Bill Text: IA SF2055 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act prohibiting persons from entering single and multiple occupancy restrooms or changing areas and other facilities in public accommodations that do not correspond with the person's biological sex, and including effective date provisions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-01-22 - Subcommittee: Salmon, Celsi, and Westrich. S.J. 132. [SF2055 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-SF2055-Introduced.html
Senate
File
2055
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
2055
BY
SALMON
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
prohibiting
persons
from
entering
single
and
multiple
1
occupancy
restrooms
or
changing
areas
and
other
facilities
2
in
public
accommodations
that
do
not
correspond
with
the
3
person’s
biological
sex,
and
including
effective
date
4
provisions.
5
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
6
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Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
216.9B
Single
and
multiple
1
occupancy
restrooms
or
changing
areas
in
public
accommodations
——
2
use
by
persons
of
same
biological
sex.
3
1.
As
used
in
this
section:
4
a.
“Multiple
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area”
means
an
5
area
in
a
public
accommodation
building
designed
or
designated
6
to
be
used
by
more
than
one
person
at
a
time,
in
which
persons
7
may
be
in
various
stages
of
undress
in
the
presence
of
other
8
persons.
“Multiple
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area”
includes
9
but
is
not
limited
to
a
restroom,
locker
room,
changing
room,
10
or
shower
room.
11
b.
“Sex”
means
a
person’s
biological
sex
as
female
or
male,
12
as
listed
on
a
person’s
official
birth
certificate
issued
at
or
13
near
the
time
of
the
person’s
birth.
14
c.
“Single
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area”
means
an
area
15
in
a
public
accommodation
designed
or
designated
to
be
used
by
16
one
person
at
a
time,
in
which
the
person
may
be
in
various
17
stages
of
undress.
“Single
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area”
18
includes
a
restroom,
locker
room,
changing
room,
or
shower
19
room.
20
2.
It
shall
not
be
an
unfair
or
discriminatory
practice
21
for
a
public
accommodation
to
require
a
single
or
multiple
22
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area
to
be
designated
only
for
23
and
used
by
persons
of
the
same
biological
sex
as
provided
in
24
this
section.
It
shall
not
be
an
unfair
or
discriminatory
25
practice
to
prohibit
a
person
from
using
a
single
or
multiple
26
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area
that
does
not
correspond
27
with
the
person’s
biological
sex
as
provided
in
this
section.
28
3.
A
public
accommodation
shall
require
a
multiple
29
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area
to
be
designated
only
for
30
and
used
by
persons
of
the
same
sex.
A
person
shall
not
enter
31
a
multiple
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area,
or
a
single
32
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area
designated
only
for
persons
33
of
the
same
sex,
that
does
not
correspond
with
the
person’s
34
sex.
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4.
A
person
who,
for
any
reason,
desires
greater
privacy
1
when
using
a
single
or
multiple
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
2
area,
or
other
facility,
may
submit
a
request
for
access
to
3
alternative
facilities.
The
public
accommodation
official
or
4
employee
to
whom
a
request
is
submitted
shall
evaluate
such
5
request
and
shall,
to
the
extent
reasonable,
offer
options
for
6
alternative
facilities.
In
no
event
shall
any
accommodation
7
be
made
that
includes
access
to
a
multiple
occupancy
restroom
8
or
changing
area
or
a
single
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
9
area
designated
for
use
by
persons
of
the
opposite
sex
while
10
persons
of
the
opposite
sex
are
present
or
could
be
present.
11
Reasonable
accommodations
may
include
any
of
the
following:
12
a.
Access
to
a
single
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area.
13
b.
Access
to
a
unisex
single
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
14
area
by
only
one
person
at
a
time.
15
c.
Controlled
use
of
staff
or
personnel
multiple
occupancy
16
restroom
or
changing
area
or
a
single
occupancy
restroom
or
17
changing
area.
18
5.
This
section
shall
not
be
construed
to
prohibit
a
public
19
accommodation
from
doing
any
of
the
following:
20
a.
Adopting
policies
necessary
to
accommodate
disabled
21
persons
or
young
children
in
need
of
physical
assistance
when
22
using
a
multiple
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area,
a
single
23
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area,
or
other
facility.
