House Study Bill 84 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER) A BILL FOR An Act prohibiting school districts, charter schools, and 1 innovation zone schools from providing any program, 2 curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, 3 or instruction relating to gender identity or sexual 4 orientation to students in grades seven through twelve. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 1364YC (3) 91 jda/jh
H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 4, Code 2025, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 4. The following shall be taught in grades seven and 3 eight: English-language arts; social studies, including 4 instruction related to civics; mathematics; science; 5 subject to section 279.80, health; subject to section 6 279.80, age-appropriate and research-based human growth and 7 development; career exploration and development; physical 8 education; music; and visual art. Computer science instruction 9 incorporating the standards established under section 256.7, 10 subsection 26 , paragraph a , subparagraph (4), shall be 11 offered in at least one grade level commencing with the 12 school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration 13 and development shall be designed so that students are 14 appropriately prepared to create an individual career 15 and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61 , incorporate 16 foundational career and technical education concepts aligned 17 with the six career and technical education service areas as 18 defined in subsection 5 , paragraph h , incorporate relevant 19 twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness, 20 and introduce students to career opportunities within the 21 local community and across this state. The health curriculum 22 shall include age-appropriate and research-based information 23 regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. 24 The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt 25 curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades 26 seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to 27 the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic 28 schools. 29 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph j, 30 subparagraph (1), Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 31 (1) One unit of health education which may include personal 32 health; food and nutrition; environmental health; safety 33 and survival skills; consumer health; family life; subject 34 to section 279.80, age-appropriate and research-based human 35 -1- LSB 1364YC (3) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3
H.F. _____ growth and development; substance use disorder and nonuse; 1 emotional and social health; health resources; cardiopulmonary 2 resuscitation; and prevention and control of disease, including 3 age-appropriate and research-based information regarding 4 sexually transmitted diseases. 5 Sec. 3. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph p, Code 6 2025, is amended to read as follows: 7 p. Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section 8 279.80 relating to sexual orientation and gender identity 9 instruction in kindergarten through grade six twelve in the 10 same manner as a school district. 11 Sec. 4. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, paragraph n, Code 12 2025, is amended to read as follows: 13 n. Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section 14 279.80 relating to sexual orientation and gender identity 15 instruction in kindergarten through grade six twelve in the 16 same manner as a school district. 17 Sec. 5. Section 279.50, subsection 3, Code 2025, is amended 18 to read as follows: 19 3. Each Subject to section 279.80, each school board shall 20 provide age-appropriate and research-based instruction in 21 human growth and development including instruction regarding 22 human sexuality, self-esteem, stress management, interpersonal 23 relationships, domestic abuse, and the prevention and control 24 of disease, including sexually transmitted diseases as required 25 in section 256.11 , in grades seven through twelve. 26 Sec. 6. Section 279.80, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 27 to read as follows: 28 2. A school district shall not provide any program, 29 curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, or 30 instruction relating to gender identity or sexual orientation 31 to students in kindergarten through grade six twelve . 32 EXPLANATION 33 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 34 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 35 -2- LSB 1364YC (3) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3
H.F. _____ This bill prohibits school districts, charter schools, and 1 innovation zone schools from providing any program, curriculum, 2 test, survey, questionnaire, promotion, or instruction relating 3 to gender identity or sexual orientation to students in grades 4 7 through 12, extending the current prohibition that applies to 5 such students in kindergarten through grade 6. 6 -3- LSB 1364YC (3) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3