Sponsors (3)
The bill strengthens enforcement of civil‑rights compliance by tying federal education funding to nondiscrimination, but that leverage may curtail some race- or sex-conscious diversity programs, create budget pressures for institutions, and produce legal uncertainty about permissible policies.
Schools and universities will face a clearer federal enforcement mechanism because the Department of Education can condition federal education funding on civil‑rights compliance, increasing the likelihood that institutions address unlawful race- or sex-based practices.
Students at institutions that previously engaged in unlawful race- or sex-based practices will be protected from discriminatory admissions or program decisions.
Students and colleges may see reduced race- or sex-conscious diversity programs as institutions limit or change such initiatives to avoid risking federal funds.
Universities that lose or forgo federal funding could face budget shortfalls that lead to higher tuition, cuts to programs, or reduced services for students and increased costs for taxpayers.
Ambiguity about which practices 'violate' civil‑rights laws may prompt legal challenges and create uncertainty for institutions about what diversity policies are permissible.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Conditions federal higher‑education funding on institutions not considering race, sex, ethnicity, color, or national origin in ways that violate federal civil‑rights law.
Introduced April 22, 2026 by Young Kim · Last progress April 22, 2026
Prohibits federal funding for colleges and universities that take race, sex, ethnicity, color, or national origin into account in ways that violate federal civil‑rights law. It also sets a short title for the law. The rule conditions receipt of federal higher‑education funds on institutions’ compliance with civil‑rights requirements when they consider those protected characteristics.