HF 856: Prohibiting public entities from engaging in certain activities relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating a private cause of action, and including effective date provisions

What it does

This bill prohibits state entities, defined to include local government entities, 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 state entities 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.

Senate subcommittee · named March 26, 2025

• Sen. Ken Rozenboom (R) · ken.rozenboom@legis.iowa.gov
• Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink (R) · tim.kraayenbrink@legis.iowa.gov
• Sen. Herman C. Quirmbach (D) · herman.quirmbach@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 9 for, 15 against

For: Cicero Action; Inspired Life; Iowa Baptists For Biblical Values; Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition; Iowans for Freedom; PELLA PAC; Professional Educators of Iowa; The Family Leader; The Family Leader Foundation

Against: American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa (ACLU-IA); American Planning Association Iowa Chapter; Dubuque Branch NAACP; Episcopal Diocese of Iowa; Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund; Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers; Iowa Environmental Council; Iowa Public Health Association; Iowa Safe Schools; Iowa State Education Association; NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Iowa-Nebraska; National Association of Social Workers, Iowa Chapter; and 3 more

In plain words

1. February 11, 2025Filed in the House and sent to the Education committee · as HSB 155
2. February 11, 2025House subcommittee named: Stone, Gehlbach and Madison · as HSB 155
3. February 18, 2025Subcommittee recommended passing it · as HSB 155
4. February 27, 2025Approved by the House committee · as HSB 155
5. March 7, 2025Filed in the House
6. March 7, 2025Approved by the House committee, and given a new number: HF 856 · as HSB 155
7. March 18, 2025Passed the House, 61–37
8. March 19, 2025Arrived in the Senate
9. March 26, 2025Senate subcommittee named: Rozenboom, Kraayenbrink and Quirmbach
10. April 1, 2025Subcommittee recommended passing it with changes
11. April 7, 2025Approved by the Senate committee
12. May 9, 2025Passed the Senate, 34–16
13. May 13, 2025Passed the House, 59–32
14. May 22, 2025Sent to the Governor
15. May 27, 2025Signed into law