Bill Text: IA HSB53 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act prohibiting certain requirements for students and faculty at regents institutions relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory and including applicability provisions.(See HF 269.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-06 - Committee report approving bill, renumbered as HF 269. [HSB53 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-HSB53-Introduced.html
House
Study
Bill
53
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
HIGHER
EDUCATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
COLLINS)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
prohibiting
certain
requirements
for
students
and
1
faculty
at
regents
institutions
relating
to
diversity,
2
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
theory
and
including
3
applicability
provisions.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
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Section
1.
SHORT
TITLE.
This
Act
shall
be
known
and
may
be
1
cited
as
the
“Freedom
from
Indoctrination
Act”.
2
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.1
Definitions.
3
For
purposes
of
this
chapter,
unless
the
context
otherwise
4
requires:
5
1.
“Board”
means
the
state
board
of
regents.
6
2.
“Constrain”
means
failure
by
a
public
institution
of
7
higher
education
during
any
semester
to
provide
a
sufficient
8
number
of
open
seats
in
alternative
courses
for
a
student
to
9
complete
or
progress
toward
completion
of
degree
or
program
10
requirements.
11
3.
“Diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
12
theory-related
content”
means
content
that
does
one
or
more
of
13
the
following:
14
a.
Relates
any
of
the
following
topics
to
contemporary
15
American
society:
critical
theory,
systemic
racism,
16
institutional
racism,
anti-racism,
microaggressions,
systemic
17
bias,
implicit
bias,
unconscious
bias,
intersectionality,
18
social
justice,
cultural
competence,
allyship,
race-based
19
reparations,
race-based
privilege,
race
or
gender-based
20
diversity,
race
or
gender-based
equity,
or
race
or
gender-based
21
inclusion.
22
b.
Promotes
the
idea
that
racially
neutral
or
colorblind
23
laws,
policies,
or
institutions
perpetuate
oppression;
24
injustice;
race-based
privilege,
including
white
supremacy
25
or
white
privilege;
or
inequity
by
failing
to
actively
26
differentiate
on
the
basis
of
race,
sex,
or
gender.
27
c.
Promotes
the
differential
treatment
of
any
individual
28
or
groups
of
individuals
based
on
race
or
ethnicity
in
29
contemporary
American
society.
30
d.
Promotes
the
idea
that
a
student
is
biased
on
account
of
31
the
student’s
race
or
sex.
32
4.
“Diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
33
theory-related
course”
means
any
course
for
which
the
course
34
description,
course
overview,
course
objectives,
proposed
35
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student
learning
outcomes,
written
examinations,
or
written
or
1
oral
assignments
for
which
the
student
will
receive
a
grade,
2
includes
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
3
theory-related
content.
4
5.
“Diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
5
theory
practices”
means
any
requirement
or
guidance
that
6
a
course
instructor
include
or
curate
materials
on
the
7
basis
of
the
race,
sex,
or
gender
identity
of
an
author
or
8
authors.
“Diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
9
theory
practices”
also
means
participating
in
any
workshop,
10
training,
seminar,
or
professional
development
on
any
11
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
theory-related
12
content.
“Diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
13
theory
practices”
does
not
include
any
programming
explicitly
14
required
by
the
public
institution
of
higher
education’s
legal
15
obligations
to
comply
with
Tit.
IX
of
the
Education
Amendments
16
of
1972,
as
amended,
the
Americans
with
Disabilities
Act,
as
17
amended,
the
Age
Discrimination
in
Employment
Act,
as
amended,
18
Tit.
VI
of
the
Civil
Rights
Act
of
1964,
or
an
applicable
court
19
order.
20
6.
“Public
institution
of
higher
education”
means
an
21
institution
of
higher
learning
governed
by
the
board.
22
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.2
Limitation
on
academic
23
requirements.
24
The
board
shall
establish
a
policy
that
ensures
that
public
25
institutions
of
higher
education
do
not
require
or
constrain
26
students
to
enroll
in
a
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
27
critical
race
theory-related
course
in
order
to
satisfy
the
28
requirements
of
any
academic
degree
program,
including
general
29
education,
major,
minor,
or
certificate
requirements,
except
30
as
provided
in
section
261K.4.
31
Sec.
4.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.3
Limitation
on
faculty
32
requirements.
33
A
public
institution
of
higher
education,
or
any
employee,
34
appointee,
or
committee
acting
on
its
behalf,
shall
not
35
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require,
solicit,
or
incentivize
faculty
of
the
institution
1
to
apply
or
participate
in
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
2
critical
race
theory
practices
or
include
diversity,
equity,
3
inclusion,
and
critical
race
theory-related
content
in
any
4
course
as
a
condition
of
approval,
designation,
or
listing
5
as
part
of
any
academic
degree
program,
including
general
6
education;
major,
minor,
or
certificate
requirements;
or
as
a
7
condition
of
consideration
in
any
faculty
member’s
performance
8
assessment,
promotion,
tenure,
salary
adjustment,
or
any
other
9
incentive,
except
as
provided
in
section
261K.4.
