The proposed bill in Iowa seeks to redefine and clarify legal terms related to sex and gender, particularly in the context of discrimination laws and educational curricula. It establishes that "sex" is strictly defined as the biological classification of individuals as male or female based on observable characteristics at birth. The bill removes references to "gender identity" as a protected class from the Iowa Civil Rights Act and other related provisions, while adding "sexual orientation" as a basis for qualifications imposed by bona fide religious institutions. Additionally, it introduces a new Code section 4.1A, which outlines rules for statutory construction regarding sex, emphasizing that gender should not be conflated with gender identity or expression.

Furthermore, the bill modifies existing laws to ensure that discrimination based on gender identity is no longer prohibited, replacing references to "gender identity" with "gender theory" in educational contexts for students in kindergarten through grade six. It mandates that vital statistics collected by state departments must identify individuals as either male or female and justifies distinctions based on sex in specific settings, such as prisons and shelters, for health, safety, and privacy reasons. Overall, the legislation aims to reinforce traditional definitions of sex and gender while limiting the scope of anti-discrimination protections related to gender identity.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 84A.6, 144.13, 144.29A, 144.19, 216.2, 216.6, 216.6A, 216.7, 216.8, 216.9, 216.10, 216.12A, 279.78, 279.80, 280.33