---
type: "Bill"
title: "A bill for an act prohibiting public entities from engaging in certain activities relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating a private cause of action, and including effective date provisions."
description: "A bill for an act prohibiting public entities from engaging in certain activities relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating a private cause of action, and including effective date provisions."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ia"
legislature: "Iowa General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "HF 856"
citation: "Iowa HF 856 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["city government", "county government", "diversity", "equity", "local government"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 10
action_count: 29
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2025-03-07"
last_action: "2025-05-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0001363a-d0f0-414a-ad3a-619d090118be"
source_url: "https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/billTracking/billHistory?billName=HF 856&ga=91"
source_hash: "2c7385dd21206f2d4612436f9d6e1b2bb34aa920c5f5fdd6fed9feb9f706c16a"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ia"]
---

# Iowa HF 856 (2025-2026) — A bill for an act prohibiting public entities from engaging in certain activities relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating a private cause of action, and including effective date provisions.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/91/attachments/HF856.html)
2. **Amendment H-1087** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/H1087.pdf)
3. **Amendment H-1094** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/H1094.pdf)
4. **Amendment H-1298** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/H1298.pdf)
5. **Amendment S-3073** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/S3073.pdf)
6. **Amendment S-3149** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/AMDI/91/S3149.pdf)
7. **Enrolled with Governor's Action** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGEG/91/attachments/HF856.html)
8. **Reprinted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGR/91/attachments/HF856.html)
9. **Signed Enrolled Bill (PDF)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/Attachments/HF856_GovLetter.pdf)
10. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGE/91/attachments/HF856.html)

## Votes

- Shall amendment H-1094 be adopted? — **61–37** (pass) · lower
- Shall the bill pass? — **59–32** (pass) · lower
- Shall the bill pass? — **61–37** (pass) · lower
- Shall the bill pass? — **34–16** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION — primary (organization)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-03-07** Introduced, placed on calendar. `introduction`
- **2025-03-13** Amendment H-1087 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2025-03-17** Amendment H-1094 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2025-03-18** Amendment H-1087 withdrawn.
- **2025-03-18** Amendment H-1094, yeas 61, nays 37, adopted.
- **2025-03-18** Passed House, yeas 61, nays 37. `passage`
- **2025-03-18** Immediate message.
- **2025-03-19** Message from House.
- **2025-03-19** Read first time, referred to Education. `reading-1`
- **2025-03-26** Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Kraayenbrink, and Quirmbach.
- **2025-03-31** Subcommittee Meeting: 04/01/2025 3:00PM Senate Lounge.
- **2025-04-01** Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage.
- **2025-04-07** Committee report, recommending amendment and passage. `committee-passage`
- **2025-04-07** Amendment S-3073 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2025-04-07** Placed on calendar.
- **2025-04-10** Placed on calendar under unfinished business.
- **2025-05-09** Amendment S-3073 adopted. `amendment-passage`
- **2025-05-09** Amendment S-3149 filed, adopted. `amendment-introduction, amendment-passage`
- **2025-05-09** Passed Senate, yeas 34, nays 16. `passage`
- **2025-05-09** Immediate message.
- **2025-05-12** Message from Senate.
- **2025-05-12** Senate amendment H-1298 filed. `amendment-introduction`
- **2025-05-13** House concurred in Senate amendment H-1298.
- **2025-05-13** Passed House, yeas 59, nays 32. `passage`
- **2025-05-20** Explanation of vote.
- **2025-05-13** Immediate message.
- **2025-05-13** Message from House.
- **2025-05-22** Reported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor.
- **2025-05-27** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0001363a-d0f0-414a-ad3a-619d090118be`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Iowa legislature records).