President Jason Benell and Vice President Bob Cook are registered lobbyists on behalf of IAF and this session has kept us quite busy with so many bills being filed in the first 2024 session. Below is the complete list to date of filings that IAF has taken a stand FOR or AGAINST as these bills move through the legislative process. Unfortunately, IAF finds itself standing AGAINST many more bills than FOR as the current legislature is focused on restricting the rights of women, minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and general unscientific solutions to problems that either do not exist,or are approached in an unhelpful way. Many of these bills are intent on tearing down the wall between church and state by using YOUR tax dollars to further subsidize exclusive and sectarian religious practices and facilities. Make sure you are registered to vote and feel free to reach out with any input you may have to ensure Iowa is a safe and secular state that is welcome to everyone!
These companion bills extend the default time frame for a state-of-emergency proclamation to 60 days and give the Legislature increased authority to rescind, extend, or amend the proclamation. The also include religious exemptions to public safety measures and vaccinations.
SSB 3006: Against
This bill creates exemptions for healthcare institutions, payors, and practitioners related to “a right of conscience, whistleblower activities, and free speech. In other words, healthcare institutions and providers would be allowed to deny care to patients on 1st Amendment grounds. The bill specifically refers to services related to abortion.
SF 2037: Against
An Act prohibiting counties and cities from regulating certain behavioral health and human services — by which they mean conversion therapy.
HF 2034: Against
This act creates an exemption to fire codes for religious school buildings which contain less than 50 students.
HF 2031: Against
The bill requires that the human growth and development curriculum provided by school districts, nonpublic schools, charter schools, include human biology related to pregnancy and human development inside the womb and must an US video at least three minutes in duration, showing the development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development, and a rendering or animation, comparable to the meet baby Olivia video developed by live action, showing the process of fertilization and every stage of human development inside the uterus, noting significant markers in cell growth and organ development for every significant marker of pregnancy until birth.
SF 2039: For
This bill would require the Dept. of Health and Human Services to immediately submit a letter of intent to apply for the federal summer electronic benefits transfer for food insecure children program.
HF 2042: For
This bill would require the Iowa Dept. of Health and Human Services to immediately submit a letter of application for the summer electronic benefits transfer program for food insecure students. This bill is similar to SF 2039.
HF 2027: For
This bill would require that a titleholder's property tax statements must disclose how much less funding the local public school district had compared to last year due to students receiving payments through education savings accounts.
These companion bills provide an exception to a minor’s legal capacity to consent to the provision of medical care or services for a sexually transmitted disease or infection. Minors will no longer be able to consent for vaccinations.
SF 2060: For
This bill would require schools to serve breakfast and lunch at no charge to children whose family income is less than three times the poverty level.
SF 2058: Undecided
This bill requires that all vaccine and immunization administrations be reported to the Iowa Health Information Network along with informed consent papers. I suspect the only reason for this is to make it easier for the anti-vax crowd to cherry pick adverse events.
SF 2055: Against
This anti-trans bill would prohibit 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.
These companion bills allow for a tax exemption for buildings owned by religious institutions but are being used by a third party to educate children.
SF 2049: Against
An Act relating to trainings, examinations, surveys, and screenings provided by governmental agencies and entities, school districts, charter schools, innovation zone schools, and public postsecondary educational institutions, including racism or sexism trainings, diversity and inclusion efforts, physical examinations, student health screenings, and surveys administered to students.
SF 2048: Against
Modifies provisions related to the social studies instruction provided to students enrolled in grades one through twelve in school districts by creating celebrate freedom week.The bill prohibits such instruction from censoring any religious references in the writings of the founding fathers.
HF 2073: Against
This bill authorizes school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to hire untrained chaplains or engage volunteer chaplains to provide services to students.
HF 2068: Against
Social studies curricula shall include instruction related to the purpose of state law, the affirmative argument for prohibiting transgender drugs and surgeries for minors, the affirmative argument for parental rights in education and the legal limitations of the doctrine of in loco parentis, the physical and emotional harms associated with exposure to pornography, and the use of overt sexual themes by sexual predators to groom victims.
HF 2060: Against
An Act modifying provisions related to world language instruction in grades nine through twelve by prohibiting the incorporation of gender-neutral language when the world language being taught utilizes a grammatical gender system.
SSB 3073: Against
Filed by Governor Reynolds, this is her attempt to gut the State Area Education Agencies and bring them further under her direct control.
HF 2079: Against
The bill allows public funds to be utilized by an ecclesiastical or sectarian institution for a project or program if it “benefits the public.”
SSB 3092: Against
This bill would allow school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to employ chaplains, or engage volunteer chaplains, to provide services to students.
HF 2097: Against
This bill prohibits the governor from closing, placing a mandate on, or otherwise regulating a place or practice of worship for any reason, including through the proclamation of a disaster emergency or public health disaster.
SF 2084: For
An Act repealing the education savings account program.
HF 2082: Against
This bill would remove gender identity as a protected class under the Iowa Civil Rights Act.
SF 2096: Against
This bill would repeal gender balance requirements for appointive bodies.
Another RFRA. These bills prohibit a governmental entity from substantially burdening a person’s free exercise of religion.
SF 2093: For
This bill would repeal Code section 147.164 (last year's ban on gender transition procedure-related care for minors).
SF 2080: For
This bill prohibits the sale or transfer of large capacity ammunition feeding devices, provides a penalty, and includes effective date and applicability provisions.
HF 2158: For
This bill would allow students who are at least 17 years old to register to vote during school hours twice a year on March 22 and the fourth Tuesday of September of each year.
HF 2138: Against
This bill requires schools to receive informed consent from parents of students in grades 7-12 before enrolling them in any human growth and development course. Schools must also provide parents with detailed information about the course instruction materials.
HR 2139: Against
This bill would prohibit schools from taking disciplinary action against employees, contractors, or students for using legal names of students or for failure to use personal pronouns in official communications.
These companion bills would allow the More Options for Maternal Support (MOMS) Program to be administrated directly by the Dept. of Health and Human Services. MOMS provides pregnancy support services for women. It explicitly excludes abortion providers but would include crisis pregnancy centers.
HF 2130: For
This bill requires criminal history background checks on all gun sales with extremely limited exceptions.
HF2129: For
This bill appropriates $75,000 for gun violence prevention research at the U of I Injury Prevention Research Center.
HF 2122: Against
This bill creates an abortion-inducing drug certification program to provide oversight and to regulate the provision of abortion-inducing drugs in the state. It bans the sale or prescription of abortion-inducing drugs through the mail. Certified physicians must maintain hospital admitting privileges with a local hospital. Physicians must report any abortion complications or adverse effects to state and federal agencies. Allows for both civil and criminal penalties against certified providers.