House File 285 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 285
BY BRADLEY
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to excused absences for certain autism-related
2 health care activities for students of a school district.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
TLSB 2092HH (2) 90
dg/jh
 H.F. 285
1 Section 1. Section 299.1, Code 2023, is amended by adding
2 the following new subsection:
3 NEW SUBSECTION. 3. Policies and rules adopted by a board of
4 directors of a public school district pursuant to this section
5 shall include excusing the absence of a student who has been
6 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as defined in section
7 514C.28, subsection 2, to do any of the following:
8 a. Attend an appointment with a health care practitioner.
9 b. Receive services generally recognized to assist people
10 with autism spectrum disorder including applied behavioral
11 analysis, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.
12 c. Travel to an appointment or receive services as described
13 in paragraph “a” or “b”.
14 EXPLANATION
15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
16 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
17 This bill requires the policies and rules adopted by a public
18 school district’s board of directors to include excusing the
19 absence of a student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder
20 to attend an appointment with a health care practitioner; to
21 receive services generally recognized to assist people with
22 autism spectrum disorder including applied behavioral analysis,
23 speech therapy, and occupational therapy; or to travel to these
24 appointments or services. The bill’s requirements do not
25 extend to charter schools or nonpublic schools.
LSB 2092HH (2) 90
-1- dg/jh 1/1


Statutes affected:
Introduced: 299.1