10
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.4
Exemptions.
11
The
board
may
grant
an
exemption
from
the
requirements
of
12
sections
261K.2
and
261K.3
for
the
academic
degree
program
13
requirements
of
any
major,
minor,
certificate,
or
academic
unit
14
if
the
title
thereof
clearly
establishes
its
course
of
study
15
as
primarily
focused
on
racial,
ethnic,
or
gender
studies.
16
However,
a
student
shall
not
be
required
or
constrained
to
17
enroll
in
any
such
program
or
course
in
order
to
satisfy
the
18
requirements
of
any
other
academic
degree
program,
including
19
general
education
requirements,
or
any
other
major,
minor,
or
20
certificate
requirements.
21
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.5
Enforcement.
22
Any
person
may
notify
the
attorney
general
of
a
potential
23
violation
of
this
chapter
by
a
public
institution
of
higher
24
education.
The
attorney
general
may
bring
an
action
against
a
25
public
institution
of
higher
education
for
a
writ
of
mandamus
26
to
compel
the
institution,
or
any
employee,
appointee,
or
27
committee
acting
on
its
behalf,
to
comply
with
this
chapter.
28
Sec.
7.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.6
Construction.
29
This
chapter
shall
not
be
construed
to
limit
the
academic
30
freedom
of
any
individual
course
instructor
to
direct
the
31
instruction
within
the
instructor’s
own
course
or
to
limit
the
32
free
discussion
of
ideas
in
a
classroom
setting.
33
Sec.
8.
APPLICABILITY.
This
Act
applies
to
academic
years
34
at
public
institutions
of
higher
education,
as
defined
in
35
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section
261K.1,
as
enacted
by
this
Act,
beginning
on
or
after
1
July
1,
2026.
2
EXPLANATION
3
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
4
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
5
This
bill
prohibits
certain
requirements
for
students
and
6
faculty
at
regents
institutions
relating
to
diversity,
equity,
7
inclusion,
and
critical
race
theory.
8
The
bill
requires
the
state
board
of
regents
to
establish
a
9
policy
that
ensures
that
regents
institutions
do
not
require
or
10
constrain
students
to
enroll
in
a
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
11
and
critical
race
theory-related
course,
as
defined
in
the
12
bill,
in
order
to
satisfy
the
requirements
of
any
academic
13
degree
program,
including
general
education,
major,
minor,
or
14
certificate
requirements.
15
The
bill
provides
that
a
regents
institution
or
any
16
employee,
appointee,
or
committee
acting
on
its
behalf,
shall
17
not
require,
solicit,
or
incentivize
faculty
of
the
institution
18
to
apply
or
participate
in
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
19
critical
race
theory
practices
or
include
diversity,
equity,
20
inclusion,
and
critical
race
theory-related
content,
as
21
defined
in
the
bill,
in
any
course
as
a
condition
of
approval,
22
designation,
or
listing
as
part
of
any
academic
degree
program,
23
including
general
education;
major,
minor,
or
certificate
24
requirements;
or
as
a
condition
of
consideration
in
any
faculty
25
member’s
performance
assessment,
promotion,
tenure,
salary
26
adjustment,
or
any
other
incentive.
27
The
bill
authorizes
the
board
to
grant
an
exemption
from
28
these
provisions
for
the
academic
degree
program
requirements
29
of
any
major,
minor,
certificate,
or
academic
unit
if
the
title
30
thereof
clearly
establishes
its
course
of
study
as
primarily
31
focused
on
racial,
ethnic,
or
gender
studies.
However,
a
32
student
shall
not
be
required
or
constrained
to
enroll
in
any
33
such
program
or
course
in
order
to
satisfy
the
requirements
of
34
any
other
academic
degree
program,
including
general
education
35
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requirements,
or
any
other
major,
minor,
or
certificate
1
requirements.
2
The
bill
authorizes
any
person
to
notify
the
attorney
3
general
of
a
potential
violation
of
the
requirements
of
the
4
bill
by
a
regents
institution.
The
attorney
general
may
bring
5
an
action
against
a
regents
institution
for
a
writ
of
mandamus
6
to
compel
the
institution,
or
any
employee,
appointee,
or
7
committee
acting
on
its
behalf,
to
comply
with
the
requirements
8
of
the
bill.
9
The
bill
shall
not
be
construed
to
limit
the
academic
freedom
10
of
any
individual
course
instructor
to
direct
the
instruction
11
within
the
instructor’s
own
course
or
to
limit
the
free
12
discussion
of
ideas
in
a
classroom
setting.
13
The
bill
applies
to
academic
years
at
public
institutions
of
14
higher
education
beginning
on
or
after
July
1,
2026.
15
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