House File 9 has its subcommittee hearing scheduled for today at 12:30 p.m. The bill prohibits school districts and charter schools from facilitating any accommodation that is intended to affirm a student’s gender identity if the gender identity is different than the sex listed on the student’s birth certificate without written consent of the parent or guardian.
Schools are also prohibited from encouraging or coercing a student to withhold information from the parent or guardian and willfully withholding information from, or knowingly giving false or misleading information to the parent or guardian of a student regarding the student’s gender identity or intention to transition to a gender that is different than their sex.
In addition, the bill prohibits districts from encouraging, pressuring or coercing a student to undergo any medical procedure, treatment or intervention that is designed to affirm the student’s gender identity. They also are prohibited from encouraging, pressuring or coercing a student’s parent or guardian to allow the student to undergo any medical procedure, treatment or intervention that is designed to affirm the student’s gender identity if that gender identity is different than sex listed on the birth certificate.
The bill, which was sponsored by Republican State Rep. Skyler Wheeler, has 39 cosponsors, including Speaker Pat Grassley, Majority Leader Matt Windschitl, Speaker Pro Tempore John Wills and Majority Whip Henry Stone.
The following organizations oppose the bill:
*Iowa ACEs 360
*Episcopal Diocese of Iowa
*IA Mental Health Planning Council
*United Professionals/UE
*National Association of Social Workers, Iowa Chapter
*Iowa Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics
*Human Rights Campaign
*Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association
*American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
*AFSCME Iowa Council 61
*Rural School Advocates of Iowa
*School Administrators of Iowa
*Prevent Child Abuse Iowa
*Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
*Urban Education Network of Iowa
*Iowa Psychological Association
*Iowa State Education Association
*Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
*Iowa Association of School Boards
*Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa
*ACLU of Iowa
*Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund
*Common Good Iowa
*Iowa Safe Schools
*One Iowa
Protect My Innocence, Iowa Catholic Conference, Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and The FAMiLY Leader are registered in support.
The National Association of Social Workers Iowa Chapter and Professional Educators of Iowa are registered undecided.
