Rep. Charley Thomson, R-Charles City, is among the co-sponsors of two bills relating to high school social studies and gender identity of students.

The social studies bill requires teaching about “political ideologies that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that were essential to the founding of the United States.”

A comparative discussion would need to include communism and totalitarianism in the required high school class on American government, according to the bill text.

It is House File 132.

Thomson is also co-sponsoring a bill requiring written consent from parents or guardians before schools make any accommodations to affirm a student’s gender identity if it’s different than what’s on their birth or adoption certificate.

The bill also prohibits school districts from withholding gender identity information from parents or guardians or from “encouraging or coercing” a student to withhold the same.

School districts also would be banned from “encouraging, pressuring or coercing” a student to undergo any gender medical procedure, treatment or intervention

It’s House File 9.