House File 2185 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2185 BY MURPHY , BERRY, FORD , ABDUL-SAMAD , and BURT A BILL FOR An Act relating to the interviewing of racial and ethnic 1 minority applicants by public school districts and 2 accredited nonpublic schools and including effective date 3 and applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5991YH (9) 83 ak/rj

H.F. 2185 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 280.30 Interviewing practices —— 1 racial and ethnic minority applicants. 2 1. As used in this section, “racial and ethnic minority 3 applicants” means individuals who are African Americans, 4 Latinos, Asians or Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and 5 Alaskan Native Americans. 6 2. Each public school shall interview qualified racial and 7 ethnic minority applicants in proportion to the racial and 8 ethnic minority population within the school district when 9 hiring administrative and teaching staff for any administrative 10 office or school building, unless the public school is unable 11 to identify a qualified racial and ethnic minority applicant 12 who is willing to interview for the position. 13 3. It is an affirmative defense against a claim of a 14 violation of this section that a public school, in good faith, 15 is unable to identify a qualified racial and ethnic minority 16 applicant who is willing to interview for a position. 17 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT AND APPLICABILITY. This 18 Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon 19 enactment and applies to applicable employment positions that 20 become available for filling on or after the effective date of 21 this Act. 22 EXPLANATION 23 This bill requires public school districts to interview 24 qualified racial and ethnic minority applicants in proportion 25 to minority population within the school district when hiring 26 administrative and teaching staff for any administrative office 27 or school building. “Racial and ethnic minority applicants” 28 is defined in the bill. The bill allows for the possibility 29 that a qualified racial and ethnic minority applicant may not 30 be available to be interviewed for such a position. The bill 31 provides that such an occurrence is an affirmative defense to a 32 claim of a violation of the bill. 33 This bill is effective upon enactment and applies to 34 applicable employment positions that become available for 35 -1- LSB 5991YH (9) 83 ak/rj 1/ 2

H.F. 2185 filling on or after the effective date of the bill. 1 -2- LSB 5991YH (9) 83 ak/rj 2/ 2