Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed legislation requiring incoming undergraduates at the state’s three public universities to complete specific U.S. history and government courses designated by civics centers, starting fall 2028. House File 2800 shifts control of course fulfillment to civics centers that often lean conservative, embedding curricular authority into state-supported nontraditional academic governance. The law requires a “comprehensive survey of all American history” plus a second course in American government. At Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, civics centers designate which courses satisfy the requirement, while at the University of Iowa the statute is more prescriptive: only the Center for Intellectual Freedom will offer the courses at the flagship campus. The Republican-controlled Legislature created the Center for Intellectual Freedom last year, and the reporting cites past controversy involving conservative activist Christopher Rufo. The bill is described as mostly a budget bill with the curricular requirements added through amendments late in the legislative process. Higher-education impact is direct for admissions and advising: departments and registrars will need to align degree audits, course offerings, and transfer credit rules to ensure compliance with the mandated course path.