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90th General Assembly · Funnel one-pager · Monday, November 9, 2026

HF 616: Prohibiting institutions of higher learning governed by the state board of regents from expending moneys to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or to hire individuals to serve as diversity, equity, and inclusion officers, creating a private cause of action, and including effective date provisions

Died when the session ended · The 2024 session adjourned on April 19, 2024, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died.

What it does

This bill prohibits institutions of higher learning governed by the state board of regents (public institutions of higher education) from expending moneys to fund diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or to hire individuals to serve as diversity, equity, and inclusion officers. The bill prohibits public institutions of higher education from expending any moneys appropriated by the general assembly or any other moneys derived from bequests, charges, deposits, donations, endowments, fees, grants, gifts, income, receipts, tuition, or any other source to establish, sustain, support, or staff a diversity, equity, and inclusion office, or to contract, employ, engage, or hire an individual to serve as a diversity, equity, and inclusion officer.

Sponsors

Education committee

Cost

No fiscal note

House subcommittee · named February 28, 2023

  • Rep. Taylor R. Collins (R) · taylor.collins@legis.iowa.gov
  • Rep. Tracy Ehlert (D) · tracy.ehlert@legis.iowa.gov
  • Rep. Henry Stone (R) · henry.stone@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 7 for, 31 against

For: America First Works; Inspired Life; Opportunity Solutions Project; Protect My Innocence; The Family Leader; The Family Leader Foundation; VALOR Iowa

Against: AFSCME Iowa Council 61; American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy; American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa (ACLU-IA); Ames Regional Economic Alliance; Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance; Common Good Iowa; Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce; Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce; Episcopal Diocese of Iowa; Greater Des Moines Partnership; Grow Cedar Valley; Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund; and 19 more

In plain words

  1. February 28, 2023Filed in the House and sent to the Education committee · as HSB 218
  2. February 28, 2023House subcommittee named: Collins, Ehlert and Stone · as HSB 218
  3. March 1, 2023Subcommittee recommended passing it · as HSB 218
  4. March 1, 2023Approved by the House committee · as HSB 218
  5. March 3, 2023Filed in the House
  6. March 3, 2023Approved by the House committee, and given a new number: HF 616 · as HSB 218

From public records at legis.iowa.gov, compiled by Funnel (iowafunnel.com), an independent, nonpartisan site. Current as of Monday, November 9, 2026. https://iowafunnel.com/bills/90/HF616