,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gbbi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #aj1       
#bjah,mr4 ,brat 7for himself1 ,mr4      
,budd1 ,mr4 ,meadows1 ,mr4 ,gaetz1 ,mr4 
,gosar1 ,mr4 ,lamborn1 ,mr4 ,gianforte1 
and ,mr4 ,norman7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,education and the    
,workforce  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,higher ,education ,act of #aife to     
protect student rights1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,student ,rights    
,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,findings ,congress 
finds the following3  7#a7 ,freedom of  
speech is a fundamental natural right4  
7#b7 ,freedom of assembly and freedom of
 association are a necessary part of    
such freedom of speech4  7#c7 ,the      
,first ,amendment of the ,constitution  
of the ,united ,states1 ratified on     
,december #ae1 #agia1 protects freedom  
of speech for ,americans4  7#d7 ,freedom
 of inquiry1 impossible without the     

freedom of speech1 should be a first    
principle amongst ,american public      
institutions of higher education to     
promote civic deliberation1 the         
discourse of ideas1 and the search for  
truth4  7#e7 ,freedom of speech has been
 abridged at many public institutions of
 higher education4  7#f7 ,it is         
necessary to clarify the rights of      
students to assemble1 associate1 speak1 
and think freely4  7#g7 ,it is necessary
 to notify students at public           
institutions of higher education of     
their rights under the ,first ,amendment
 of the ,constitution of the ,united    
,states and ensure a fair judicial      
process for such students to challenge  
violations of their rights4  #c4 ,right 
to free speech in outdoor areas ,title  
,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of  
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj et seq47 is  
amended-- 7#a7 in section #dhg7;a71 by  
adding at the end the following3  7#cj7 
,in the case of a public institution1   
the institution will comply with the    

expressive activity protections         
described in section #dic;,e4  2 and    
7#b7 in part ,g1 by adding at the end   
the following3  #dic;,e4 ,campus        
individual rights  7a7 ,definition of   
expressive activities  7#a7 ,in general 
,in this section1 the term expressive   
activity includes--  7,a7 peacefully    
assembling1 protesting1 or speaking2    
7,b7 distributing literature2  7,c7     
carrying a sign2 or  7,d7 circulating a 
petition4  7#b7 ,exclusions ,in this    
section1 the term expressive activity   
does not include violence1 harassment1  
or obscenity 7as defined by applicable  
statutory law in accordance with the    
precedents of the ,supreme ,court of the
 ,united ,states74  7b7 ,expressive     
activities at an institution  7#a7 ,in  
general ,each public institution of     
higher education participating in a     
program under this title may not        
prohibit1 subject to paragraph 7#b71 a  
student from freely engaging in         
noncommercial expressive activity in an 

outdoor area on the institution's campus
 if the student's conduct is lawful4    
7#b7 ,restrictions ,an institution of   
higher education described in paragraph 
7#a7 may maintain and enforce reasonable
 time1 place1 or manner restrictions on 
an expressive activity in an outdoor    
area of the institution's campus1 if the
 restriction--  7,a7 is narrowly        
tailored to serve a significant         
institutional interest2  7,b7 is based  
on previously published1                
content-neutral1 and viewpoint-neutral  
criteria2 and  7,c7 leaves open ample   
alternative channels for communication4 
7#c7 ,application ,the protections      
provided under paragraph 7#a7 do not    
apply to expressive activity in an area 
on an institution's campus that is not  
an outdoor area4  7c7 ,causes of action 
7#a7 ,authorization ,the following      
persons may bring an action in a        
,federal court of competent jurisdiction
 to enjoin a violation of this section  
or any of paragraphs 7#ca7 through 7#cd7

 of section #dhg7;a71 or to recover     
compensatory damages1 reasonable court  
costs1 or reasonable attorney fees3     
7,a7 ,the ,attorney ,general4  7,b7 ,a  
person claiming that the person's       
expressive activity rights1 as described
 in subsection 7b77#a71 were violated4  
7#b7 ,actions ,in an action brought     
under this subsection1 if the court     
finds a violation of this section1 the  
court--  7,a7 shall-- 7i7 enjoin the    
violation2 and  7ii7 if a person whose  
expressive activity rights were violated
 brought the action1 award the person-- 
7,i7 not less than #a1jjj for an initial
 violation2 and  7,,ii7 if the person   
notifies the institution of the         
violation1 #ajj for each day the        
violation continues after the           
notification if the institution did not 
act to discontinue the cause of the     
violation2 and  7,b7 may award a        
prevailing plaintiff-- 7i7 compensatory 
damages2  7ii7 reasonable court costs2  
or  7iii7 reasonable attorney fees4  7d7

