(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed several bills outlining new policies for Iowa Schools. One bill is similar to legislation Reynolds proposed in January. It requires schools to notify parents if their child asks to use a different name or pronoun when they’re at school. It also says the identities of people who object to books in school libraries are to be kept confidential.

And books with graphic sexual content are to be removed. Schools are also barred from instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary grades.  Another bill signed into law lets teachers file reports about classroom violence with the State Ombudsman for investigation.

Additional details on the bills signed-into law:

SF 391: A bill for an act relating to education, including modifying provisions related to comprehensive school improvement plans, teacher librarians and guidance counselors, required days or hours of instruction in elementary and secondary schools, agreements between school districts and community colleges to teach certain courses, and required courses in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools, and authorizing school districts to offer sequential units in one classroom. 

SF 496: A bill for an act relating to children and students, including establishing a parent’s or guardian’s right to make decisions affecting the parent’s or guardian’s child, authorizing the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a school district to enroll the student in another attendance center within the same school district in certain specified circumstances, prohibiting instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation in school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools in kindergarten through grade six, and modifying provisions related to student health screenings, school district library programs, the educational program provided to students enrolled in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools, other duties of school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, the department of education, the board of educational examiners, and the governing boards of charter schools and innovation zone schools, competent private instruction, and special education, and including effective date provisions. 

HF 135: A bill for an act relating to the responsibilities of the state board of regents and the institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents, including requiring the board to publish certain information related to the average income and student debt of institution graduates and requiring the institutions to provide the board with information related to the average income and student debt of institution graduates and to adopt procedures that require institutions to provide information related to the average income and student debt of institution graduates to undergraduates. 

HF 604: A bill for an act relating to education, including authorizing the ombudsman to investigate complaints received by individuals who hold a license, certificate, authorization, or statement of recognition issued by the board of educational examiners, and modifying the responsibilities of the department of education, school districts, and charter schools. 

HF 430: A bill for an act relating to education, including requirements related to mandatory reporters, a process for investigating complaints against school employees, and the responsibilities of the department of education, school districts, charter schools, accredited nonpublic schools, and the board of educational examiners, modifying the membership of the board of educational examiners, and including applicability provisions. 

HF 672: A bill for an act relating to certain specified employees of school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools, including renewal requirements associated with licenses issued by the board of educational examiners to practitioners with master’s or doctoral degrees, fees associated with the review of certain specified records, and background checks for employees of school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and charter schools. 

HF 614: A bill for an act relating to licenses issued by the board of educational examiners to applicants from other states or countries.