Inclusion on this list means the bill either directly targets LGBTQ Iowans, will have a primary impact on LGBTQ Iowans, or was created as a response to misinformation about LGBTQ Iowans. These are not the only bills we work on, but we consider them the most dangerous.
Note: Newer bills generally appear at the end of the list.
Last updated: 3/27/25
Threat levels are, in order:
Unknown, Low, Elevated, and High
HF80 & SF8
Context: Allows teachers and staff to misgender students, even if parents tell them not to
Status (House): Advanced out of subcommittee, eligible for debate in the House Education Committee
Status (Senate): Advanced out of Senate Education Committee, now eligible for debate on Senate floor
Sponsors (House):HAYES
Sponsors (Senate): GREEN
Threat Level: Elevated
Cleared 1st Funnel: Yes
HF51 & SF116
Context: “Obscenity” ban meant to include drag as “obscene”
Status (House): Advanced out of committee, now eligible for debate on House floor
Status (Senate): Advanced out of subcommittee, eligible for debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee
Sponsors (House): FETT
Sponsors (Senate): SALMON, CAMPBELL, WESTRICH, ALONS, GUTH, EVANS, PIKE, ROWLEY, TAYLOR and LOFGREN
Threat Level: Unknown
Cleared 1st funnel: Technically no but revived due to advancement of HF891
HF888 & SF204
Context: Among other things, removes gender neutral language from world language courses and lifts the cap on the number of unrelated children that can be homeschooled by a single person. Removes science and social studies requirements for homeschooling in grades K-6.
Status (House): Cleared House Education Committee, now eligible for debate on the House floor
Status (Senate): Cleared subcommittee, now eligible for debate in full Senate Education Committee
Sponsors (House): GUSTOFF, DUNWELL, FETT, GEHLBACH, HENDERSON, HOLT, GOLDING, BODEN, C.JOHNSON, and CISNEROS
Sponsors (Senate): PIKE, GUTH, SALMON, CAMPBELL
Threat Level: High
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF269 & SF282
Context: Prevents any course Rep Collins disagrees with from being part of a requirement for any degree program
Status (House): Cleared House floor, awaiting Senate activity
Status (Senate): Advanced out of subcommittee, now eligible for debate in Senate Education Committee
Sponsors (House): COLLINS
Sponsors (Senate): GREEN
Threat Level: Elevated
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF295
Context: Allows the attorney general to sue accrediting bodies if they remove accreditation from Iowa higher ed institutions who are out of compliance due to state laws
Status (House): Passed House floor, now awaiting activity in Senate
Sponsors (House): COLLINS
Threat Level: Elevated
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF854
Context: Removes eligibility for the Iowa Tuition Grant from any institution with a diversity office
Status (House): Advanced out of subcommittee, now eligible for debate in House Higher Education Committee
Sponsors (House): COLLINS
Threat Level: Elevated
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF855
Context: Prohibits community colleges from having diversity programming
Status (House): Advanced out of House Higher Education Committee, now eligible for debate on House floor
Sponsors (House): COLLINS
Threat Level: Elevated
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF401 & SF244
Context: Among other things, restricts regents universities from offering general education programs that include discussions of systemic sexism or racism, which would include all women’s and gender studies courses
Status (House): Cleared House floor, awaiting Senate acitivity
Status (Senate): Introduced
Sponsors (House): COLLINS
Sponsors (Senate): GREEN
Threat Level: Elevated
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
SF115
Context: Changes sex ed from opt out to opt in, prevents attendance at Safe Schools Governor’s Conference without explicit parental permission
Status (Senate): Not eligible for debate due to funnel deadline
Sponsors (Senate): SALMON, CAMPBELL, WESTRICH, ALONS, GREEN, GUTH, EVANS, PIKE, ROWLEY, TAYLOR, and LOFGREN
Threat Level: Low
Cleared 1st funnel: No
HSB84
Context: Don’t say gay/trans expansion to grades K-12
Status (House): Not eligible for debate due to funnel deadline
Sponsors (House): WHEELER
Threat Level: Low
Cleared 1st funnel: No
SF156
Context: Bathroom bill, all ages
Status (Senate): Not eligible for debate due to funnel deadline
Sponsors (House): WESTRICH
Threat Level: Low
Cleared 1st funnel: No
HF571 & SF220
Context: Allows healthcare providers, facilities, and insurance companies to deny both care and payment for procedures that they disagree with
Status House: Cleared House floor, awaiting Senate activity
Status Senate: Cleared Senate Judiciary committee, eligible for debate on Senate floor
Sponsors (House): HOLT
Sponsors (Senate): TAYLOR
Threat Level: High
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF521 & SF235
Context: Allows for obscenity charges for materials students view in libraries or at art exhibitions in legitimate educational settings. Chills speech.
