Iowa House Bill HSB60

Iowa 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/22/25
• Refer: 1/22/25

Caption

A bill for an act prohibiting private institutions of higher education that participate in the Iowa tuition grant program from establishing diversity, equity, and inclusion offices.

Summary

HSB60 would prohibit private institutions of higher education in Iowa that participate in the Iowa tuition grant program from establishing, sustaining, supporting, or staffing a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office, unless doing so is required by federal law, state law, or accreditation standards. The bill defines the affected institutions to include accredited private institutions and certain eligible institutions under existing tuition grant law, and it incorporates the DEI definitions already used in Iowa law. The bill also creates a complaint-and-enforcement process. Any person could report a suspected violation to the attorney general, who must notify the Department of Education and the institution. The institution would then have 30 days to correct the issue or show that no violation occurred. If it does not do so to the attorney general’s satisfaction, it would become ineligible for the Iowa tuition grant program beginning the next academic year, with eligibility restored after compliance is demonstrated.

Impact

HSB60 would amend Iowa’s tuition grant eligibility statutes by adding a new compliance requirement tied to chapter 261K and by conditioning continued participation in the Iowa tuition grant program on compliance with the DEI-office prohibition. It would give the attorney general and the Department of Education a role in reviewing complaints and enforcing penalties, and it could affect private colleges’ access to state tuition grant funding if they maintain DEI offices outside the bill’s exceptions.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill received majority support in the House Committee on Higher Education, passing 7-4, but with notable opposition. The committee vote indicates the proposal is politically divisive, with support from members favoring restrictions on DEI offices and resistance from members concerned about the policy’s reach and consequences for private colleges.

Contention

The main point of contention is whether the state should use tuition grant eligibility to pressure private colleges to eliminate DEI offices. Supporters appear to view the bill as a funding-condition measure tied to institutional compliance, while opponents likely object to the restriction on campus DEI structures and the use of state grant eligibility as an enforcement tool. Additional tension comes from the bill’s exceptions for federal law, state law, and accreditation standards, which may be seen as necessary safeguards by supporters but as limited or ambiguous carveouts by critics.