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House
File
269
-
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HOUSE
FILE
269
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
HIGHER
EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
53)
(As
Amended
and
Passed
by
the
House
March
18,
2025
)
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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269
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.
Promotes
the
idea
that
racially
neutral
or
colorblind
15
laws,
policies,
or
institutions
perpetuate
oppression;
16
injustice;
race-based
privilege,
including
white
supremacy
17
or
white
privilege;
or
inequity
by
failing
to
actively
18
differentiate
on
the
basis
of
race,
sex,
or
gender.
19
b.
Promotes
the
differential
treatment
of
any
individual
20
or
groups
of
individuals
based
on
race
or
ethnicity
in
21
contemporary
American
society.
22
c.
Promotes
the
idea
that
a
student
is
biased
on
account
of
23
the
student’s
race
or
sex.
24
4.
“Diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
25
theory-related
course”
means
any
course
for
which
the
course
26
description,
course
overview,
course
objectives,
proposed
27
student
learning
outcomes,
written
examinations,
or
written
or
28
oral
assignments
for
which
the
student
will
receive
a
grade,
29
includes
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
30
theory-related
content.
31
5.
“Diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
32
theory
practices”
means
any
requirement
or
guidance
that
33
a
course
instructor
include
or
curate
materials
on
the
34
basis
of
the
race,
sex,
or
gender
identity
of
an
author
or
35
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authors.
“Diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
1
theory
practices”
also
means
participating
in
any
workshop,
2
training,
seminar,
or
professional
development
on
any
3
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
theory-related
4
content.
“Diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
critical
race
5
theory
practices”
does
not
include
any
programming
explicitly
6
required
by
the
public
institution
of
higher
education’s
legal
7
obligations
to
comply
with
Tit.
IX
of
the
Education
Amendments
8
of
1972,
as
amended,
the
Americans
with
Disabilities
Act,
as
9
amended,
the
Age
Discrimination
in
Employment
Act,
as
amended,
10
Tit.
VI
of
the
Civil
Rights
Act
of
1964,
or
an
applicable
court
11
order.
12
6.
“Public
institution
of
higher
education”
means
an
13
institution
of
higher
learning
governed
by
the
board.
14
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.2
Limitation
on
academic
15
requirements.
16
The
board
shall
establish
a
policy
that
ensures
that
public
17
institutions
of
higher
education
do
not
require
or
constrain
18
students
to
enroll
in
a
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
19
critical
race
theory-related
course
in
order
to
satisfy
the
20
requirements
of
any
academic
degree
program,
including
general
21
education,
major,
minor,
or
certificate
requirements,
except
22
as
provided
in
section
261K.4.
23
Sec.
4.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.3
Limitation
on
faculty
24
requirements.
25
A
public
institution
of
higher
education,
or
any
employee,
26
appointee,
or
committee
acting
on
its
behalf,
shall
not
27
require,
solicit,
or
incentivize
faculty
of
the
institution
28
to
apply
or
participate
in
diversity,
equity,
inclusion,
and
29
critical
race
theory
practices
or
include
diversity,
equity,
30
inclusion,
and
critical
race
theory-related
content
in
any
31
course
as
a
condition
of
approval,
designation,
or
listing
32
as
part
of
any
academic
degree
program,
including
general
33
education;
major,
minor,
or
certificate
requirements;
or
as
a
34
condition
of
consideration
in
any
faculty
member’s
performance
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269
assessment,
promotion,
tenure,
salary
adjustment,
or
any
other
1
incentive,
except
as
provided
in
section
261K.4.
2
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.4
Exemptions.
3
The
board
may
grant
an
exemption
from
the
requirements
of
4
sections
261K.2
and
261K.3
for
the
academic
degree
program
5
requirements
of
any
major,
minor,
certificate,
or
academic
unit
6
if
the
title
thereof
clearly
establishes
its
course
of
study
7
as
primarily
focused
on
racial,
ethnic,
or
gender
studies.
8
However,
a
student
shall
not
be
required
or
constrained
to
9
enroll
in
any
such
program
or
course
in
order
to
satisfy
the
10
requirements
of
any
other
academic
degree
program,
including
11
general
education
requirements,
or
any
other
major,
minor,
or
12
certificate
requirements.
13
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.5
Enforcement.
14
Any
person
may
notify
the
attorney
general
of
a
potential
15
violation
of
this
chapter
by
a
public
institution
of
higher
16
education.
The
attorney
general
may
bring
an
action
against
a
17
public
institution
of
higher
education
for
a
writ
of
mandamus
18
to
compel
the
institution,
or
any
employee,
appointee,
or
19
committee
acting
on
its
behalf,
to
comply
with
this
chapter.
20
Sec.
7.
NEW
SECTION
.
261K.6
Construction.
21
This
chapter
shall
not
be
construed
to
limit
the
academic
22
freedom
of
any
individual
course
instructor
to
direct
the
23
instruction
within
the
instructor’s
own
course
or
to
limit
the
24
free
discussion
of
ideas
in
a
classroom
setting.
25
Sec.
8.
APPLICABILITY.
This
Act
applies
to
academic
years
26
at
public
institutions
of
higher
education,
as
defined
in
27
section
261K.1,
as
enacted
by
this
Act,
beginning
on
or
after
28
July
1,
2026.
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