As Introduced
135th General Assembly
Regular Session S. B. No. 284
2023-2024
Senators Rulli, Smith
A BILL
To enact sections 3320.05, 3320.06, 3320.07, 1
3333.80, 3333.801, and 4112.20 of the Revised 2
Code to enact the Campus Accountability and 3
Modernization to Protect University Students 4
"CAMPUS" Act regarding the prevention of racial, 5
religious, and ethnic bias, harassment, and 6
intimidation at institutions of higher 7
education, regarding antisemitism prevention 8
policies at state agencies, to establish 9
different campus safety and community programs, 10
and to make appropriations. 11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 3320.05, 3320.06, 3320.07, 12
3333.80, 3333.801, and 4112.20 of the Revised Code be enacted to 13
read as follows: 14
Sec. 3320.05. (A) As used in sections 3320.05 to 3320.07 15
of the Revised Code, "institution of higher education" means the 16
following: 17
(1) A state institution of higher education as defined in 18
section 3345.011 of the Revised Code; 19
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(2) A private college as defined in section 3365.01 of the 20
Revised Code. 21
(B) Not later than ninety days after the effective date of 22
this section, each institution of higher education shall adopt 23
and enforce a policy regarding racial, religious, and ethnic 24
bias, harassment, and intimidation at the institution. The 25
policy shall include all of the following: 26
(1) Training for all institution administration, faculty, 27
and staff, including the institution's offices of diversity, 28
equity, and inclusion and student affairs and campus safety 29
organizations, that provides information on how to respond to 30
hate incidents or incidents of harassment that occur during a 31
class or event held at the institution at the time the incident 32
occurs; 33
(2) A written procedure for accepting and investigating 34
student complaints and allegations of racial, religious, or 35
ethnic bias, harassment, or intimidation threatened or taken 36
against any student, staff, or faculty member. The procedure 37
shall include all of the following: 38
(a) An option to submit complaints and report threats 39
anonymously; 40
(b) Potential disciplinary actions that may be taken after 41
an investigation is conducted; 42
(c) At the conclusion of an investigation, mandatory 43
communications sent to identified individuals who submit a 44
complaint and individuals who are the subject of a complaint, 45
regardless of whether disciplinary action is taken. These 46
communications may include educational information on the 47
institution's policy against racial, religious, and ethnic bias, 48
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As Introduced
harassment, and intimidation. 49
(3) Creation of a campus task force on combating 50
antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hatred, harassment, bullying, or 51
violence toward others on the basis of their perceived or actual 52
religious identity at the institution; 53
(4) Creation of partnerships between university police, 54
local law enforcement, the state highway patrol, and student 55
communities to provide security functions for student groups 56
that face threats of terror attack or hate crimes, both on and 57
off campus. 58
(C) Nothing in this section shall be construed to diminish 59
or infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment 60
to the United States Constitution, Article I, Sections 3 and 11 61
of the Ohio Constitution, or noncommercial expressive activity 62
as defined in section 3345.0212 of the Revised Code. 63
Sec. 3320.06. (A) The chancellor of higher education shall 64
establish a committee on combating antisemitism and other forms 65
of racial, religious, and ethnic bias, harassment, and 66
intimidation at institutions of higher education in the state. 67
The committee shall develop guidance on preventing antisemitism 68
and other forms of racial, religious, and ethnic bias, 69
harassment, and intimidation at institutions of higher 70
education, including a framework for discussions to educate 71
students on conduct prohibited by institution policies, state 72
and federal law, and recommended safety measures for student 73
organizations. The guidance shall be posted on the department of 74
higher education's web site. 75
(B) The chancellor of higher education shall establish a 76
uniform reporting system on hate incidents at institutions of 77
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higher education. Under the reporting system, each institution 78
of higher education shall submit an annual report of all 79
allegations of racial, religious, and ethnic bias, harassment, 80
and intimidation received by the institution and other 81
documented incidents at the institution in that year, including 82
the status of all investigations, the outcomes of completed 83
investigations, and whether the allegations initiating an 84
investigation were substantiated. Reports sent through the 85
uniform reporting system shall be distributed to the chancellor, 86
attorney general, and the United States attorneys for the 87
northern and southern districts of Ohio. 88
Sec. 3320.07. Each institution of higher education shall 89
publicize any time, place, or manner restrictions it places on 90
the expressive activities, as defined in section 3345.0211 of 91
the Revised Code, of its students, including information on how 92
the institution uses viewpoint- and content-neutral criteria to 93
