Iowa parents and guardians would have more authority over their child's vaccines and health education under two bills Senate lawmakers have advanced. The bills, both introduced by Republican lawmakers, advanced out of their respective subcommittees Thursday, with those opposing the legislation saying it would hurt children who live in unsafe homes and create more work for school districts.
Senate File would require Iowa guardians and parents to opt in their K students into human growth and development courses. Current law automatically enrolls students into human growth and development courses, with an option for a guardian to opt them out.
Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, who didn't sign off on the bill, said Iowa has already opened up many choices for parents of students, and the requirement would add more work for schools. They can go to a nonpublic school. They can go to a charter school. They can homeschool," Winckler said. The bill would allow parents to open transparency between a parent and school about what coursework is being taught in relation to a student's identity and sexuality, said Sen.
Sandy Salmon, R-Janesville, who cosponsored the bill. Margaret Buckton, a lobbyist with the Rural School Advocates of Iowa and the Urban Education Network of Iowa, said if the nearly , students in Iowa accessed a course involving human growth and development requiring at least five permission slips signed during their complete K education, Iowa schools would have to record an estimated 2. Senate File 20 would require parental consent for a juvenile to receive a vaccine to protect against infection of human papillomavirus.
The bill passed out of its subcommittee , with Sen. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines voting against it. The legislation withdraws minors' legal capacity to consent to "vaccinations for a sexually transmitted disease or infection. Salmon, who supports the bill, said she thinks the child should have parental consent for all vaccines. A vaccine's risks and benefits can be long-term, so I think it needs to have parental input on that decision," she said.
