Bill Text: IA HF187 | 2021-2022 | 89th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to unfair practices involving access to areas of public accommodations or educational institutions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-01-22 - Introduced, referred to Judiciary. H.J. 186. [HF187 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2021-HF187-Introduced.html
House
File
187
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
187
BY
SALMON
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
unfair
practices
involving
access
to
areas
1
of
public
accommodations
or
educational
institutions.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
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187
Section
1.
Section
216.7,
subsection
2,
paragraph
a,
Code
1
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
a.
Any
bona
fide
religious
institution
with
respect
to
any
3
qualifications
the
institution
may
impose
based
on
religion,
4
sexual
orientation,
or
gender
identity
when
such
qualifications
5
are
related
to
a
bona
fide
religious
purpose
.
6
Sec.
2.
Section
216.7,
subsection
2,
Code
2021,
is
amended
7
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
8
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
c.
An
action
to
refuse
or
deny
access
to
a
9
toilet
facility,
locker
room,
living
facility,
or
other
area
of
10
a
public
accommodation
designated
for
use
by
persons
of
one
sex
11
to
a
person
of
the
other
sex.
12
Sec.
3.
Section
216.9,
subsection
2,
Code
2021,
is
amended
13
to
read
as
follows:
14
2.
For
the
purpose
of
this
section
,
“educational
15
institution”
includes
any
preschool,
elementary
or
secondary
16
school,
community
college,
area
education
agency,
or
17
postsecondary
college
or
university
and
their
governing
boards.
18
This
section
does
not
prohibit
an
educational
institution
19
from
maintaining
separate
toilet
facilities,
locker
rooms,
20
or
living
facilities
for
the
different
sexes
so
long
as
21
comparable
facilities
are
provided.
This
section
does
not
22
require
an
educational
institution
to
allow
access
to
toilet
23
facilities,
locker
rooms,
or
living
facilities
designated
for
24
use
by
persons
of
one
sex
to
a
person
of
the
other
sex
and
25
does
not
allow
the
commission
to
pursue
administrative
or
26
legal
action
against
an
educational
institution
that
does
not
27
provide
those
rooms
or
facilities.
Nothing
in
this
section
28
shall
be
construed
as
prohibiting
any
bona
fide
religious
29
institution
from
imposing
qualifications
based
on
religion,
30
sexual
orientation,
or
gender
identity
when
such
qualifications
31
are
related
to
a
bona
fide
religious
purpose
or
any
institution
32
from
admitting
students
of
only
one
sex.
33
EXPLANATION
34
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
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187
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
1
This
bill
amends
the
Iowa
civil
rights
Act
of
1965
contained
2
in
Code
chapter
216.
Code
sections
216.7
and
216.9
relate
to
3
unfair
practices
regarding
access
to
public
accommodations
4
and
educational
institutions.
Current
law
allows
a
bona
fide
5
religious
institution
to
impose
qualifications
for
access
to
6
such
accommodations
and
educational
institutions
when
such
7
qualifications
are
related
to
a
bona
fide
religious
purpose.
8
The
bill
removes
the
requirement
that
the
qualifications
be
9
related
to
a
bona
fide
religious
purpose.
10
The
bill
excludes
an
action
to
refuse
or
deny
access
to
a
11
toilet
facility,
locker
room,
living
facility,
or
other
area
12
of
a
public
accommodation
designated
for
use
by
persons
of
one
13
sex
to
a
person
of
the
other
sex
from
the
activities
which
14
constitute
unfair
or
discriminatory
practices
by
a
public
15
accommodation
under
Code
chapter
216.
16
The
bill
also
provides
that
an
educational
institution
17
is
not
required
to
allow
access
to
toilet
facilities,
locker
18
rooms,
or
living
facilities
designated
for
use
by
persons
of
19
one
sex
to
a
person
of
the
other
sex
and
provides
that
the
civil
20
rights
commission
may
not
pursue
administrative
or
legal
action
21
against
an
educational
institution
that
does
not
provide
those
22
rooms
or
facilities.
23
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