Sponsor
Daniel Crenshaw
Representative · R-TX
Representative · R-TX
The bill protects students, applicants, and employees from being forced to endorse race-based ideological statements and limits ideological preference in selection, while risking a chilling effect on some DEI efforts and imposing modest compliance and legal costs on institutions.
Students, applicants, and employees at institutions receiving federal funds are protected from being required to affirm or write statements endorsing race-based discriminatory ideologies during application, enrollment, hiring, or employment processes.
Students, applicants, and job candidates benefit because institutions are barred from giving hiring or admissions preference based on unsolicited ideological statements, reducing viewpoint-based favoritism in selection processes.
Teachers, educators, and students may experience reduced or more cautious diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming and trainings if institutions avoid activities that could be interpreted as requiring ideological endorsement.
Universities and colleges may face increased litigation, administrative, and compliance costs to revise application, hiring, and training materials and to defend against claims.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars colleges that accept federal student aid from compelling or preferring statements endorsing ideologies that promote different treatment by race, while preserving academic research and voluntary speech.
Official title: To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit institutions of higher education from requiring ideological oaths or similar statements, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 4, 2025 by Daniel Crenshaw · Last progress February 4, 2025
Prohibits colleges and universities that participate in federal student aid programs from requiring or coercing students, employees, contractors, or applicants to endorse or state support for an ideology that treats people differently because of race, color, or ethnicity, or from giving preferential consideration based on such unsolicited statements. The rule preserves academic research and coursework and allows voluntary statements, required discussion of research/art, and required certifications of compliance with anti-discrimination laws.