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SF 382IOWASession 2025-2026State Billin committee

Iowa bans discriminatory school mascots referencing disabilities and establishes compliance grants

Original title: A bill for an act relating to education, including by prohibiting the use of certain mascots to represent schools and institutions of higher education, establishing grant programs to assist schools and institutions of higher education in adopting alternative mascots, modifying provisions related to the Iowa tuition grants program, and making appropriations.

Last action · February 24, 2025: Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Donahue, and Kraayenbrink. S.J. 342 .Sponsor: Molly Donahue

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What This Bill Would Do

Iowa public educational institutions and participating private colleges are prohibited from adopting or using mascots, team names, or symbols that reference disabilities, and must complete a compliance review within one year. The bill establishes state-funded grant programs through the Department of Education and Board of Regents to help schools offset the costs of transitioning to new mascots.

Why it matters

Schools and public colleges statewide must audit their imagery, abandon prohibited symbols, and replace signage, uniforms, and educational materials by September 1, 2027, with state appropriations covering approved transition costs.

Background
  • Senate File 382 was introduced in the Iowa Senate during the 91st General Assembly by Senator Donahue. context
  • The bill addresses the use of imagery associated with disabilities by educational institutions, tying compliance to eligibility for state tuition grants and establishing grant programs to defray transition costs. context

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Public educational institutions

School districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, innovation zone schools, regents institutions, and community colleges must audit their branding, eliminate discriminatory mascots, and transition to compliant names, symbols, and materials.

Directly affected

Accredited private and eligible institutions

Private higher education institutions participating in the Iowa tuition grants program must comply with mascot restrictions to remain eligible for program participation and may apply for transition grants.

Directly affected

Department of Education

The department must develop and administer a mascot grant program, adopt administrative rules, manage the grant fund, and establish transition requirements.

Directly affected

State Board of Regents

The board must develop and administer a separate mascot grant program for institutions under its control, adopt rules, and manage its respective grant fund.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is classified as a discriminatory mascot under this bill?
A is defined as any name, person, animal, object, symbol, or image used by a public educational institution to represent itself that references or is associated with a disability.
When do schools have to stop using existing uniforms and materials with these mascots?
Public educational institutions may continue to use certain existing materials and uniforms containing a until September 1, 2027, if they meet specific transition requirements set by rule.
Are private colleges affected by this legislation?
Yes, s and eligible institutions participating in the Iowa tuition grants program must comply with the requirements in the same manner as a community college to maintain program participation, and they are eligible for grant funding.
How will schools pay for the costs of changing their signs and uniforms?
The bill establishes grant program funds administered by the Department of Education and the State Board of Regents, backed by state general fund appropriations, to offset costs associated with complying with the new mascot rules.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

2 actions
  1. Feb 24, 2025Senate
    Subcommittee: Rozenboom, Donahue, and Kraayenbrink. S.J. 342 .
  2. Feb 19, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Introduced, referred to Education. S.J. 312 .

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Molly DonahueSenate · District 37DemocraticPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Statewide Mascot Regulation

Extends statutory mascot restrictions beyond cultural or ethnic references to specifically encompass symbols associated with disabilities.

Department of EducationState Board of Regents

Connected Entities

State Board of Regents, Molly Donahue, Department of Education and 3 more
OrganizationState Board of Regents“Administers the state board of regents mascot grant program”Map →
PersonMolly Donahue“Introduced Senate File 382”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Education“Administers the department of education mascot grant program and adopts rules”Map →
OrganizationState Board of Education“Adopts rules to administer the department of education mascot grant program”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly of the State of Iowa“Enacting legislative body”Map →
otherAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990“Federal law referenced for the definition of disability”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.legis.iowa.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz45
    Current news / social attention level

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