Merit Institute Merit

The Iowa Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (IA-MEWRA)

Iowa state companion to MEWRA. Builds on the Iowa Students First Act ESA (2023), Iowa charter framework, and Iowa community-college performance-funding mechanisms.

THE IOWA MERIT-BASED EDUCATION & WORKFORCE REFORM ACT (IA-MEWRA)

Vehicle: State passage. Iowa General Assembly, regular session. Primary referral to House Education / Appropriations and Senate Education / Appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Iowa Merit-Based Education & Workforce Reform Act (IA-MEWRA).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The General Assembly finds that Iowa enacted the Students First Act under Iowa Code Ch. 257.11B (universal Education Savings Account, 2023); that Iowa’s charter-school framework operates under Iowa Code Ch. 256E; that the Iowa Department of Education oversees school-performance reporting under Iowa Code Ch. 256 and the school-accreditation framework; that community-college performance reporting operates under Iowa Code Ch. 260C; that IWD administers Individual Training Accounts through Regional Workforce Development Boards under Iowa Code Ch. 84A; and that Iowa operates Future Ready Iowa Last Dollar Scholarship under Iowa Code Ch. 260H. This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH IOWA LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “Iowa outcome-based school” means a provisional school authorized under Title II by the Iowa Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“IA-OBSA”).
  2. (b) “ESA” means the Students First Act Education Savings Account under Iowa Code Ch. 257.11B.
  3. (c) “IWD ITA” means a training account under Iowa Code Ch. 84A.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Iowa Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • Iowa Code Ch. 257.11B (Students First Act).
  • Iowa Code Ch. 256E (charter schools).
  • Iowa Code Ch. 256 (Department of Education; accreditation).
  • Iowa Code Ch. 260C (community colleges).
  • Iowa Code Ch. 84A (IWD; Future Ready Iowa).
  • Iowa Code Ch. 260H (Last Dollar Scholarship).

TITLE II — IOWA OUTCOME-BASED SCHOOL AUTHORIZER

Sec. 201. Establishment of IA-OBSA

  1. (a) The Department of Education shall designate, within existing charter-authorizer infrastructure under Iowa Code Ch. 256E, an Iowa Outcome-Based School Authorizer (“IA-OBSA”).
  2. (b) IA-OBSA shall authorize provisional schools without requiring accreditation by any regional accrediting body.

Sec. 202. Outcome-Based Authorization Standard

  1. (a) Authorization requires publication of outcome metrics under Sec. 401.
  2. (b) Facilities, safety, and background-check standards applicable under Iowa Code Ch. 256E.
  3. (c) Four-year term, renewable on thresholds.

TITLE III — EDUCATION-FUND PORTABILITY

Sec. 301. Students First Act Extension

  1. (a) A Title II-authorized school is eligible as an accredited nonpublic school for Students First Act ESA purposes (or treated equivalently for Program administration) consistent with the Program’s private-school-accreditation requirements under Iowa Code Ch. 257.11B.
  2. (b) The Department of Education shall treat Title II-authorized schools on the same footing as participating schools.

Sec. 302. IWD Individual Training Accounts

  1. (a) IWD shall ensure that within 24 months, at least 50 percent of ITA disbursements flow to providers publishing outcome data in the IA-OBSA Registry or the Federal NLMF.
  2. (b) Through the Iowa ETPL under 29 U.S.C. Sec. 3152 and Iowa Code Ch. 84A.

TITLE IV — PUBLISHED OUTCOME METRICS

Sec. 401. Iowa Outcome-Metrics Registry

  1. (a) IA-OBSA shall publish completion rate; one- and three-year post-completion earnings medians; post-completion licensure, IARMC, or Federal FRAC attainment.
  2. (b) Data sources: the Iowa Statewide Longitudinal Data System maintained by the Department of Education; IWD wage records to the extent permitted by law.

Sec. 402. Coordination with the Federal NLMF

  1. (a) Registry crosswalked to the Federal NLMF.
  2. (b) Nothing authorizes disclosure of PII except as permitted by Iowa Code Ch. 22 (Examination of Public Records) and 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g (FERPA).

TITLE V — ENFORCEMENT & REMEDIES

Sec. 501. Non-Compliant Provider Remedies

  1. (a) A provisional school failing to publish or publishing materially false metrics is subject to suspension of ESA eligibility; IA-OBSA Registry suspension; administrative penalty up to $500,000 per willful violation, consistent with Iowa Code Ch. 256E enforcement.
  2. (b) No private right of action.

TITLE VI — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 601. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 602. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect July 1 of the year following enactment.

Canonical federal version: MEWRA. Other Iowa bills: IA-ACSA, IA-GT&P, IA-AI-Workforce.