Kim Reynolds signs sweeping Iowa education law on book bans, LGBTQ teaching. What it does:

Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a sweeping education law that orders the removal of books in schools that contain sex acts and restricts teaching about LGBTQ topics.

Iowa Republican lawmakers combined several of their top priorities for education into the wide-ranging Senate File 496, which Reynolds signed in a private event on Friday.

The law will ban school books with descriptions or depictions of sex acts; prohibit instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation before seventh grade; require schools to notify parents if a student requests to use new pronouns; and enshrine the "constitutionally protected right" for parents to make decisions for their children.

"This legislative session, we secured transformational education reform that puts parents in the driver's seat, eliminates burdensome regulations on public schools, provides flexibility to raise teacher salaries and empowers teachers to prepare our kids for their future," Reynolds said in a news release Friday. "Education is the great equalizer and everyone involved — parents, educators, our children — deserves an environment where they can thrive."