The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Iowa authorizes schools to offer elective junior firefighter training for eleventh and twelfth graders
Last action · June 1, 2026: Signed by Governor . S.J. 1030 .
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What This Bill Does
Iowa schools and s may now offer an elective junior firefighter program to 11th and 12th-grade students starting July 1, 2026. Participating students under 18 are permitted to perform supervised tasks such as fighting grass fires, traffic control, and handling small hoses between 6:00 a.m. and midnight, while remaining prohibited from emergency dispatch, interior structural fires, and hazardous materials incidents.
The measure establishes specific safety boundaries, liability rules, and insurance mandates for high school students engaging in practical firefighting training while barring them from workers' compensation coverage.
- Senate File 2086 originated as SSB 3007 before passing both chambers of the Iowa General Assembly during its 91st session. context
- Kim Reynolds serves as the Governor of Iowa, responsible for signing or vetoing legislation passed by the state legislature. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Students in grades eleven and twelve
Eligible students gain access to elective fire training and certification preparation while facing strict operational boundaries and liability waivers.
School districts and accredited nonpublic schools
Schools receive the option to offer the junior firefighter program and assume responsibility for student medical and liability insurance.
Local fire departments
Local fire departments must partner with schools to provide materials, skills training, supervision guidelines, and incident oversight.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What high school grade levels are eligible to participate in the junior fire fighter program?
Are students participating in the program considered employees of the fire department or city?
Can minor students participate in firefighting activities at night?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
26 actions- Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by Governor . S.J. 1030 .
- May 5, 2026SenateReported correctly enrolled, signed by President and Speaker, and sent to Governor. S.J. 1028 .
- Mar 30, 2026HouseExplanation of vote. H.J. 766 .
- Mar 24, 2026HouseMessage from House. S.J. 628 .
- Mar 24, 2026HouseImmediate message. H.J. 742 .
- Mar 24, 2026HouseFloorPassed House , yeas 95, nays 0. H.J. 731 .
Show 20 earlier actions
- Mar 19, 2026HousePlaced on calendar. H.J. 707 .
- Mar 18, 2026HouseCommittee vote: Yeas, 15. Nays, 0. Excused, 2. H.J. 707 .
- Mar 18, 2026HouseCommittee report, recommending passage. H.J. 707 .
- Mar 12, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Mar 10, 2026HouseSubcommittee Meeting: 03/12/2026 10:45AM House Lounge.
- Mar 10, 2026HouseSubcommittee: Rinker, Kniff McCulla and McBurney. H.J. 632 .
- Feb 25, 2026HouseIntroducedRead first time, referred to Labor and Workforce. H.J. 433 .
- Feb 24, 2026HouseMessage from Senate. H.J. 398 .
- Feb 24, 2026SenateImmediate message. S.J. 379 .
- Feb 24, 2026SenateFloorPassed Senate , yeas 47, nays 0. S.J. 379 .
- Feb 24, 2026SenateFloorAmendment S-5025 filed, adopted. S.J. 378 .
- Jan 22, 2026SenateCommittee report, approving bill. S.J. 135 .
- Jan 22, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 128 .
- Jan 21, 2026Iowa LegislatureCommittee report approving bill, renumbered as SF 2086 .
- Jan 21, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee recommends passage.
- Jan 21, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee reassigned: Dickey, Koelker, and Townsend.
- Jan 21, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee reassigned: Dickey, Koelker, and Townsend.
- Jan 21, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee Meeting: 01/21/2026 12:00PM Room G15.
- Jan 12, 2026Iowa LegislatureSubcommittee: Dickey, Donahue, and Koelker.
- Jan 12, 2026Iowa LegislatureIntroducedIntroduced, referred to Workforce.
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.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Establishment of Junior Firefighter Framework
The law creates a formal statutory bridge between high school education and local fire service training while explicitly shielding agencies from workers' compensation liability.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.iowa.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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