STATE LEVEL

6/10-6/12/2025: Iowa Board of Regents (BOR), which is the governing body of the public Iowa universities, including University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa will be hosting a meeting at the Levitt Center (University of Iowa). One agenda item is voting on proposed anti-DEI and anti-critical race theory policy--with a reading occurring for the first and final time at that session. United Faculty issued a statement opposing this proposed policy on June 4th.

• Update (6/9/25): After pressure from United Faculty and the public, the BOR has decided to add a second reading for the proposed policy and delayed the voting until July 30th. 

• Update (7/28/25): BOR has decided to further postpone their vote on this policy.

• Update (8/7/25): BOR has released a revised policy, which has removed specific terms and definitions of "diversity, equity, and inclusion" and "critical race theory." They will vote on this revised policy on August 12th. 

Summary of Legislative Session 2025:

Signed into law

• SF 418: Removing gender identity from Civil Rights Act

• HF 295: Allowing lawsuits against private entities that review college quality (regents universities would adhere to state’s lower standards that require, for example, censorship of material in a number of disciplines)

• HF 856: Prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion positions in community colleges, local government (takes effect beginning in July 2025)

• HF 299: Requiring schools to disclose vaccine exemption information

• HF 437: Require new “School of Intellectual Freedom” at the University of Iowa (language in the bill sets this proposed school to be an “independent academic unit”; conservatives have been supporting this bill as a way to prevent Iowa from becoming too “left-leaning”, like in this article)

• HF 1049: No medicaid coverage for gender dysphoria procedures and therapies

• HF 516: Iowa resident quota for medical, dental residency programs 

Failed to pass

• HF 401: Ban on college curriculum including identity politics, systemic racism as inherent in U.S. institutions

• SF 180: Legal protections for individuals who refuse medical services for religious reasons (would have authorized individuals who refuse services such as vaccines to bring a civil action against healthcare providers and employers by using purposely broad language)

• SF 304: Revoking minors’ legal capacity to consent to HPV vaccine

Failed to pass the funnel deadlines

• HF 269: further banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs at regents universities

• HF 854: prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion positions at private colleges whose students use the Iowa Tuition Grant

• HF 420: Require Board of Regents to review all academic programs

• HF 576: “Requires institution of higher education to adopt and enforce policy relating to certain expressions of support for terrorist activities or organizations…by nonimmigrant visa holders attending or working at the institutions”

• SF 8: prohibiting disciplinary action against teachers who do not use student’s preferred name or pronouns

• House Study Bill 84: Expanding restriction on LGBTQ+ topics in schools to grades 7-12