HOUSE BILL NO. 1998 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE MEIRATH.
5053H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT To amend chapters 160 and 173, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to state funding of educational institutions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapters 160 and 173, RSMo, are amended by adding thereto two new 2 sections, to be known as sections 160.2560 and 173.2560, to read as follows: 160.2560. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Defunding 2 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Elementary and Secondary Education Act". 3 2. As used in this section, the following terms mean: 4 (1) "Department", the state department of elementary and secondary education; 5 (2) "Diversity, equity, and inclusion" or "DEI", any educational program, 6 course, initiative, or curriculum designed to promote, teach, or enforce principles 7 related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. DEI includes, but is not limited to, training, 8 workshops, curriculum materials, student groups, and any other program or event 9 related to such subjects; 10 (3) "Educational institution", each public school and school district in this state; 11 (4) "State funding", any financial support, grants, or allocations provided by the 12 state of Missouri to an educational institution, including federal funds passed through 13 the state. 14 3. (1) No educational institution shall use state funding for the implementation, 15 teaching, or support of DEI programs or initiatives.
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. HB 1998 2
16 (2) (a) An educational institution that uses state funding for activities related to 17 DEI shall return the amount of state funding used for such activities to the state 18 treasury. 19 (b) In addition to the repayment of state funding, the offending educational 20 institution shall lose all state funding for the fiscal year in which the violation occurs. 21 (c) The state shall also withhold any future state funding to the offending 22 educational institution until the violation is rectified to the satisfaction of the 23 department. 24 4. (1) The department shall establish procedures to monitor the use of state 25 funding in educational institutions and ensure compliance with this section. 26 (2) Any resident, taxpayer, or employee of an educational institution may file a 27 complaint with the department if such individual believes an educational institution has 28 violated this section. 29 (3) The department shall issue an annual report detailing the enforcement of this 30 section. Such report shall include the number of violations and the total amount of state 31 funding recovered. 173.2560. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Defunding 2 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education Act". 3 2. As used in this section, the following terms mean: 4 (1) "Department", the state department of higher education and workforce 5 development; 6 (2) "Diversity, equity, and inclusion" or "DEI", any educational program, 7 course, initiative, or curriculum designed to promote, teach, or enforce principles 8 related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. DEI includes, but is not limited to, training, 9 workshops, curriculum materials, student groups, and any other program or event 10 related to such subjects; 11 (3) "Educational institution", a public postsecondary educational institution 12 governed or supervised by a: 13 (a) Board erected under chapter 172, 174, 175, or 178; 14 (b) Board of trustees of a community college; or 15 (c) State board for any other technical school; 16 (4) "State funding", any financial support, grants, or allocations provided by the 17 state of Missouri to an educational institution, including federal funds passed through 18 the state. 19 3. (1) No educational institution shall use state funding for the implementation, 20 teaching, or support of DEI programs or initiatives. HB 1998 3
21 (2) (a) An educational institution that uses state funding for activities related to 22 DEI shall return the amount of state funding used for such activities to the state 23 treasury. 24 (b) In addition to the repayment of state funding, the offending educational 25 institution shall lose all state funding for the fiscal year in which the violation occurs. 26 (c) The state shall also withhold any future state funding to the offending 27 educational institution until the violation is rectified to the satisfaction of the 28 department. 29 4. (1) The department shall establish procedures to monitor the use of state 30 funding in educational institutions and ensure compliance with this section. 31 (2) Any resident of the state or employee of an educational institution may file a 32 complaint with the department if such individual believes an educational institution has 33 violated this section. 34 (3) The department shall issue an annual report detailing the enforcement of this 35 section. Such report shall include the number of violations and the total amount of state 36 funding recovered. ✔
Statutes affected: