Bill Text: IA HF2396 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act prohibiting school districts and charter schools from taking disciplinary action against employees, contractors, or students for the use of legal names, the use of student names as listed in school registration forms or records, or for the failure to use personal pronouns in official communications, and providing civil penalties.(Formerly HF 2139.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-08 - Introduced, placed on calendar. H.J. 225. [HF2396 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2023-HF2396-Introduced.html
House
File
2396
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2396
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HF
2139)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
prohibiting
school
districts
and
charter
schools
from
1
taking
disciplinary
action
against
employees,
contractors,
2
or
students
for
the
use
of
legal
names,
the
use
of
student
3
names
as
listed
in
school
registration
forms
or
records,
4
or
for
the
failure
to
use
personal
pronouns
in
official
5
communications,
and
providing
civil
penalties.
6
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
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2396
Section
1.
Section
256E.7,
subsection
2,
Code
2024,
is
1
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
2
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
0r.
Be
subject
to
and
comply
with
the
3
requirements
of
section
279.84
relating
to
the
prohibition
4
on
disciplinary
action
for
the
use
of
legal
names,
the
use
5
of
student
names
as
listed
in
school
registration
forms
6
or
records,
and
for
the
failure
to
use
personal
pronouns
7
in
official
communications
in
the
same
manner
as
a
school
8
district.
9
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
279.84
Prohibition
on
disciplinary
10
action
——
use
of
legal
names
or
names
of
record
——
failure
to
use
11
personal
pronouns.
12
1.
a.
The
board
of
directors
of
each
school
district
shall
13
not
take
any
disciplinary
action
against
an
employee
of
the
14
school
district,
a
contractor
hired
by
the
school
district,
15
or
a
student
enrolled
in
the
school
district
for
addressing
16
other
employees,
contractors,
or
students
using
the
employee’s,
17
contractor’s,
or
student’s
legal
name.
18
b.
The
board
of
directors
of
each
school
district
shall
19
not
take
any
disciplinary
action
against
an
employee
of
the
20
school
district,
a
contractor
hired
by
the
school
district,
or
21
a
student
enrolled
in
the
school
district
for
addressing
other
22
students
using
the
student’s
name
as
it
is
listed
in
the
school
23
district’s
registration
forms
or
records.
24
2.
The
board
of
directors
of
each
school
district
shall
not
25
take
any
disciplinary
action
against
an
employee
of
the
school
26
district,
a
contractor
hired
by
the
school
district,
or
a
27
student
enrolled
in
the
school
district
for
failing
to
disclose
28
or
use
any
personal
pronouns
in
the
greeting
or
signature
block
29
of
any
form
of
official
communication,
including
letters,
30
forms,
notes,
or
electronic
mail.
31
3.
An
employee
whose
employment
is
terminated
in
violation
32
of
this
section
may
enforce
this
section
through
a
civil
action
33
under
section
70A.29,
subsection
3.
34
4.
For
purposes
of
this
section,
“disciplinary
action”
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includes
termination
of
employment
or
the
contractual
1
relationship,
suspension
from
employment
or
the
contractual
2
relationship,
demotion,
expulsion
from
school,
suspension
from
3
school,
detention,
financial
penalties,
and
written
or
verbal
4
reprimands.
5
EXPLANATION
6
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
7
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
8
This
bill
prohibits
school
districts
and
charter
schools
9
from
taking
disciplinary
action
against
employees,
contractors,
10
or
students
for
the
use
of
legal
names,
the
use
of
student
11
names
as
listed
in
school
registration
forms
or
records,
12
or
for
the
failure
to
use
personal
pronouns
in
official
13
communications.
14
The
bill
prohibits
the
board
of
directors
of
school
15
districts
and
the
governing
boards
of
charter
schools
from
16
taking
any
disciplinary
action
against
an
employee,
contractor,
17
or
student
for
addressing
other
employees,
contractors,
or
18
students
using
the
employee’s,
contractor’s,
or
student’s
legal
19
name.
The
bill
also
prohibits
the
boards
of
directors
of
20
school
districts
and
the
governing
boards
of
charter
schools
21
from
taking
any
disciplinary
action
against
an
employee,
22
contractor,
or
student
for
addressing
other
students
using
the
23
student’s
name
as
it
is
listed
in
the
school’s
registration
24
forms
or
records.
25
The
bill
prohibits
the
board
of
directors
of
school
26
districts
and
the
governing
boards
of
charter
schools
from
27
taking
any
disciplinary
action
against
an
employee,
contractor,
28
or
student
for
failing
to
disclose
or
use
any
personal
pronouns
29
in
the
greeting
or
signature
block
of
any
form
of
official
30
communication.
31
The
bill
allows
an
employee
whose
employment
is
terminated
32
in
violation
of
these
provisions
to
enforce
the
provisions
33
through
a
civil
action
which
allows
the
aggrieved
employee
to
34
receive
reinstatement,
with
or
without
back
pay,
civil
damages
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in
an
amount
not
to
exceed
three
times
the
aggrieved
employee’s
1
annual
wages
and
benefits,
and
any
other
equitable
relief
the
2
court
deems
appropriate,
including
attorney
fees
and
costs.
3
Injunctive
relief
is
also
available.
4
The
bill
defines
“disciplinary
action”
to
include
5
termination
of
employment
or
the
contractual
relationship,
6
suspension
from
employment
or
the
contractual
relationship,
7
demotion,
expulsion
from
school,
suspension
from
school,
8
detention,
financial
penalties,
and
written
or
verbal
9
reprimands.
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