HF 560 (LSB 2688YH (3) 91)

HOUSE FILE 560

BY  WICHTENDAHL, CROKEN, LEVIN, B. MEYER, BROWN-POWERS, KURTH, AMOS JR., WESSEL-KROESCHELL, and McBURNEY

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the rights of parents, guardians, and minors including those relating to gender transition procedure-related activities for minors, and providing effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 601.1, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  Subject to section 147.164, a A parent or guardian bears the ultimate responsibility, and has the fundamental, constitutionally protected right, to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s minor child, including decisions related to the minor child’s medical care, moral upbringing, religious upbringing, residence, education, and extracurricular activities. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.
    Sec. 2.  REPEAL.  Section 147.164, Code 2025, is repealed.
    Sec. 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
    Sec. 4.  RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies retroactively to March 22, 2023.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the rights of parents, guardians, and minors. The bill repeals Code section 147.164 (gender transition procedure-related activities —— minors —— prohibitions), and makes a conforming change in the Code. The bill takes effect upon enactment and is retroactively applicable to March 22, 2023.