establish those restrictions. 94
Sec. 3333.80. (A) As used in this section, "institution of 95
higher education" means the following: 96
(1) A state institution of higher education as defined in 97
section 3345.011 of the Revised Code; 98
(2) A private college as defined in section 3365.01 of the 99
Revised Code. 100
(B) The chancellor of higher education shall establish and 101
administer the campus student safety grant program. Under the 102
program, the chancellor shall award grants to institutions of 103
higher education to enhance security measures and ensure student 104
safety at on- and off-campus locations. The chancellor shall 105
develop guidelines and procedures for the program, including an 106
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application process, criteria for awards, and a method to 107
determine the distribution of awards. Priority shall be given to 108
institutions that demonstrate increased threats of violent 109
crime, terror attacks, hate crimes, or harassment toward 110
students and student organizations at the institution. 111
Sec. 3333.801. (A) As used in this section, "institution 112
of higher education" means the following: 113
(1) A state institution of higher education as defined in 114
section 3345.011 of the Revised Code; 115
(2) A private college as defined in section 3365.01 of the 116
Revised Code. 117
(B) The chancellor of higher education shall establish and 118
administer the campus community grant program. Under the 119
program, the chancellor shall provide funding to institutions of 120
higher education to support intergroup and interfaith outreach 121
and cultural competency between institution-affiliated student 122
organizations. The chancellor shall develop guidelines and 123
procedures for the program, including an application process, 124
criteria for awards, and a method to determine the distribution 125
of awards. 126
Sec. 4112.20. (A) As used in this section, "state agency" 127
means every organized body, office, board, authority, 128
commission, or agency established by the constitution or laws of 129
the state for the exercise of any governmental or quasi- 130
governmental function, regardless of the funding source for that 131
entity. "State agency" includes all of the following: 132
(1) A state institution of higher education as defined in 133
section 3345.011 of the Revised Code; 134
(2) The nonprofit corporation formed under section 187.01 135
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of the Revised Code and any subsidiary of that corporation; 136
(3) Any state retirement system or retirement program 137
established by the Revised Code. 138
(B) Each state agency shall adopt a policy for the 139
prevention of antisemitism. 140
Section 2. All items in this act are hereby appropriated 141
as designated out of any moneys in the state treasury to the 142
credit of the designated fund. For all operating appropriations 143
made in this act, those in the first column are for fiscal year 144
2024 and those in the second column are for fiscal year 2025. 145
The operating appropriations made in this act are in addition to 146
any other operating appropriations made for these fiscal years. 147
Section 3. 148
149
1 2 3 4 5
A BOR DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
B General Revenue Fund
C GRF 235475 Campus Security Support Program $0 $2,000,000
D GRF 235476 Campus Student Safety Grant $0 $1,000,000
Program
E GRF 2355A3 Campus Community Grant Program $0 $1,000,000
F TOTAL GRF General Revenue Fund $0 $4,000,000
G TOTAL ALL BUDGET FUND GROUPS $0 $4,000,000
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CAMPUS SECURITY SUPPORT PROGRAM 150
The foregoing appropriation item 235475, Campus Security 151
Support Program, shall be distributed by the Chancellor of 152
Higher Education to institution-sanctioned student organizations 153
affiliated with communities that are at risk for increased 154
threats of violent crime, terror attacks, hate crimes, or 155
harassment to enhance security measures and ensure student 156
safety at on- and off-campus locations at institutions of higher 157
education throughout the state. 158
CAMPUS STUDENT SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM 159
The foregoing appropriation item 235476, Campus Student 160
Safety Grant Program, shall be used by the Chancellor of Higher 161
Education to support the Campus Student Safety Grant Program 162
pursuant to section 3333.80 of the Revised Code. 163
CAMPUS COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM 164
The foregoing appropriation item 2355A3, Campus Community 165
Grant Program, shall be used by the Chancellor of Higher 166
Education to support the Campus Community Grant Program pursuant 167
to section 3333.801 of the Revised Code. 168
Section 4. Within the limits set forth in this act, the 169
Director of Budget and Management shall establish accounts 170
indicating the source and amount of funds for each appropriation 171
made in this act, and shall determine the manner in which 172
appropriation accounts shall be maintained. Expenditures from 173
operating appropriations contained in this act shall be 174
accounted for as though made in, and are subject to all 175
applicable provisions of, H.B. 33 of the 135th General Assembly. 176
Section 5. This act shall be known as the Campus 177
Accountability and Modernization to Protect University Students 178
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or "CAMPUS" Act. 179