Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to local laws implementing the Iowa civil rights Act of 1965
Sponsored by the House Judiciary Committee
Topics:Civil rightsCities & counties
Same legislation: HSB 664
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 4, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 4, 2026
- Done: House committeeFebruary 12, 2026
- Stopped: Passes the HouseDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Senate committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary Currently, cities in Iowa are allowed to pass their own local laws that protect people from more types of discrimination than the state law does. This bill would stop local governments from creating those extra protections. Instead, cities would only be allowed to follow the specific rules already listed in the Iowa civil rights Act.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to local laws implementing the Iowa civil rights Act of 1965 (civil rights Act). The civil rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment, wages, public accommodations, housing, education, and credit practices based upon certain characteristics of a person. Current law requires cities, to the extent possible, to protect the rights of the citizens of this state under the civil rights Act, and provides that the civil rights Act shall not be construed as limiting a city or local government from enacting any ordinance or other law which prohibits broader or different categories of unfair or discriminatory practices. The bill strikes this limitation and instead prohibits cities and local governments from enacting any ordinance or other law which is broader or has different categories of unfair or discriminatory practices than those provided in the civil rights Act.
Why it matters. Cities and local governments would be prohibited from passing ordinances or laws that protect broader or different categories of people than those already covered by the Iowa civil rights Act. This change would limit the ability of local governments to create their own rules regarding discrimination in areas like employment, housing, and public accommodations.2
House subcommittee
Named February 4, 2026 (as HSB 664). On February 9, 2026 it recommended passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
79 written public comments to its subcommittee: February 9, 2026 (79) · on the Legislature’s site
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91st General Assembly