Relating to gender identity and disability under the Iowa civil rights Act

This bill relates to gender under Code chapter 216, the Iowa civil rights Act. Under current law, Code chapter 216 prohibits discrimination in employment, wages, public accommodations, housing, education, and credit practices based upon certain characteristics of a person, including gender identity. A person who claims to be aggrieved by an unfair or discriminatory practice prohibited by Code chapter 216 may file a complaint with the Iowa civil rights commission. Code chapter 216 provides various remedies for such practices. Code chapter 216 defines “gender identity” as the gender-related identity of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth. For purposes of Code chapter 216, the bill removes gender identity as a protected class. The bill also adds a diagnosis for gender dysphoria or any condition related to a gender identity disorder to the definition of “disability” in Code chapter 216. Disability is a protected class for purposes of Code chapter 216. The bill makes conforming changes related to the strike of the definition of gender identity in Code chapter 216.