Capitol Notebook: Bill to restrict cellphones in classrooms goes to Iowa governor’s desk

Iowa students will be required to put away their cellphones in the classroom under a bill that’s headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ desk to be signed into law.

After initially passing the legislation in March, Iowa House lawmakers approved a Senate-added amendment Tuesday, advancing the bill out of both chambers. It passed the House with a vote of 92-4 on Tuesday.

House File 782 would require school districts, charter schools and innovation zone schools to adopt policies restricting cellphone use during instructional time. The state Department of Education will be required to develop model policies as a base, though districts may instead choose to enact stricter policies.

This legislation is one of Reynolds’ priorities this session. She argues it will decrease cyberbullying and classroom distractions.

“Digital distractions are at an all-time high, disrupting focus, learning, and productivity in our classrooms,” Reynolds said in a statement. “Iowa students deserve to learn free from the disruption of personal electronic devices to fully focus on their education. We’ve seen tremendous progress in student behavior and engagement at our schools that have already implemented such policies. I look forward to signing this bill, allowing every Iowa student to once again prioritize learning.”

Democratic Rep. Heather Matson, of Ankeny, said she supports the legislation, but is concerned about the Senate-added amendment that would set a May 1 implementation date.

“I feel like that's a little bit of a tight time frame,” Matson said during House debate Tuesday. “My hope is certainly that they (school districts) have something ready to go already.”

Senate Republicans set state spending targets

Iowa’s state general fund budget would spend $9.4 billion in the fiscal year that begins July 1 under a proposal issued Tuesday by Iowa Senate Republicans.

The state is expected to collect $8.5 billion in revenue in the coming budget year, according to the latest projections from the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. State revenue collections are expected to be down largely due to recently enacted reductions to most Iowans’ state income taxes.

Gov. Kim Reynolds also proposed a $9.4 billion state budget in January; Senate Republicans said their proposal is $22.2 million less than Reynolds’.

House Republicans have not yet published their budget targets.

While details of Senate Republicans’ spending plan were not yet available, they said it would leave a total $6 billion in the state’s general fund surplus, Taxpayer Relief Fund and other emergency accounts.

As of March, for the 2026 state budget year, the state’s general fund surplus is projected to have $1.7 billion, the Taxpayer Relief Fund $3.6 billion, and the state’s Cash Reserve and Economic Emergency funds a combined $850 million, for a total of just more than $6 billion, according to LSA projections.

“Iowa continues to be in a strong position as our state grows and adjusts to the pro-growth, pro-taxpayer policies Republicans have enacted,” Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, said in a statement. “With the implementation of our historic flat tax and conservative spending practices, Senate Republicans are dedicated to yet another responsible budget for this next fiscal year. We look forward to working with the House of Representatives on what that budget looks like as we work towards the final weeks of the legislative session.”

Senate Democrats argue for more nursing home protections

Iowa Senate Democrats on Tuesday made multiple proposals to create more state oversight of nursing homes through amendments on a bill that would allow nursing homes to provide context or evidence to the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing before the state agency would issue a citation for deficient practices.

Senate Democrats proposed amendments to the bill that would have increased the frequency of unannounced nursing home inspections; allowed family members to have monitoring cameras in residents’ rooms; prohibited private equity funds or real estate investment trusts from purchasing nursing homes; and allowed nursing home residents to participate in the bill’s process for providing context to DIAL.

Senate Republicans in the majority rejected all four amendments: they eliminated the first three on procedural grounds, ruling they were not relevant to the bill, and voted down the fourth.

The bill, House File 309, passed the Senate on a 39-9 vote, with three Democrats joining all Republicans in support. Having previously passed the House on a 91-1 vote, the bill heads to Gov. Kim Reynolds for her consideration.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau