Only Iowa college to require COVID-19 vaccines drops mandate after state law bans them
The only college in the state to require the COVID-19 vaccine for students is dropping its mandate as a result of a new Iowa law.
Grinnell College will not require students to be vaccinated for the virus when they return in the fall. The private college's change in policy from the previous year comes after the Iowa Legislature passed a law this spring prohibiting such requirements at colleges, universities, K-12 schools and licensed child care centers through mid-2029. The law went into effect July 1.
"Grinnell College continues to prioritize the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and community, and strongly encourage COVID-19 vaccination/boosters for all students who will be attending classes this fall," the college said in a statement provided to the Des Moines Register.
A follow-up statement confirmed the change in policy stems from the new law.
The college, which about 1,700 students attend, does not offer summer courses that the law would immediately affect.
Grinnell College in April 2021 had announced it would begin requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for students that fall, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. But later that spring, the Iowa Legislature passed a separate law that would deny state-funded grants and contracts to local governments and businesses — including private colleges — that required customers to prove they had received the vaccine.
Grinnell College maintained its requirement that fall despite the 2021 law. In a May 2021 statement, president Anne F. Harris said college leaders had consulted with their legal counsel and believed they could still "fully comply with the law" by not requiring anyone to carry a public proof of vaccination.
"We will not require public disclosure of COVID vaccination status," her statement said. "Students will need to agree to all vaccination requirements before being invited to Grinnell."
In either case, the effect of the 2021 law would likely have been minimal because private colleges don't rely on state funds. The law does not jeopardize a college's ability to receive the Iowa Tuition Grant, a state-funded grant that goes to eligible private colleges and universities.
The subsequent 2022 law, House File 2298, now directly bans COVID-19 vaccine requirements at colleges and schools as a condition of enrollment. However, it does not carry penalties.
But the college said in a statement on Friday that "Grinnell College follows all applicable state and federal laws, adjusting our operating procedures as changes go into effect."
State Rep. Henry Stone, the Forest City Republican who introduced the legislation this year, said he had Grinnell in mind when he introduced it and is pleased that it worked without the need for penalties.
"I guess you could say they were the impetus for the bill," Stone said. "And just trying to stay out in front of it."
Stone said he proposed the law and the seven-year exemption because he believes there should be more time before educational institutions can require the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found the vaccines to be safe and effective. The number of Iowans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is 59%, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.
Democrats largely opposed the bill in both the Iowa House and Senate, saying that they were concerned the law could prevent schools and child care centers from taking necessary steps in the future if the pandemic worsens.
"I am just saddened that this is happening," said state Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines, D-Des Moines, who taught in the Des Moines Public School district for 40 years and now teaches at Des Moines Area Community College. "It says to me that we are opening up the door for problems."
Gary Steinke, president of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, said he is not aware of any other private colleges that had been requiring the vaccine or that had intended to require the COVID-19 vaccine next academic year. The group did not lobby for or against the legislation this year.
The Iowa Board of Regents had not required the vaccines for students at the state's three public universities after taking the position that the 2021 Iowa law banned them from doing so. None of Iowa's community colleges have required the vaccine.
While Grinnell is seeing the most immediate effect from the state law, the new Iowa law is more far-reaching, covering COVID-19 vaccine mandates at K-12 schools as well as child care centers. It applies to virtual attendees as well as in-person.
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The COVID-19 vaccine became available for children ages 6 months and older starting in late June. They had previously only been open for children 5 and older.
Iowa State Education Association spokesperson Jean Hessburg said the group was not aware of any Iowa K-12 schools that had required COVID-19 vaccination for students prior to the law, saying it was "a solution in search of a problem."
Ian Richardson covers the Iowa Statehouse for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Grinnell College drops COVID-19 mandate due to new Iowa law
