Iowa Senate Advances Bill to Restrict Noncitizen Hiring at State Universities

Legislation would bar employment contracts with H1-B visa holders from certain 'adversary' countries, raising concerns over legal challenges.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 7:50pm

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An Iowa Senate subcommittee and the chamber's workforce committee have advanced a bill that would bar state universities from entering into employment contracts with H-1B visa holders from countries designated as 'foreign adversaries' or 'state sponsors of terrorism', including China, Russia, Iran, and others. The bill, which passed the House last week, has raised concerns from university officials about potential lawsuits over discrimination based on national origin.

Why it matters

The legislation is aimed at restricting access to sensitive information and intellectual property at state universities, but critics argue it could open the door to unlawful discrimination and legal challenges for the schools.

The details

House File 2513 would prohibit state universities and community colleges from hiring new employees who hold H-1B visas and are citizens of countries like China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, and Venezuela. University officials have expressed concerns that the bill could lead to lawsuits over conflicts with state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on national origin. Supporters of the bill argue it is a 'common sense approach' to protecting sensitive information, while opponents say it allows for 'discriminative practices' against legally-vetted foreign workers.

  • The bill passed the Iowa House with a 68-27 vote last week.
  • The Senate subcommittee and workforce committee advanced the bill on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

The players

Iowa Board of Regents

The governing body for Iowa's state universities, which has registered as undecided on the bill but expressed concerns about potential lawsuits.

Jillian Carlson

State relations officer for the Iowa Board of Regents, who stated that a 'very small percentage' of the nearly 30,000 university employees hold H-1B visas.

Dennis Tibben

Lobbyist for State Shield Action, a 'public policy group focused on safeguarding the states against national security threats', who supports the legislation as a 'common sense approach'.

Sen. Mike Pike

The Republican chair of the Senate subcommittee, who expressed concerns about the 'few bad actors' among H-1B visa holders and urged a 'yes' vote on the bill.

Sen. Thomas Townsend

The Democratic senator on the subcommittee, who raised concerns about the bill allowing 'discriminative practices' and opening universities to lawsuits.

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What they’re saying

“We do have concerns that this would open us up to lawsuits due to conflict with both state and federal laws on discrimination based on national origin.”

— Jillian Carlson, State relations officer, Iowa Board of Regents

“This is a common sense approach to ensuring the sensitive information being used and produced by U.S. higher education institutions is safe and isn't exposed to potentially hostile people.”

— Dennis Tibben, Lobbyist, State Shield Action

“Those numbers are concerning to me as to, is this what's in the best interest, not only for our students, but also for our country, (to) have individuals here that … may not be loyal to America in the same manner that we all are.”

— Sen. Adrian Dickey

What’s next

The legislation will now move to the full Iowa Senate for debate.

The takeaway

This bill highlights the ongoing tensions between national security concerns and anti-discrimination laws when it comes to hiring foreign workers at state universities. While supporters argue it is a necessary step to protect sensitive information, critics warn it could lead to unlawful discrimination and legal challenges for the schools.