Bills › 91st General Assembly

Prohibiting private institutions of higher education that participate in the Iowa tuition grant program from establishing diversity, equity, and inclusion offices

Topics:Higher educationDiversity, equity & inclusion

Same legislation: HF 2488

Where it is now

  1. Done: IntroducedJanuary 13, 2026
  2. Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 13, 2026
  3. Done: House committeeFebruary 11, 2026
  4. Skipped: Passes the HouseContinued as HF 2488
  5. Next: Senate committee
  6. Next: Passes the Senate
  7. Next: To the Governor
  8. Next: Signed into law

Became HF 2488 → Its progress continues under the new number. Go to HF 2488 What’s a funnel?

What’s in it

AI summary Private colleges and universities in Iowa would be banned from having offices dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion unless required by other laws. If a school breaks this rule, they could lose their ability to participate in the state's tuition grant program. People can report schools that they believe are violating this law to the attorney general.1

Read the official explanation

This bill prohibits a private institution of higher education, as defined in the bill, from establishing, sustaining, supporting, or staffing a diversity, equity, and inclusion office, as defined in the bill. The prohibition does not apply if otherwise provided by federal or state law or accreditation standards. The bill specifies activities that the bill shall not be construed to prohibit. _____ of higher education’s potential violation of the requirements of the bill to the attorney general, who shall provide notice of such report to the department of education and the institution within days. No later than days after receiving such notice, the institution is required to take one of two actions. The institution shall either correct the violation and provide documentation of the correction to the attorney general and the department or provide documentation to the attorney general and the department demonstrating that the action of the institution upon which the report was based was not a violation. If within the 30-day period the institution has not corrected the violation or provided documentation that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the attorney general that a violation did not occur, the institution shall be ineligible to participate in the Iowa tuition grant program as of the next academic year beginning thereafter. If either action is carried out by the institution by October of an academic year, eligibility shall be restored as of the next academic year beginning after such action is carried out.

Full bill text2

House subcommittee

Named January 20, 2026. 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

13 written public comments to its subcommittee: March 16, 2026 (5), February 9, 2026 (8) · on the Legislature’s site

Iowa Code it changes

Creates§261M.1§261M.2§261M.3

Amends§256.183

Cites§261.9

How the Code works3

Lobbying

8 for · 13 against · 1 undecided · Who →

Family tree

Similar bills

  • HF 854 Prohibiting private institutions of higher education that participate in the Iowa tuition …
    91st General Assembly · Approved by committee
    Nearly identical

Matched by wording or an identical title.