows schools to buy, stock and administer asthma medication so that students get quicker access to treatments when suffering respiratory distress. Short-acting bronchodilators are easy to administer, inexpensive and safe. The medication may be self-administered by asthmatic students or administered by trained school staff.

These aren't the bills you typically hear about in the news, but I believe they will have a big impact on students, lives and our workforce. Every small step we take in a positive direction can add up to a better, brighter Iowa future.

State Senator Eric Giddens works for the people of Iowa Senate District 38, which includes Cedar Falls, Hudson, Traer, Dysart, Evansdale, Elk Run Heights, Gilbertville, Washburn, LaPorte City and Mount Auburn. Contact him at 319-230-0578 or eric.giddens@legis.iowa.gov.