SF 496: Relating to children and students, including establishing a parent’s or guardian’s right to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child, authorizing the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a school district to enroll the student in another attendance center within the same school district in certain specified circumstances, prohibiting instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools in kindergarten through grade six, and modifying provisions related to student health screenings, school district library programs, the educational program provided to students enrolled in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools, other duties of school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, the department of education, the board of educational examiners, and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools, competent private instruction, and special education, and including effective date provisions

What it does

This bill relates to children and students, including establishing a parent’s or guardian’s right to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child and modifying provisions related to student health screenings and the curriculum in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools, other duties of the state board of education and school districts, competent private instruction, and special education. The bill requires the state board of education to adopt rules that require school districts and charter schools to periodically review the materials available in school libraries to determine if the materials constitute or contain obscene material or sexually explicit material.

House subcommittee · named March 27, 2023

• Rep. Skyler Wheeler (R) · skyler.wheeler@legis.iowa.gov
• Rep. Brooke Boden (R) · brooke.boden@legis.iowa.gov
• Rep. Sue Cahill (D)
• Rep. Steven Holt (R) · steven.holt@legis.iowa.gov
• Rep. Heather Matson (D) · heather.matson@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 7 for, 18 against

For: American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence; Homeschool Iowa; Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition; Protect My Innocence; The Family Leader; The Family Leader Foundation; VALOR Iowa

Against: AFSCME Iowa Council 61; CHAIN; Common Good Iowa; Iowa ACEs 360; Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association; Iowa Psychological Association; Iowa Public Health Association; Iowa Safe Schools; Iowa School Counselors Association; Iowa Talented and Gifted Association; League of Women Voters of Iowa; Lutheran Services in IA, Inc.; and 6 more

In plain words

1. March 2, 2023Filed in the Senate
2. March 2, 2023Approved by the Senate committee
3. March 20, 2023Cost estimate (fiscal note) posted
4. March 22, 2023Passed the Senate, 34–16
5. March 23, 2023Arrived in the House
6. March 27, 2023House subcommittee named: Wheeler, Boden, Cahill, Holt and Matson
7. March 29, 2023Subcommittee recommended passing it
8. March 30, 2023Approved by the House committee
9. April 4, 2023Passed the House, 55–42
10. April 19, 2023Passed the Senate, 34–16
11. April 20, 2023Passed the House, 57–38
12. May 11, 2023Sent to the Governor
13. May 26, 2023Signed into law