The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa Senate Bill 322 requires public university students to complete an American history and civil government course
Last action · April 3, 2025: Referred to Higher Education. H.J. 895 .Sponsor: Mark Lofgren
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What This Bill Would Do
Beginning in the 2027 academic year, public universities and community colleges offering bachelor's degrees must require students to complete a three-credit survey course in American history and civil government to graduate.
Undergraduates at public institutions of higher education must take and pass a specific civics course, which will satisfy social science general education requirements and transfer between public institutions without needing to be repeated.
- State legislatures periodically introduce bills to mandate specific curriculum requirements, such as American history and civics, for students attending public colleges and universities. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Undergraduate students at public institutions of higher education
Students must complete a specific three-credit course in American history and civil government to earn a baccalaureate degree.
Public institutions of higher education
Universities and community colleges offering bachelor's degrees must establish and administer the required survey course starting in 2027.
Key Facts
- Beginning in the 2027 academic year, public institutions of higher education must require students to complete a survey course in American history and civil government to graduate with a baccalaureate degree.
- The required course must be assigned a value of at least three semester hours of credit or its equivalent.
- The course fulfills any general education requirement in the social sciences required for graduation.
- If a student completes the course at one public institution and transfers to another, they are exempt from retaking it.
Show all 6 facts
- The bill applies to institutions governed by the state board of regents and community colleges with respect to baccalaureate degree programs.
- Mandatory reading materials include the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Rights of the Women of the United States, the Emancipation Proclamation, at least five Federalist papers, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail, and the Gettysburg Address.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the course requirement take effect?
Will transfer students have to retake the civics course?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
12 actions- Apr 3, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Higher Education. H.J. 895 .
- Feb 19, 2025SenateSubcommittee: Green, Pike, and Quirmbach. S.J. 314 .
- Feb 17, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Education. S.J. 277 .
- Feb 13, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced, placed on calendar. H.J. 321 .
- Feb 13, 2025Iowa LegislatureCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 402 .
- Feb 12, 2025HouseCommittee vote: Yeas, 7. Nays, 4. H.J. 310 .
Show 6 earlier actions
- Feb 12, 2025HouseCommittee report, recommending passage. H.J. 310 .
- Feb 5, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Feb 3, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 02/05/2025 12:00PM RM 304.1.
- Jan 28, 2025Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 01/28/2025 4:00PM RM 304 (Cancelled).
- Jan 22, 2025HouseSubcommittee: Wheeler, Holt and Kurth. H.J. 117 .
- Jan 22, 2025HouseIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Higher Education. H.J. 114 .
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Companion Bill in House
This Senate file has a direct companion bill in the House, designated as House File 402.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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