24
b.
Permitting
access
to
a
multiple
occupancy
restroom
or
25
changing
area,
a
single
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area,
or
26
other
facility
for
custodial
or
maintenance
purposes
when
such
27
facility
is
not
occupied
by
a
member
of
the
opposite
sex.
28
c.
Rendering
medical
assistance.
29
d.
Permitting
access
to
a
multiple
occupancy
restroom
or
30
changing
area,
a
single
occupancy
restroom
or
changing
area,
or
31
other
facility
or
setting
during
a
natural
disaster,
emergency,
32
or
when
necessary
to
prevent
a
serious
threat
to
a
person’s
33
safety.
34
6.
a.
A
citizen
of
this
state
may
file
a
complaint
with
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the
office
of
the
attorney
general
that
a
public
accommodation
1
is
in
violation
of
the
provisions
of
this
section
if
all
of
the
2
following
are
true:
3
(1)
The
citizen
provides
written
notice
to
the
public
4
accommodation
describing
the
violation.
5
(2)
The
public
accommodation
does
not
cure
the
violation
6
within
three
business
days
after
receiving
written
notice
of
7
the
violation.
8
b.
A
complaint
filed
pursuant
to
this
section
shall
include
9
all
of
the
following:
10
(1)
A
copy
of
the
written
notice
delivered
to
the
public
11
accommodation.
12
(2)
A
signed
statement
by
the
citizen
describing
the
13
violation
and
stating
that
notice
was
provided.
14
c.
Upon
receipt
of
a
complaint,
the
attorney
general
shall
15
investigate
the
violation
described
in
the
complaint.
If
the
16
attorney
general
determines
that
no
violation
occurred
or
that
17
no
further
legal
action
is
warranted,
then
the
attorney
general
18
shall
send
written
notice
of
such
determination
to
the
citizen
19
who
filed
the
complaint
and
to
the
public
accommodation.
If
20
the
attorney
general
determines
that
legal
action
is
warranted
21
to
cure
the
violation,
then
the
attorney
general
may
file
22
an
action
in
a
court
of
competent
jurisdiction
seeking
such
23
equitable
relief
as
the
attorney
general
deems
appropriate.
24
d.
This
subsection
shall
not
limit
other
remedies
at
law
25
or
equity
available
to
the
aggrieved
person
against
the
public
26
accommodation.
27
Sec.
2.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
Act,
being
deemed
of
immediate
28
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
29
EXPLANATION
30
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
31
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
32
This
bill
requires
public
accommodations
to
designate
and
33
allow
the
use
of
multiple
occupancy
restrooms
and
changing
34
areas
only
by
persons
of
the
same
biological
sex.
The
bill
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prohibits
a
person
from
entering
a
single
or
multiple
occupancy
1
restroom
or
changing
area
in
a
public
accommodation
that
does
2
not
correspond
with
the
person’s
biological
sex.
The
bill
3
allows
public
accommodations
to
provide
alternative
facilities
4
upon
a
request
to
public
accommodation
officials
or
employees
5
for
alternative
facilities
from
the
person.
6
The
bill
also
allows
any
citizen
of
the
state
to
file
a
7
complaint
of
violation
of
the
bill
with
the
attorney
general
if
8
the
citizen
provides
written
notice
to
the
public
accommodation
9
describing
the
violation
and
the
public
accommodation
does
not
10
cure
the
violation
within
three
business
days
after
receiving
11
written
notice.
The
complaint
filed
with
the
attorney
general
12
must
have
a
copy
of
the
written
notice
that
had
been
delivered
13
to
the
public
accommodation
and
a
signed
statement
by
the
14
citizen
describing
the
violation.
The
attorney
general
is
15
required
to
investigate
the
claim
of
a
violation
and
pursue
16
legal
action
if
warranted.
17
The
bill
provides
that
the
actions
required
and
prohibited
18
by
the
bill
do
not
constitute
unfair
or
discriminatory
19
practices
in
violation
of
the
Iowa
civil
rights
Act,
Code
20
chapter
216.
21
The
bill
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
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