Iowa school drill law

What drills does Iowa require?

Iowa Code § 10A.522 has the state require all public and private school officials and teachers to hold at least four fire drills and at least four tornado drills in every school building each school year while school is in session. Iowa Code § 280.30 requires school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to hold an emergency operations drill, based on their emergency operations plan, at least once a school year in each building where students are taught.

When must fire and tornado drills happen?

At least two drills of each type must be held between July 1 and December 31, and at least two between January 1 and June 30. The school fire warning system may be used only for fire drills or emergency warnings. The State Fire Marshal's rules also require public and private schools to hold fire drills as Iowa Code § 10A.522 specifies. Iowa's adopted state fire code sets school fire and severe weather drills by reference to the same statute. Those State Fire Marshal rules adopt their listed publications as general fire safety requirements for all occupancies, unless a provision written for a specific occupancy explicitly excludes them. The fire and tornado drill law used to sit at Iowa Code § 100.31 and was moved to § 10A.522.

What does the emergency operations drill involve?

The emergency operations plan must cover, at least, responses to active shooter scenarios and natural disasters. Schools must consult local emergency management coordinators and local law enforcement when writing the plan. The drill may be a tabletop exercise, a walk-through, a partial drill or a full drill. The board or school authorities decide which staff take part, and whether students or local law enforcement take part. The emergency operations drill does not replace or change the fire and tornado drill requirements.

Do the rules reach charter schools?

The Department of Education's charter school rule says the applicable health and safety requirements for charter schools include child abuse reporting, abuse investigations, and seclusion and restraint. The list is open-ended, and it does not name school drills or Iowa Code § 280.30.

What about school bus drills?

Each student who rides in a school vehicle must be taught safe riding practices and take part in emergency evacuation drills at least twice a school year, once in the fall and once in the spring. Records of these bus drills must be kept locally for five years and made available on request.

Must schools report drills or notify parents?

The fire and tornado drill statute, Iowa Code § 10A.522(1), sets drill counts and timing. It requires no reporting or certification of drills, no parent notice, and sets no limits on how realistic a drill may be. The emergency operations drill statute, Iowa Code § 280.30(2), likewise requires no reporting or certification of the drill and no parent notice, and sets no limits on drill realism or student opt-outs.

What bills have been filed?

HF 586, a 2025 bill, deals with fire alarms set off on school grounds outside of a fire drill. Its only recorded action is its February 25, 2025 introduction and referral to the House Education Committee; it never left committee. HF 603, a 2025 school safety bill, would have had the Department of Education study how to include first responders in the annual emergency operations drills. It was not enacted. HF 603's last action was on March 25, 2025, when a House Appropriations subcommittee recommended passage; it went no further.