DES MOINES, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – The Iowa Board of Education is taking public feedback as it crafts rules for implementing several state education laws signed in 2025 — including one addressing fetal development education.

The board took several actions during its meeting Wednesday on rulemaking as directed by the Legislature earlier this year. This included beginning a period of public comments for rules on two laws signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, Senate File 175 on fetal development education, and House File 295 on community college accreditation.

Democrats had opposed both measures during the legislative session. The law on fetal development instruction was modeled after laws in other states that directly reference the “Meet Baby Olivia” video made by the anti-abortion group Live Action. Iowa’s law requires human growth and development classes for students in grades 5-12 include visuals, such as ultrasound video or computer-generated renderings or animations that depict “the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal human development, starting at fertilization.”

The measure also includes a ban on showing materials about fetal development from entities that perform or “promote” abortions, or which contracts, affiliates, or makes referrals to providers that perform or promote abortions.

Democrats and reproductive health care advocates say the law is a means to promote anti-abortion material in public schools, and could lead to the distribution of medically inaccurate information. These concerns were heightened by the ban on materials from institutions that perform or refer patients for abortion care, as the law does not exclude information from organizations that provide abortions when medically necessary or allowed under the state’s six-week abortion ban.

Thomas Mayes, general counsel for the Iowa Department of Education, introduced the proposal to amend parts of Iowa Code to implement these requirements — as well as making a clarification that the state’s ban on materials with descriptions or depictions of sex acts in K-12 schools does not conflict with the fetal development instruction requirements. Mayes said in its current form, the rulemaking proposal is “strictly in line with the statute,” and does not contain any “elaboration” on parts of the law that could be in question.

The other law posted for intended rulemaking action was on state universities and community colleges, and accrediting bodies’ ability to take action against community colleges for following certain state laws. The measure states accreditors cannot take adverse actions against Iowa higher education institutions for following or refusing to break state law — and states that if a public higher education institute is “negatively affected by adverse action” for such a violation, the state attorney general can authorize bringing a civil action against the accrediting agency in question.

The rulemaking change would allow more accrediting agencies to sanction public higher education institutes. Under previous Iowa law and rules, the Higher Learning Commission was the only named agency able to perform this duty. The proposed change “broadens the menu of accreditors to any federally recognized accreditor that (the board) in the future may have approved,” Mayes said.

Both of the rulemaking proposals are open for public feedback before implementation. Public hearings will be held Dec. 30 at the Grimes State Office Building, in addition to having video conferences available. Public comments can also be emailed to Mayes.