Some agreements between public schools in Iowa and local libraries would be blocked under a bill advanced Wednesday by the House Education Committee.
The bill (HSB 636) would bar schools from letting students use their school IDs to access books and other materials from local public libraries. It would also stop libraries from bringing bookmobiles onto school property.
Katherine Bogaards, with the conservative advocacy group Protect My Innocence, said the bill is needed to stop schools from going around a 2023 law that bans school libraries from having books with sexually explicit content.
“It closes the loopholes,” she said. “It ensures schools remain accountable to parents, accountable to the taxpayer, transparent to the public and compliant with the law.”
Those against the bill said it would create more barriers for students.
In August 2025, Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) announced a partnership with the local library that allows around 12,000 middle school and high school students access to library materials using their student ID card.
Christopher Rants, a lobbyist for DMPS, spoke against the proposal. He said five of the district’s schools don’t have libraries and rely on the partnership.
“The Des Moines Public Schools has listened to what we've been told by the state: Be more efficient. You've got to compete. Do more with less. Eliminate duplications. Find ways to be efficient,” he said. “So that's what they've done.”
Opponents of the House bill also said it’s a form of overreach on local decision-making.