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Iowa Senate File 496

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Senate File 496
Iowa Legislature
  • 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.
Citation[1]
Territorial extent Iowa
Enacted byIowa Senate
EnactedApril 19, 2023
Enacted byIowa House of Representatives
EnactedApril 20, 2023
Signed byKim Reynolds
SignedMay 26, 2023
Legislative history
First chamber: Iowa Senate
IntroducedMarch 2, 2023
Third readingApril 19, 2023
Voting summary
  • 34 voted for
  • 16 voted against
Second chamber: Iowa House of Representatives
Received from the Iowa SenateMarch 23, 2023
Third readingApril 20, 2023
Voting summary
  • 57 voted for
  • 38 voted against
  • 5 absent
Final stages
Finally passed both chambersApril 20, 2023
Summary
Prohibits schools libraries providing books through grades K-12 that depict a "sex act," and prohibits schools from providing books or instruction through grade six that depict the topics of gender identity and sexual orientation.
Status: Blocked

Iowa Senate File 496 (SF 496) is a 2023 law in the state of Iowa that prohibits schools from providing books that include or describe sex acts and prohibits the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in such books until sixth grade.[1][2] Portions of the law were blocked via an injunction by a federal judge on March 25, 2025,[3][4] and as of July 2025 litigation is still ongoing in Penguin Random House v. Robbins.[5][6]

Senate File 496 is commonly referred to as a book ban and up to 3,400 books are known to have been restricted due to the law.[7][8] The law also banned books such as 1984 and Ulysses, which was brought up by a judge when it was blocked again in March 2025 as being too broad.[9][10]

Provisions

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Senate File 496 prohibits school libraries from providing books through grades K-12 that depict sex acts.[11] A separate provision prohibits school libraries from providing books through grades K-6 that depict or give instruction to gender identity and sexual orientation.[11]

Reactions

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Opposition

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The ACLU of Iowa and Lambda Legal have both fought Senate File 496 in court.[12][13] Iowa Safe Schools, the Iowa State Education Association, and Penguin Random House were also involved in litigation against the law.[14][15][16][17] Around 170 school districts in Iowa, including Des Moines Public Schools, have not enforced the law.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Iowa Board of Education sets rules for school book ban". KCCI 8 Des Moines. 2025-02-07. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  2. ^ Hernandez, Samantha; Morris, William (2025-02-07). "Iowa Board of Education approves new Senate File 496 rules". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  3. ^ Villanueva, Joshua (2025-03-26). "US federal judge stops enforcement of Iowa school book ban again". JURIST. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  4. ^ Milliot, Jim (2025-04-23). "Iowa Looks to Appeal Injunction Blocking Book Banning Law". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  5. ^ Sommers, Zach (2025-03-31). "Iowa educators 'relieved' at latest court block on school book ban". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  6. ^ op de Beeck, Nathalie (2025-07-25). "In an Amicus Brief, Literary Groups Register Opposition to Iowa Law". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  7. ^ Cheng, Lucia (2025-03-27). "Federal judge strikes down Iowa's law banning books depicting sex acts from school libraries — again". Iowa Public Radio. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  8. ^ Hernandez, Samantha (2024-11-04). "Iowa releases new rules for enforcing the state's book ban in schools". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  9. ^ Creamer, Ella (2025-03-26). "Iowa law banning books including 1984 and Ulysses blocked by US federal judge". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  10. ^ Laird, Rox (2025-03-25). "Federal judge kills Iowa's LGBTQ+ school library book ban". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  11. ^ a b Kauffman, Clark (2025-02-06). "Battle over the legality of Iowa's school book ban heats up". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  12. ^ Davidson, Tyleis (2024-10-21). "New Request Filed to Again Block Iowa's Book Banning/Don't Say LGBTQ Law". Lambda Legal. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  13. ^ Sitter, Phillip (2024-10-21). "Iowa book ban law: Plaintiffs ask judge reinstate temporary block". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  14. ^ Opsahl, Robin (2024-10-21). "Civil rights groups try again to block Iowa's book law". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  15. ^ "Iowa law banning school library books that depict sex acts on hold again after a new federal ruling". KCCI 8 Des Moines. 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  16. ^ El Hajj, Nick (2024-08-14). "Iowa schools in limbo as they brace for book ban and legal battle continues". CBS 2 Iowa. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  17. ^ Higgins, Chris; Hernandez, Samantha (2024-09-17). "Penguin Random House not deterred by Iowa book ban ruling". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  18. ^ Hernandez, Samantha (2025-02-16). "DMPS among Iowa schools that declines to ban books under new law". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
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