Senate File 31 - Introduced SENATE FILE 31 BY ZAUN A BILL FOR An Act authorizing a school district to adopt a mandatory 1 uniform policy. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1570XS (2) 87 kh/sc

S.F. 31 Section 1. Section 279.58, subsection 1, Code 2017, is 1 amended by striking the subsection. 2 Sec. 2. Section 279.58, subsection 2, Code 2017, is amended 3 to read as follows: 4 2. The board of directors of a school district may adopt, 5 for the district or for an individual school within the 6 district, a mandatory uniform policy or a dress code policy 7 that prohibits students from wearing gang-related or other 8 specific apparel if the board determines that the such a policy 9 is necessary for the health, safety, or positive educational 10 environment of students and staff in the school environment or 11 for the appropriate discipline and operation of the school. 12 3. Adoption and enforcement of a mandatory uniform policy 13 or a dress code policy pursuant to this section is not a 14 violation of section 280.22 if the policy is viewpoint neutral, 15 is reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns, or 16 protects students from sexually explicit, indecent, or lewd 17 speech . 18 EXPLANATION 19 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 20 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 21 This bill authorizes a school district to adopt, for the 22 school district or for an individual school, a mandatory 23 uniform policy, in addition to the dress code policy currently 24 authorized by the Code, if the board determines that a 25 mandatory uniform policy is necessary for the health, safety, 26 or positive educational environment of students and staff in 27 the school environment or for the appropriate discipline and 28 operation of the school. 29 The bill provides that a mandatory uniform policy is not 30 a violation of Code section 280.22, which establishes that 31 public school students have the right to exercise freedom of 32 speech, if the mandatory uniform policy is viewpoint neutral, 33 is reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns, or 34 protects students from sexually explicit, indecent, or lewd 35 -1- LSB 1570XS (2) 87 kh/sc 1/ 2

S.F. 31 speech. 1 The bill eliminates the general assembly’s findings and 2 declarations regarding a dress code policy. 3 -2- LSB 1570XS (2) 87 kh/sc 2/ 2