House Study Bill 542 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON COLLINS) A BILL FOR An Act prohibiting courses and content relating to diversity, 1 equity, inclusion, and critical race theory in general 2 education requirements and core curricula at regents 3 institutions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5247YC (8) 91 je/ns

H.F. _____ Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act shall be known and may be 1 cited as the “Stop Woke Act”. 2 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 262.100 Standards for undergraduate 3 general education courses. 4 1. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise 5 requires: 6 a. “Diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race 7 theory-related content” means content that does one or more of 8 the following: 9 (1) Promotes the idea that racially neutral or colorblind 10 laws, policies, or institutions perpetuate oppression; 11 injustice; race-based privilege, including white supremacy 12 or white privilege; or inequity by failing to actively 13 differentiate on the basis of race, sex, or gender. 14 (2) Promotes the differential treatment of any individual 15 or groups of individuals based on race or ethnicity in 16 contemporary American society. 17 (3) Promotes the idea that a student is biased on account 18 of the student’s race or sex. 19 (4) Relates any of the following topics to contemporary 20 American society: critical theory, whiteness, systemic racism, 21 institutional racism, antiracism, microaggressions, systemic 22 bias, implicit bias, unconscious bias, intersectionality, 23 gender identity, social justice, cultural competence, allyship, 24 race-based reparations, race-based privilege, race-based or 25 gender-based diversity, race-based or gender-based equity, or 26 race-based or gender-based inclusion. 27 b. “Diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race 28 theory-related course or course requirements” means any course 29 for which the course description, course overview, course 30 objectives, proposed student learning outcomes, written 31 examinations, written or oral assignments for which the student 32 will receive a grade, or other course requirements include 33 diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory-related 34 content, or any other course requirement that includes such 35 -1- LSB 5247YC (8) 91 je/ns 1/ 3

H.F. _____ content. 1 2. The state board of regents shall establish a policy 2 that prohibits diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical 3 race theory-related courses or course requirements from being 4 included in any undergraduate general education requirement or 5 core curriculum at institutions of higher education governed 6 by the board. 7 Sec. 3. REVIEW OF UNDERGRADUATE GENERAL EDUCATION 8 REQUIREMENTS AND CORE CURRICULA. No later than December 31, 9 2026, the board of regents shall conduct a review of all 10 undergraduate general education requirements and core curricula 11 at institutions of higher education governed by the board and 12 direct the institutions to remove any required courses or 13 course requirements that include diversity, equity, inclusion, 14 and critical race theory-related content from the undergraduate 15 general education requirements and core curricula. 16 Sec. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF POLICIES —— DATE. The board of 17 regents shall establish all policies required by this Act no 18 later than December 31, 2026. 19 EXPLANATION 20 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 21 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 22 This bill requires the state board of regents (board) 23 to establish a policy that prohibits diversity, equity, 24 inclusion, and critical race theory-related courses or course 25 requirements, as defined in the bill, from being included 26 in any undergraduate general education requirement or core 27 curriculum at institutions of higher education governed by the 28 board (institutions). 29 The bill requires the board to establish all policies 30 required by the bill no later than December 31, 2026. 31 The bill requires the board, no later than December 31, 2026, 32 to conduct a review of all undergraduate general education 33 requirements and core curricula at institutions and direct 34 the institutions to remove any required courses or course 35 -2- LSB 5247YC (8) 91 je/ns 2/ 3