Status House: Advanced out of House Education Committee, now eligible for debate on House floor
Status Senate: Advanced out of subcommittee, now eligible for debate in Senate State Government Committee
Sponsors (House): HAYES
Sponsors (Senate): SALMON
Threat Level: Elevated
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF880 & SF238
Context: Strips funding from libraries if they engage with free speech advocacy organizations like the American Library Association or pay dues to such an organization. Just another way to weaken libraries and target them for having inclusive materials.
Status House: Advanced out of House Local Government committee, now eligible for debate on House floor
Status Senate: Advanced out of subcommittee, now eligible for debate in Senate State Government Committee
Sponsors (House): HAYES
Sponsors (Senate): SALMON
Threat Level: Elevated
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
SF473
Context: Allows for discrimination in foster care placement if biological parents have certain “sincerely held religious beliefs”. Allows foster parents to put children through conversion therapy if this comports with their beliefs.
Status Senate: Cleared Senate floor, awaiting House activity
Sponsors (Senate): SALMON
Threat Level: High
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF891
Context:
Original draft: Drag ban. Makes it illegal to perform or read in front of minors while “exhbiting a gender identity that is different from the sex assigned at birth”. Felony charge and $10,000 fine.
Amended bill: allows parents to sue venues for anything they deem “obscene”
Status (House): Advanced out of House education committee, now eligible for debate on House floor
Sponsors (House): WHEELER
Threat Level: High
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF558 & SF347
Context: Book ban in public libraries, prevents anyone under 18 from accessing books that have any mention of sex including classics like The Color Purple, The Handmaid’s Tale, and 1984.
Status: Not eligible for debate due to funnel deadline
Sponsors (House): HAYES
Sponsors (Senate): SALMON, PIKE, WESTRICH, ALONS, CAMPBELL, and GUTH
Threat Level: Low
Cleared 1st funnel: No
HF583 & SF418
Context: Removes gender identity from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, removes ability to change gender marker on birth certificates, inserts restrictive definitions for “man” and “woman” into code, enshrines “separate but equal” in Iowa law.
Status: Passed by both chambers, signed by Governor Reynolds
Sponsors (House): HOLT
Sponsors (Senate): SCHULTZ
Threat Level: High
Cleared 1st funnel: NA
HSB286 & SSB1195
Context: Criminalizes homelessness with fines and jail time, creates heavily policed open air camps where basic medications will be illegal, punishes service providers for things that take place off their property
Status: Not eligible for debate due to funnel deadline
Sponsors (House): HOLT
Sponsors (Senate): WEBSTER
Threat Level: Low
Cleared 1st funnel: No
SF335
Context: Creates harsh penalties for any teacher accused of doing anything DEI related, allows parents to sue them in an individual capacity
Status: Not eligible for debate due to funnel deadline
Sponsors (Senate): SALMON, CAMPBELL, PIKE, ALONS, ROWLEY, GUTH
Threat Level: High
Cleared 1st funnel: No
HF856
Context: Prohibits state entities from enacting or promoting trainings, programming, or activities relating to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Effectively bans Black History Month and all similar recognitions.
Status (House): Cleared House floor, awaiting Senate activity
Sponsors (House): WHEELER
Threat Level: High
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HF865
Context: Removes language from bullying code related to characteristics of students
Status (House): Cleared House floor, awaiting Senate activity
Status (Senate): Cleared subcommittee, awaiting debate in Senate Education Committee
Sponsors (House): WHEELER
Threat Level: High
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes
HSB84
Context: Prevents surveying students with any questions related to sexual orientation or gender identity in grades 7-12 (already prohibited in grades K-6).
Status: Not eligible for debate due to funnel deadline
Sponsors (House): WHEELER
Threat Level: Low
Cleared 1st funnel: No
SF507
Context: Prohibits cities and counties from enacting or promoting trainings, programming, or activities relating to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Effectively bans Black History Month and all similar recognitions.
Status (Senate): Cleared Senate floor, awaiting House activity
Sponsors (Senate): WEBSTER
Threat Level: Elevated
Cleared 1st funnel: Yes