House Study Bill 681 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER) A BILL FOR An Act relating to student dress code policies of public 1 schools, charter schools, and innovation school zones, and 2 including applicability provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5539YC (4) 91 mb/jh

H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2026, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0l. Be subject to and comply with the 3 requirements of section 279.58 relating to student dress code 4 policies in the same manner as a school district. 5 Sec. 2. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended 6 by adding the following new paragraph: 7 NEW PARAGRAPH . v. Be subject to and comply with the 8 requirements of section 279.58 relating to student dress code 9 policies in the same manner as a school district. 10 Sec. 3. Section 279.58, Code 2026, is amended by striking 11 the section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 12 279.58 School dress code policies. 13 1. The board of directors of a public school district shall 14 adopt a dress code policy for students in grades kindergarten 15 through twelve requiring students to dress in attire that is 16 all of the following: 17 a. Appropriate for an educational setting. 18 b. Presentable, promoting personal hygiene, neatness, and 19 modesty. 20 2. The dress code policy required in this section must apply 21 to all school-related activities, including regular school 22 hours, extracurricular activities, and school-sponsored events, 23 unless otherwise specified by the school district. 24 3. The dress code policy required in this section must 25 include, at a minimum, all of the following requirements: 26 a. Clothing must be clean, in good repair, and free of 27 language, symbols, or images that promote illegal activities. 28 b. Attire must adequately cover the body, and clothing that 29 exposes undergarments or midriffs shall be prohibited. 30 c. Footwear must be worn at all times and shall be 31 appropriate for the school environment to ensure safety and 32 hygiene. 33 d. Accessories or attire, including gang-related attire, 34 that the board of directors of a school district determine 35 -1- LSB 5539YC (4) 91 mb/jh 1/ 4

H.F. _____ is disruptive to the health, safety, or positive educational 1 environment of students and staff must be prohibited. 2 4. a. The board of directors of a school district may 3 establish additional dress code requirements tailored to the 4 needs of its student population that are consistent with this 5 section and do not infringe upon rights protected by the 6 Constitution of the State of Iowa and the Constitution of the 7 United States. 8 b. The board of directors of a school district may adopt 9 uniform policies or specific attire guidelines, including 10 requiring collared shirts, specific colors, or other 11 standardized clothing, as determined to be appropriate by the 12 board. 13 5. a. The board of directors of a school district shall 14 establish procedures for enforcing the dress code policy, 15 including clear consequences for violations, which may include 16 verbal warnings, parent or guardian notification, or other 17 disciplinary actions consistent with the district’s student 18 conduct policies. 19 b. The board of directors of a school district shall provide 20 reasonable accommodations for students based on religious 21 beliefs, medical needs, or other circumstances protected under 22 state or federal law. 23 6. The dress code policy shall be clearly communicated to 24 students and parents at the beginning of each school year and 25 made publicly available on the school district’s internet site. 26 7. The dress code policy shall be applied uniformly to 27 all students without discrimination on the basis of race, 28 color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or any other 29 characteristic protected under state or federal law. 30 Sec. 4. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to school years 31 beginning on or after July 1, 2026. 32 EXPLANATION 33 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 34 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 35 -2- LSB 5539YC (4) 91 mb/jh 2/ 4

H.F. _____ This bill relates to student dress code policies of school 1 districts, charter schools, and innovation school zones. The 2 bill requires that the board of directors of a public school 3 district adopt a dress code policy applicable to students in 4 kindergarten through grade 12. The bill provides that the 5 dress code policy shall require that students dress in attire 6 that is appropriate for an educational setting, presentable, 7 and promotes personal hygiene, neatness, and modesty. 8 The bill further establishes minimum standards that must be 9 included in each school district’s dress code policy, including 10 that clothing is clean, in good repair, adequately covers the 11 body, and that footwear is worn at all times and appropriate 12 for the school environment. The bill prohibits clothing 13 that contains language, symbols, or images that promote 14 illegal activities, and clothing that exposes undergarments 15 or midriffs. Accessories or attire, including gang-related 16 attire, that the board of directors of a school district 17 determine is disruptive to the health, safety, or educational 18 environment are also prohibited. 19 The bill permits the board of directors of a school district 20 to adopt additional dress code requirements and uniform 21 policies, provided such requirements comply with the bill, 22 the Constitution of the State of Iowa, and the Constitution 23 of the United States. Each school district must establish 24 enforcement procedures, including consequences for violations, 25 and must provide reasonable accommodations for students based 26 on religious beliefs, medical needs, or other circumstances 27 protected by state or federal law. 28 The bill requires that dress code policies be communicated 29 to students and parents at the beginning of each school year 30 and posted on the school district’s internet site. The bill 31 requires dress code policies to be applied uniformly and 32 without discrimination. 33 The bill provides that charter schools and innovation school 34 zones are subject to the requirements of the bill in the same 35 -3- LSB 5539YC (4) 91 mb/jh 3/ 4

H.F. _____ manner as a school district. 1 The bill applies to school years beginning on or after July 2 1, 2026. 3 -4- LSB 5539YC (4) 91 mb/jh 4/ 4