[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2634 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2634

      To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require public 
 institutions of higher education, as a condition of participating in 
programs under title IV of such Act, to provide a written statement and 
educational programming to new students on the rights of students under 
                the first amendment to the Constitution.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 3, 2025

  Mr. Kiley of California (for himself and Mr. Owens) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                               Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require public 
 institutions of higher education, as a condition of participating in 
programs under title IV of such Act, to provide a written statement and 
educational programming to new students on the rights of students under 
                the first amendment to the Constitution.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Free Speech On Campus Act''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

    Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(30) In the case of a public institution, the institution 
        will carry out each of the following:
                    ``(A) At each orientation for new and transfer 
                students, provide students attending the orientation--
                            ``(i) a written statement that--
                                    ``(I) explains the rights of 
                                students under the first amendment to 
                                the Constitution;
                                    ``(II) affirms the importance and 
                                the commitment of the institution to 
                                freedom of expression; and
                                    ``(III) includes assurances that 
                                students, and individuals invited by 
                                students to speak at the institution, 
                                will not be treated in a manner that 
                                violates the freedom of expression of 
                                such students or individuals; and
                            ``(ii) educational programming (including 
                        online resources) that include each of the 
                        following:
                                    ``(I) Descriptions of policies, 
                                procedures, and protocols of the 
                                institution that protect freedom of 
                                expression and prohibit exclusionary 
                                behavior.
                                    ``(II) Lessons that--
                                            ``(aa) teach and encourage 
                                        the expression of a wide range 
                                        of views in a productive and 
                                        respectful manner; and
                                            ``(bb) include an 
                                        understanding of the first 
                                        amendment to the Constitution 
                                        and its role in supporting the 
                                        commitment of the institution 
                                        to freedom of expression.
                    ``(B) Post on the publicly accessible website of 
                the institution the statement described in subparagraph 
                (A)(i).''.
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