Iowa House Bill HSB84

Iowa 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/23/25
• Refer: 1/23/25

Caption

A bill for an act prohibiting school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools from providing any program, curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, or instruction relating to gender identity or sexual orientation to students in grades seven through twelve.

Summary

HSB84 would expand Iowa’s existing restriction on instruction relating to gender identity and sexual orientation in schools. Under current law, school districts are prohibited from providing such programs or instruction to students in kindergarten through grade 6; this bill would extend that prohibition through grade 12. The bill applies to school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools, and it covers a broad range of activities, including curriculum, tests, surveys, questionnaires, promotions, and instruction. The bill also makes conforming changes to several education statutes. It amends the required curriculum provisions for grades 7-8 and high school health education to clarify that human growth and development instruction remains required, but is subject to the new section 279.80 restriction. It updates provisions governing charter schools and innovation zone schools so they must comply with the expanded restriction in the same manner as school districts. In practical terms, the bill would limit how schools can address gender identity and sexual orientation in classroom instruction and related materials for all students from kindergarten through grade 12.

Impact

HSB84 would broaden Iowa Code section 279.80 from a K-6 restriction to a K-12 restriction, thereby prohibiting school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools from providing any program, curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, or instruction relating to gender identity or sexual orientation to students in grades 7 through 12. The bill also amends related education provisions in sections 256.11, 256E.7, 256F.4, and 279.50 to align curriculum and health education requirements with the expanded prohibition. Schools would still be required to provide human growth and development and health instruction, but those subjects would be expressly subject to the new limits.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to reflect a policy direction favoring a more restrictive approach to school instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation. The measure is framed as a continuation and expansion of an existing law, suggesting support from sponsors for extending the current K-6 policy to older students. No formal vote history or transcript evidence is provided here to show broader legislative support or opposition.

Contention

The central point of contention is likely the expansion of the existing prohibition from elementary grades to middle and high school students. Supporters would likely view the bill as a consistency measure that limits school involvement in sensitive topics and keeps such instruction out of classrooms, while opponents would likely argue that it restricts discussion of identity, student support, and health-related education for adolescents. The breadth of the ban—covering curriculum, surveys, questionnaires, promotions, and instruction—also makes it more expansive than a simple classroom-content restriction, which could raise concerns among educators and civil rights advocates about implementation and student access to information.