Bill Undermining Teaching of Climate Change Introduced in Iowa

On February 1, 2019, a bill (House File 2184) was introduced in the Iowa legislature that would, if enacted, undermine the teaching of climate change in public schools. House File 2184 is purportedly aimed at preventing “teachers in public schools from engaging in political or ideological advocacy" in the classroom. It would require the Iowa State Board of Education to adopt rules that, among other things, prevent teachers “[a]dvocating in a partisan manner for any side of a controversial issue” and require teachers to “provide students with materials supporting all sides of the controversial issue to present those views in a fair-minded, nonpartisan manner." House File 2184 defines “controversial issue” broadly to include any issue addressed in an “electoral party platform at the local, state or federal level.”

Science education groups have expressed concern that House File 2184 may restrict discussion of climate change in schools. They note that anthropogenic climate change would likely be deemed a “controversial issue” under House File 2184 because it is discussed in the federal Democratic party platform and a number of state platforms. Thus, if House File 2184 is enacted, teachers may be required to present anthropogenic climate change as a disputed theory and discuss alternative, discredited theories for the observed rise in temperatures.

Bills similar to House File 2184 have previously been introduced in Arizona, MaineSouth Dakota, and Virginia.


Update:

House File 2184 died in the Iowa House Education Committee on February 21, 2020, when a deadline for bills to be reported out of committee passed.