This bill amends the definition of "grooming behavior" in Iowa law concerning mandatory reporting to the Board of Educational Examiners (BOEE) for licensed school employees. The current law requires various educational authorities to report any disciplinary actions against employees for inappropriate conduct with students, including grooming behavior. The bill clarifies that grooming behavior refers to a "pattern of behavior" aimed at enticing or entrapping a student, with the intent to take advantage of them for the benefit of the individual engaging in such behavior, which may include sexual acts.

The specific changes to the legal language include the insertion of "pattern of" before "behavior" and the modification of the intent from "make" to "take advantage of" the student. Additionally, the bill removes the phrase "or students" and replaces "engage" with "for the benefit of the individual engaging in the pattern of behavior." These changes aim to provide a clearer understanding of grooming behavior and enhance the reporting requirements for school employees who engage in such conduct.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 256.160