Many education laws leave the details to state agencies. The Department of Education, the State Board of Education and the Board of Educational Examiners write administrative rules that say how a law works in practice: what schools must report, what a license requires, how a program runs.
The stages
- Regulatory Analysis. Before proposing a rule, the agency publishes an analysis of what it would do and what it would cost. It takes public comment and holds a hearing.
- Notice of Intended Action. The proposed rule text is published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin, with a deadline for comments (at least 20 days) and usually a public hearing.
- Review. The Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee, a group of legislators from both parties, can review any rule and object to it.
- Adopted and Filed. The agency adopts the final rule, which may change after comments. It usually takes effect about a month after it is published.
How to comment
- Open the rule on our Rules page to see its deadline and the bill it carries out.
- Comment on rules.iowa.gov, or email or mail the contact named in the notice.
- Say which part of the rule you mean, what you want changed, and how it affects your school or family.
- If there is a public hearing, you can speak in person or by video, or send written comments instead.