H.R. 2555

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for certain freedom of association protections, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · April 1, 2025 · Sponsor: Mrs. Houchin · Committee: Committee on Education and Workforce

Table of contents

• H.R. 2555
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Purposes
  • SEC. 3. Freedom of association protections for students in social organizations

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2025.

SEC. 2. Purposes

• (a) Purposes
  • The purposes of this Act are as follows:
    • Protect any student in a single-sex social organization or any single-sex social organization from any adverse action by an institution of higher education based solely on the membership practice of such organization of limiting membership only to individuals of one sex.
    • Ensure any student in a single-sex social organization or any single-sex social organization is treated without bias in comparison to students at an institution of higher education who do not participate in single-sex social organizations, or other social organizations at an institution of higher education that are not single-sex.
    • Protect the rights of students to freely associate with and participate in social organizations, including single-sex social organizations.

SEC. 3. Freedom of association protections for students in social organizations

• Part B of title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965 () is amended by adding at the end the following: 20 U.S.C. 1011 et seq.
  • (a) Upholding freedom of association protections
    • Any student (or group of students) enrolled in an institution of higher education shall—
      • be able to form or apply to join any recognized or unrecognized social organization, including any single-sex social organization; and
      • if selected for membership by any social organization, be able to join such social organization and participate in such social organization.
  • (b) Non-Retaliation against students of single-Sex social organizations
    • An institution of higher education that receives funds under this Act, including through an institution’s participation in any program under title IV, shall not—
      • take any action to require or coerce a student or prospective student who is a member or prospective member of a single-sex social organization to waive the protections provided under , including as a condition of enrolling in the institution;
      • take any adverse action against a single-sex social organization, or a student who is a member or a prospective member of a single-sex social organization, based solely on the membership practice of such organization limiting membership only to individuals of one sex; or
      • impose a recruitment restriction (including a recruitment restriction relating to the schedule for membership recruitment) on a single-sex social organization recognized by the institution, which is not imposed upon other student organizations by the institution, unless the organization (or a council of similar organizations) and the institution have entered into a mutually agreed-upon written agreement that allows the institution to impose such restriction.
  • (c) Rules of construction
    • Nothing in this section shall—
      • require an institution of higher education to officially recognize a social organization, including a single-sex social organization;
      • prohibit an institution of higher education from taking an adverse action against a student who joins a social organization, including a single-sex social organization, for a reason including academic misconduct or nonacademic misconduct, or because the organization’s purpose poses a clear harm to students or employees of the institution, so long as that adverse action is not based solely on the membership practice of the organization of limiting membership only to individuals of one sex;
      • prevent a social organization from regulating its own membership;
      • inhibit the ability of the faculty of an institution of higher education to express an opinion (either individually or collectively) about membership in a single-sex social organization, or otherwise inhibit the academic freedom of such faculty to research, write, or publish material about membership in such an organization; or
      • create enforceable rights against a social organization or against an institution of higher education due to the decision of such social organization to deny membership to an individual student.
  • (d) Definitions
    • In this section:
      • The term includes the following actions taken by an institution of higher education with respect to a single-sex social organization or a member or prospective member of a single-sex social organization: adverse action
      • The term single-sex social organization means—