DES MOINES, IOWA — Today, Independent Women applauds Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for boldly standing with women and signing into state law Iowa Senate File 418—inspired by Independent Women’s Stand With Women model legislation—which defines “male” and “female” terms already used across state law and protects the integrity of sex-based data collection. Governor Reynolds is now the second female governor to sign Stand With Women legislation into law, following Governor Kay Ivey in Alabama signing similar legislation last month.
Now signed into law by Governor Reynolds, SF418:
- Defines sex-based terms, such as ‘woman,’ ‘man, ’ ‘female,’ and ‘male,’ already used across Iowa code; and
- Requires publicly collected sex-based vital statistics to accurately reflect biology.
By defining sex-based terms in law, Governor Reynolds’ Stand With Women legislation strengthens existing protections for women and ensures their right to single-sex spaces and opportunities.
Iowa lawmakers have long been strong supporters of Independent Women’s Stand With Women model legislation. In 2023, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced support for Stand With Women model legislation as a critical step in upholding the law to protect women’s rights.
Governor Kim Reynolds said: “I’m signing into law a bill that safeguards the rights of women and girls. It’s common sense to acknowledge the obvious biological differences between men and women. In fact, it’s necessary to secure genuine equal protection for women and girls. What this bill does accomplish is to strengthen protections for women and girls, and I believe that it is the right thing to do.”
“Congratulations to Iowa on the passage of Senate File 148! The Iowa legislature has prioritized the equality of women and girls, truth, biology and common sense. I was thrilled to see Governor Reynolds sign this bill into law,” said Independent Women Ambassador Riley Gaines. “Governor Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird have been fierce champions for women’s sex-based rights and are ensuring no Iowa women and girls are discriminated against on the basis of their sex. I congratulate Iowa on becoming the 10th state to sign Stand with Women legislation into law and look forward to many more to come this year.”
Governor Kim Reynolds’s signature follows the momentum of pro-woman policies taking place across the country, including U.S. House bipartisan passage of the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act and President Donald Trump’s executive orders to keep men out of women’s sports and define sex-based terms, following Independent Women’s sex-definition model.
Iowa is now the tenth state to adopt laws inspired by Independent Women’s Stand with Women model, joining Kansas, Tennessee, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas, Alabama and soon, Montana, in affecting the lives of nearly 19 million women and girls.
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Independent Women’s Voice fights for women by expanding support for policy solutions that aren’t just well intended, but actually enhance freedom, opportunities, and well-being.