House File 8 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 8 BY WHEELER , HOLT , STONE , DUNWELL , MOMMSEN , COLLINS , FISHER , GUSTOFF , JENEARY , VONDRAN , WULF , BRADLEY , MEGGERS , KNIFF MCCULLA , GOLDING , DEYOE , GRABER , P. THOMPSON , WILLS , GUSTAFSON , JOHNSON , BODEN , HARRIS , KAUFMANN , FRY , NORDMAN , YOUNG , HENDERSON , HORA , WOOD , OSMUNDSON , WINDSCHITL , GRASSLEY , and GERHOLD A BILL FOR An Act prohibiting instruction related to gender identity and 1 sexual orientation in school districts and charter schools 2 in kindergarten through grade three. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1684YH (2) 90 jda/jh

H.F. 8 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsections 2 and 3, Code 2023, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 2. The kindergarten program shall include experiences 3 designed to develop healthy emotional and social habits and 4 growth in the language arts and communication skills, as well 5 as a capacity for the completion of individual tasks, and 6 protect and increase physical well-being with attention given 7 to experiences relating to the development of life skills and , 8 subject to section 279.77, age-appropriate and research-based 9 human growth and development. A kindergarten teacher shall be 10 licensed to teach in kindergarten. An accredited nonpublic 11 school must meet the requirements of this subsection only if 12 the nonpublic school offers a kindergarten program ; provided, 13 however, that section 279.77 shall not apply to a nonpublic 14 school . 15 3. The following areas shall be taught in grades one through 16 six: English-language arts, social studies, mathematics, 17 science, health, age-appropriate and research-based 18 human growth and development, physical education, traffic 19 safety, music, and visual art , and, subject to section 20 279.77, age-appropriate and research-based human growth and 21 development . Computer science instruction incorporating 22 the standards established under section 256.7, subsection 23 26 , paragraph “a” , subparagraph (4), shall be offered in 24 at least one grade level commencing with the school year 25 beginning July 1, 2023. The health curriculum shall include 26 the characteristics of communicable diseases including acquired 27 immune deficiency syndrome. The state board as part of 28 accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum definitions for 29 implementing the elementary program. 30 Sec. 2. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2023, is amended 31 by adding the following new paragraph: 32 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0j. Be subject to and comply with the 33 requirements of section 279.77 relating to sexual orientation 34 and gender identity instruction in kindergarten through grade 35 -1- LSB 1684YH (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 3

H.F. 8 three in the same manner as a school district. 1 Sec. 3. Section 279.50, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2023, are 2 amended to read as follows: 3 1. Each Subject to section 279.77, each school board shall 4 provide instruction in kindergarten which gives attention 5 to experiences relating to life skills and human growth and 6 development as required in section 256.11 . School districts 7 shall use research provided in section 256.9, subsection 46 , 8 paragraph “b” , to evaluate and upgrade their instructional 9 materials and teaching strategies for human growth and 10 development. 11 2. Each school board shall provide age-appropriate and 12 research-based instruction in human growth and development 13 including instruction regarding human sexuality, self-esteem, 14 stress management, interpersonal relationships, domestic 15 abuse, HPV and the availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV, 16 and acquired immune deficiency syndrome as required in section 17 256.11 , in grades one four through twelve. 18 Sec. 4. Section 279.50, Code 2023, is amended by adding the 19 following new subsection: 20 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. Subject to section 279.77, each 21 school board shall provide age-appropriate and research-based 22 instruction in human growth and development including 23 instruction regarding human sexuality, self-esteem, stress 24 management, interpersonal relationships, domestic abuse, HPV 25 and the availability of a vaccine to prevent HPV, and acquired 26 immune deficiency syndrome as required in section 256.11, in 27 grades one through three. 28 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 279.77 Sexual orientation and gender 29 identity —— prohibited instruction. 30 1. As used in this section: 31 a. “Gender identity” means the same as defined in section 32 216.2. 33 b. “Sexual orientation” means the same as defined in section 34 216.2. 35 -2- LSB 1684YH (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 3

H.F. 8 2. A school district shall not provide any program, 1 curriculum, material, test, survey, questionnaire, activity, 2 announcement, promotion, or instruction of any kind relating 3 to gender identity or sexual orientation to students in 4 kindergarten through grade three. 5 EXPLANATION 6 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 7 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 8 This bill prohibits instruction related to gender identity 9 and sexual orientation in school districts and charter schools 10 in kindergarten through grade three. The bill makes conforming 11 changes to Code sections 256.11 (educational standards) and 12 279.50 (human growth and development instruction) to provide 13 that the human growth and development instruction provided to 14 students in kindergarten through grade three shall not include 15 any program, curriculum, material, test, survey, questionnaire, 16 activity, announcement, promotion, or instruction of any kind 17 relating to gender identity or sexual orientation. The bill 18 defines “gender identity” and “sexual orientation”. 19 The bill requires the human growth and development 20 instruction provided in the kindergarten program to be both 21 age-appropriate and research-based. 22 -3- LSB 1684YH (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 3