ANTISEMITISM AND DISCRIMINATION IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (Sections 160.014, 160.015, 173.001, and 173.002)

This act requires all public schools, school districts, and public institutions of postsecondary education to treat antisemitic harassment or discrimination in an identical manner to racially motivated discrimination. Schools and institutions shall include antisemitism-related conduct and penalties in their codes of conduct for students, faculty, and employees, as provided in the act, and shall prohibit behaviors that disrupt normal educational activity or create fear or intimidation. Schools and institutions are also encouraged to incorporate a Jewish American heritage curriculum that covers Jewish experiences throughout U.S. history, including the Holocaust.

Criticism of Israel comparable to that of other countries shall not be considered antisemitism. The act shall not be construed to infringe on First Amendment rights or conflict with existing discrimination laws.

The act further provides that no public school or public institution of postsecondary education shall discriminate based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital status in any program, admission, class, or service, including counseling and financial aid. While specialized programs, such as programs for gifted or disabled students, are allowed, equal access shall otherwise be maintained.

To ensure compliance, a Title VI coordinator shall be appointed by the State Board of Education to oversee reports and investigations of antisemitic incidents in schools and institutions. If a school fails to resolve issues within 30 days after being notified, the coordinator may escalate the matter to federal authorities. An annual report of these activities shall be submitted to the General Assembly by July 1 each year.

These provisions are identical to HB 746 (2025) and provisions in HCS/HB 937 (2025) and HCS/SS/SB 38 (2025).

PROTECTIVE HAIRSTYLES IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

(Section 160.082)

The act creates the "Missouri Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (Missouri CROWN) Act", which governs discriminatory practices in elementary and secondary educational institutions as they relate to protective hairstyles. An "educational institution" is defined as including any public or private prekindergarten program, public or private elementary or secondary school, charter school, or public or private school board, charter school governing board, or other school administrative body.

Under the act, educational institutions that receive state financial assistance or enroll students who receive state financial aid shall not discriminate based on a person’s hair texture or protective hairstyle if it is commonly associated with a particular race or origin. However, educational institutions may require hair nets, coverings, or secured hair for safety reasons in career and technical training courses, as needed to meet safety regulations. This provision shall not apply to an educational institution that is controlled by a religious organization if the application of such provision would not be consistent with the religious tenets of that organization.

This provision is identical to provisions in HCS/HB 937 (2025), substantially similar to provisions in HCS/SS/SB 38 (2025), and similar to SB 969 (2024), HCS/HBs 1900, 1591 & 2515 (2024), SCS/SB 424 (2023), HCS/HBs 930, 361, & 326 (2023), SB 994 (2022), HCS/HBs 1743 & 2185 (2022), SB 145 (2021), HB 282 (2021), HB 420 (2021), HB 503 (2021), HB 1066 (2021), HB 1309 (2021), HB 1314 (2021), and HB 2356 (2020).

PRIVATE SCHOOL LIABILITY FOR SINGLE-SEX FACILITIES

(Sections 160.231 and B)

The act provides that private schools serving students from prekindergarten through 12th grade shall not be civilly liable for designating restrooms and changing areas for the exclusive use of males or females only, based on the biological sex listed on an individual's original birth certificate. Exceptions are allowed for maintenance staff, emergency medical assistance, or parents accompanying children aged eight or younger with school permission.

Additionally, political subdivisions are prohibited from passing rules that would prevent private schools from establishing single-sex facilities. Any political subdivision that violates this act shall cover the private school’s legal costs in any resulting lawsuit.

This provision contains an emergency clause. (Section B)

AUTHORITY TO CONFER DEGREES

(Sections 172.280 and 174.160)

This act authorizes Missouri State University to grant Doctor of Philosophy degrees in disciplines other than engineering and to grant Bachelor of Science degrees in veterinary technology.

These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/SS/SB 38 (2025) and HCS/SS/SB 150 (2025).

STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING

(Sections 173.1555 and 173.1556)

This act prohibits public institutions of higher learning, such as state colleges, community colleges, and technical schools, from taking adverse action against a student association because of the association's beliefs or the actions of its leaders. Specifically, these institutions shall not deny a belief-based student association, such as a political, ideological, or religious association, any benefits that are available to other student groups, including access to campus facilities and communication channels. A belief-based student association shall be responsible for defining its own mission, beliefs, and conduct standards. A belief-based student association may seek relief in a judicial or administrative proceeding against an institution that violates the provisions of the act.

The provisions of this act shall not apply to a belief-based student association if there is substantial evidence that such association's viewpoint or expression of the viewpoint would materially and substantially disrupt the educational environment or interfere with the rights of others, in accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Healy v. James (1972).

These provisions are similar to HB 1518 (2024), HB 136 (2023), HB 1724 (2022), SB 332 (2021), SB 761 (2020), HB 1926 (2020), SB 314 (2019), HB 837 (2019), HB 2074 (2018), and provisions in SB 1022 (2018).

HIGHER EDUCATION CORE CURRICULA

(Sections 178.786 and 178.787)

This act modifies provisions of the Higher Education Core Curriculum Transfer Act.

The act provides that the Coordinating Board for Higher Education shall, with the assistance of an advisory committee composed of representatives from each public community college and each public four-year institution of higher education, approve a 60 credit-hour, transferable, lower-division course curriculum and a common course numbering equivalency matrix for degree programs in the following subjects: general business, elementary education and teaching, general psychology, registered nursing, and general biology or biological science, or both. Each public community college and public four-year institution of higher education that offers the applicable degree programs shall include in such degree programs the common course numbering equivalency matrix approved by the Coordinating Board. The Coordinating Board shall complete its work with the advisory committee before June 30, 2027, and the transferable courses and common course numbering equivalency matrix shall be implemented at all public institutions of higher education for the 2028-29 academic year. No institution of higher education shall be required to adopt the transferable lower-division course curriculum for degree programs not offered at the institution.

If a student successfully completes the transferable lower-division courses at a community college or other public institution of higher education, those courses may be transferred to any other public institution of higher education in this state and shall be substituted for the receiving institution's core curriculum for the same degree program. A student shall receive academic credit toward his or her degree for each of the courses transferred and shall not be required to take additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution for the same degree program.

If a student transfers from one public institution of higher education to another public institution of higher education without completing all of the transferable lower-division courses of the sending institution, such student shall receive academic credit toward the same degree program from the receiving institution for each of the courses that the student has successfully completed. Following receipt of credit for these courses, the student may, if the student has not completed all of the transferable lower-division courses, be required to satisfy further course requirements in the core curriculum of the receiving institution.

The Coordinating Board shall report to the House Committee on Higher Education and the Senate Committee on Education regarding progress made toward fulfilling the requirements of the act before December 31, 2026.

These provisions are identical to HB 183 (2025) and provisions in HCS/SS/SB 38 (2025) and HCS/SS/SB 150 (2025), and are similar to SS/SB 69 (2025), SCS/SB 1075 (2024), HCS/HB 2310 (2024), and a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1569 (2024).

OLIVIA SHANNON