House File 471 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 471 BY ANDERSON , GAINES , THEDE , ABDUL-SAMAD , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , B. MEYER , JAMES , MASCHER , KURTH , OLDSON , SMITH , and CAHILL A BILL FOR An Act prohibiting discrimination based on an individual’s 1 texture or style of hair. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1060HH (6) 89 cm/jh

H.F. 471 Section 1. Section 8A.416, Code 2021, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 8. For purposes of this section: 3 a. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means the same as 4 defined in section 216.2. 5 b. “Race” means the same as defined in section 216.2. 6 Sec. 2. Section 15A.1, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code 2021, 7 is amended to read as follows: 8 b. For purposes of this chapter , “economic : 9 (1) “Economic development” means private or joint public 10 and private investment involving the creation of new jobs and 11 income or the retention of existing jobs and income that would 12 otherwise be lost. 13 (2) “Natural or protective hairstyle” means the same as 14 defined in section 216.2. 15 (3) “Race” means the same as defined in section 216.2. 16 Sec. 3. Section 19B.1, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 17 following new subsections: 18 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means 19 the same as defined in section 216.2. 20 NEW SUBSECTION . 1B. “Race” means the same as defined in 21 section 216.2. 22 Sec. 4. Section 216.2, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 23 following new subsections: 24 NEW SUBSECTION . 12A. “Natural or protective hairstyle” 25 includes but is not limited to braids, locs, twists, tight 26 coils or curls, cornrows, bantu knots, afros, and headwraps. 27 NEW SUBSECTION . 13A. “Race” is a grouping of humans based 28 upon physical traits commonly or historically associated with a 29 group including but not limited to skin color, hair texture, 30 hair type, or a natural or protective hairstyle. 31 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 216.23 Equal rights under the law. 32 1. A person in the state of Iowa shall not be excluded from 33 participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected 34 to discrimination under, any program or activity receiving 35 -1- LSB 1060HH (6) 89 cm/jh 1/ 5

H.F. 471 state financial assistance, based on the person’s natural 1 or protective hairstyle, race, creed, color, sex, sexual 2 orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, 3 ancestry, or disability. 4 2. A person in the state of Iowa shall not be subjected to 5 a practice prohibited under 42 U.S.C. §1981(c), based on the 6 person’s natural or protective hairstyle, race, creed, color, 7 sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, 8 religion, ancestry, or disability. 9 Sec. 6. Section 256.2, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 10 following new subsections: 11 NEW SUBSECTION . 3A. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means 12 the same as defined in section 216.2. 13 NEW SUBSECTION . 3B. “Race” means the same as defined in 14 section 216.2. 15 Sec. 7. Section 256B.2, subsection 1, Code 2021, is amended 16 by adding the following new paragraphs: 17 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0b. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means 18 the same as defined in section 216.2. 19 NEW PARAGRAPH . 00b. “Race” means the same as defined in 20 section 216.2. 21 Sec. 8. Section 256F.2, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 22 following new subsections: 23 NEW SUBSECTION . 6A. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means 24 the same as defined in section 216.2. 25 NEW SUBSECTION . 6B. “Race” means the same as defined in 26 section 216.2. 27 Sec. 9. Section 261A.4, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 28 following new subsections: 29 NEW SUBSECTION . 17. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means 30 the same as defined in section 216.2. 31 NEW SUBSECTION . 18. “Race” means the same as defined in 32 section 216.2. 33 Sec. 10. Section 279.58, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 34 following new subsection: 35 -2- LSB 1060HH (6) 89 cm/jh 2/ 5

H.F. 471 NEW SUBSECTION . 3. a. The board of directors of a school 1 district shall not adopt, for the district or for an individual 2 school within the district, a dress code policy that prohibits 3 students from wearing natural or protective hairstyles that are 4 commonly or historically associated with a race. 5 b. For purposes of this subsection: 6 (1) “Natural or protective hairstyle” means the same as 7 defined in section 216.2. 8 (2) “Race” means the same as defined in section 216.2. 9 Sec. 11. Section 280.2, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 10 following new subsections: 11 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means 12 the same as defined in section 216.2. 13 NEW SUBSECTION . 3. “Race” means the same as defined in 14 section 216.2. 15 Sec. 12. Section 341A.1, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 16 following new subsections: 17 NEW SUBSECTION . 4. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means 18 the same as defined in section 216.2. 19 NEW SUBSECTION . 5. “Race” means the same as defined in 20 section 216.2. 21 Sec. 13. Section 400.17, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 22 following new subsection: 23 NEW SUBSECTION . 5. For the purposes of this section: 24 a. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means the same as 25 defined in section 216.2. 26 b. “Race” means the same as defined in section 216.2. 27 Sec. 14. Section 602.1401, Code 2021, is amended by adding 28 the following new subsection: 29 NEW SUBSECTION . 7. For the purposes of this section: 30 a. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means the same as 31 defined in section 216.2. 32 b. “Race” means the same as defined in section 216.2. 33 Sec. 15. Section 729.4, Code 2021, is amended by adding the 34 following new subsection: 35 -3- LSB 1060HH (6) 89 cm/jh 3/ 5

H.F. 471 NEW SUBSECTION . 4. For the purposes of this section: 1 a. “Natural or protective hairstyle” means the same as 2 defined in section 216.2. 3 b. “Race” means the same as defined in section 216.2. 4 EXPLANATION 5 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 6 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 7 This bill provides an additional prohibition against 8 discrimination in schools, workplaces, housing, places of 9 public accommodations, and other contexts on the basis of hair 10 texture, hair type, and natural or protective hairstyles that 11 are historically and commonly associated with race. 12 The following current Code sections prohibit discrimination 13 based on race: Code section 8A.416 (state employment), Code 14 section 15A.1 (state disbursement of grant funds), Code section 15 19B.1 (state employment and contracts), Code chapter 216 (civil 16 rights commission), Code chapter 256 (department of education), 17 Code chapter 256B (area education agencies), Code chapter 18 256F (charter schools and innovation zone schools), Code 19 chapter 261A (higher education loan authority), Code section 20 279.58 (school directors), Code chapter 280 (uniform school 21 requirements), Code section 341A.1 (civil service for deputy 22 county sheriffs), Code section 400.17 (employees under civil 23 service), Code section 602.1401 (judicial personnel), and Code 24 section 729.4 (fair employment practices). The bill further 25 provides that an individual cannot be discriminated against for 26 state assistance programs and that no person in Iowa shall be 27 subjected to a practice prohibited under 42 U.S.C. §1981(c), 28 based upon the person’s natural or protective hairstyle, 29 race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, 30 national origin, religion, ancestry, or disability. 31 The bill provides that discrimination on the basis of 32 race includes discrimination on the basis of natural or 33 protective hairstyles. The bill defines “natural or protective 34 hairstyles” to include but is not limited to braids, locs, 35 -4- LSB 1060HH (6) 89 cm/jh 4/ 5

H.F. 471 twists, tight coils or curls, cornrows, bantu knots, afros, and 1 headwraps. 2 -5- LSB 1060HH (6) 89 cm/jh 5/ 5