House File 865 amends existing Iowa law regarding nonpublic schools and the definitions of harassment and bullying in educational settings. Specifically, it updates Section 279.10 to ensure that attendance centers or schools with a year-round calendar must serve all students without limitations based on student achievement or specific traits as defined in Section 280.28.

Additionally, the bill modifies the definition of harassment and bullying in Section 280.28 by inserting the phrase "repeated and targeted" to clarify the nature of the acts that constitute harassment. It also removes language that specified harassment as being based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student, instead focusing on the creation of an objectively hostile school environment. Furthermore, the bill eliminates paragraph c of subsection 2 in Section 280.28 entirely.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 279.10, 280.28
Enrolled: 279.10, 280.28