DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) 鈥� Iowa lawmakers have passed a sweeping education bill limiting instruction on and sexual orientation, requiring school administrators to notify parents if a student asks to use a new name or pronouns, and depicting sex acts.
The Senate approved the bill Wednesday night and the House passed it Thursday, the reported. It now goes to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds for her signature.
鈥淧arents are the ultimate decisionmakers for their children. This legislation defines parents鈥� rights in law, requires transparency, and sets boundaries to protect Iowa鈥檚 children from woke indoctrination,鈥� Reynolds said in an emailed statement to the Register. 鈥淚 will always fight for Iowa鈥檚 parents as they know what is best for their children.鈥�
Instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation is banned in kindergarten through sixth grade. That provision, along with the requirement to notify parents if a student asks the school to use new pronouns, would take effect July 1. The ban on books depicting sex acts would be effective Jan. 1.
The bill would codify that parents have the 鈥渇undamental, constitutionally protected right鈥� to make decisions for children under the age of 18.
鈥淚t is wrong for schools to keep secrets from parents about their kids. It is wrong to push political agendas in the classroom. And it is wrong to put pornography in front of children,鈥� Republican Rep. Skyler Wheeler said.
If a teacher or administrator fails to inform parents when a student asks to use new pronouns, or if a school employee withholds information from parents about a student鈥檚 gender identity, the teacher or the school district could be disciplined by the board of educational examiners.
Democrats say the required parental notification of a pronoun change could threaten the safety of some transgender kids, if their families are not supportive.
鈥淵ou want parents鈥� rights, but only when it is in things you believe in,鈥� said Rep. Sue Cahill. 鈥淚鈥檝e said it before and I鈥檒l ask it again: Where are my rights? Where are the rights of other parents who don鈥檛 agree with you?鈥�
The provision banning books with descriptions or visual depictions of sex acts has an exception for religious books, including the Bible, the Torah and the Koran. The bill also exempts materials for human growth and development classes.
The Iowa Department of Education and the Board of Educational Examiners would be responsible for disciplining superintendents or employees if a school refuses to remove a book that contains sex acts.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure what the perfect solution is to this,鈥� House Speaker Pat Grassley said. 鈥淲e felt that this was the best way to approach it, so that way it wasn鈥檛 an individual picking of books.鈥�
Democrats said the ban amounts to censorship.
鈥淭he majority party wishes to ban some of the greatest literary works of all time, because it offends or challenges their world view," Sen. Molly Donahue said.
Republican Sen. Brad Zaun said the law is not a book ban since parents can still choose which books their kids can read outside of school.
The Associated Press
