STUDENT Act

Summary

Restricts a federally chartered national teachers’ union and its state/local affiliates from collecting membership dues or fees from public employees except when the employee personally and affirmatively consents and no payroll deduction is used. It also bars the union and affiliates from engaging in political activity, strikes or work stoppages, and advocacy of certain ‘‘divisive concepts,’’ imposes new governance, reporting, recordkeeping, and civil‑enforcement rules, and removes a District of Columbia property tax exemption previously in the U.S. Code.

• Public employees may only have union dues transmitted if they give clear, affirmative consent and no payroll deduction is used.
• The national corporation and affiliates would be barred from political activity and from trying to influence legislation.
• Strikes, work stoppages, or slowdowns affecting state or local governments are prohibited and may not be condoned by the organization.
• New governance, recordkeeping, member inspection, and annual reporting requirements are imposed, with civil enforcement by the Attorney General.
• Officers must be U.S. citizens and the entities are explicitly labeled labor organizations subject to federal labor law reporting rules.
• The statute forbids requiring adherence to specified "divisive concepts" or advocating that K–12 schools require such adherence.
• The law makes the corporation potentially liable for acts of officers or agents done within their authority.
• A prior statutory District of Columbia property tax exemption is repealed and removed from the title index.