House File 290 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 290 BY FISHER A BILL FOR An Act relating to the terms gender and sex, including a 1 person’s sex designation listed on government documents. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1097YH (4) 90 cm/ns
H.F. 290 Section 1. Section 4.1, subsection 17, Code 2023, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 17. Number and gender. Unless otherwise specifically 3 provided by law the : 4 a. The singular includes the plural, and the plural includes 5 the singular. 6 b. Words of one gender include the other genders. 7 c. The term “gender” , or the term “sex” when used in 8 reference to gender, means the biological sex designation of 9 male or female on a person’s birth certificate. 10 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 27D.1 Sex designation listed on 11 government documents. 12 The state or any other governmental body, as defined 13 in section 21.2, shall not list a person’s gender or sex 14 designation on any application, form, list, license, or other 15 document that is different from the gender or sex designation 16 listed on a person’s official birth certificate. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 Under current law, Code section 4.1 sets forth certain 21 general rules for the usage of terms throughout the Code. 22 This bill defines the terms “gender” and “sex”, when used in 23 reference to gender, to mean the biological sex designation of 24 male or female on a person’s birth certificate. Therefore, 25 when a Code section refers to gender or sex in reference to 26 its inclusion on an application, license, or other document 27 (for example, Code section 321.182, relating to driver’s 28 licenses), the listed gender or sex must comply with the bill’s 29 definition. Current Code section 144.23 provides that a new 30 certificate of birth is issued upon receipt of proof of a 31 change in sex designation. 32 In addition, the bill specifies that the state or any 33 governmental body is not allowed to list a person’s gender or 34 sex designation listed on any application, form, list, license, 35 -1- LSB 1097YH (4) 90 cm/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 290 or other document that is different from the gender or sex 1 designation listed on the person’s official birth certificate. 2 -2- LSB 1097YH (4) 90 cm/ns 2/ 2