 ,statute of limitations  7#a7 ,in      
general ,except as provided in paragraph
 7#c71 an action under this section may 
not be brought later than #a year after 
the date on which the cause of action   
accrues4  7#b7 ,continuing violation    
,each day that a violation of this      
section continues after an initial      
violation of this section1 and each day 
that an institution's policy in         
violation of this section remains in    
effect1 shall constitute a continuing   
violation of this section4  7#c7        
,extension ,for a continuing violation  
described in paragraph 7#b71 the        
limitation described in paragraph 7#a7  
shall extend to #a year after the date  
on which the most recent violation      
occurs4  4  #d4 ,freedom of association 
,section #dhg7;a7 of the ,higher        
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajid7;a771 as amended by section #c1 is
 further amended by adding at the end   
the following3  7#ca7 ,in the case of a 
public institution1 the institution will

 allow a religious or political student 
organization to determine that ordering 
the organization's internal affairs1    
selecting the organization's leaders and
 members1 defining the organization's   
doctrines1 and resolving the            
organization's disputes are in          
furtherance of the organization's       
religious or political mission and that 
only persons committed to that mission  
should conduct such activities4  7#cb7  
,in the case of a public institution    
that has granted recognition and access 
to any student organization or group1   
the institution shall not discriminate  
against any such student organization or
 group that exercises its rights under  
this ,act4  4  #e4 ,right for students  
groups to invite speakers ,section      
#dhg7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act 
of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajid7;a771 as  
amended by sections #c and #d1 is       
further amended by adding at the end the
 following3  7#cc7 ,in the case of a    
public institution1 the institution will

 not abridge the freedom of any         
individual1 including enrolled students1
 faculty1 other employees1 and the      
invited guests of any such individuals1 
to speak on campus1 except that the     
institution may restrict the use of its 
nonpublic facilities by invited guests4 
7#cd7 ,in the case of a public          
institution1 the institution-- 7,a7 will
 make all reasonable efforts and will   
make available all reasonable resources 
to ensure the safety of invited         
speakers2 and  7,b7 will not charge     
security fees based on-- 7i7 the content
 of the speech of an individual or      
organization that invites a speaker2 or 
7ii7 the content of the speech of an    
invited speaker4  4  #f4 ,disclosure of 
freedom of speech on campus policies    
,section #dhg7;a7 of the ,higher        
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajid7;a771 as amended by sections #c   
through #e1 is further amended by adding
 at the end the following3  7#ce7 ,in   
the case of a public institution1 the   

institution will-- 7,a7 develop a       
written policy guaranteeing free speech1
 assembly1 and association on campus in 
a manner that is consistent with the    
,first ,amendment1 including the policy 
of the institution with respect to--    
7i7 invitations by students to speakers 
to speak at such institution2 and  7ii7 
student and faculty rights to           
free-speech1 rights of association1 and 
rights to publish2  7,b7 include in a   
statement that it is not the proper role
 of an institution to deprive           
individuals from speech protected by the
 ,first ,amendment of the ,constitution 
of the ,united ,states1 including ideas 
and opinions they find unwelcome1       
disagreeable1 or offensive2  7,c7 if the
 institution is sued for an alleged     
violation of a right guaranteed by the  
,first ,amendment1 submit a report with 
a copy of the complaint to--  7i7 the   
,secretary2  7ii7 the ,committees on    
,education and the ,workforce and       
,oversight and ,government ,reform of   

the ,house of ,representatives2 and     
7iii7 the ,committees on ,health1       
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions and   
,homeland ,security and ,government     
,affairs of the ,senate2  7,d7 notify   
students of the information described in
 subparagraphs 7,a71 7,b71 and 7,c7     
annually by mail or email and at        
freshman orientation classes or         
seminars1 if such seminars are offered2 
and  7,e7 publish the information       
described in subparagraphs 7,a71 7,b71  
and 7,c7 on a publicly accessible       
website of the institution4  4  #g4     
,applicability to certain institutions  
,nothing in this ,act or the amendments 
made by this ,act shall apply to a      
student or a student organization at a  
public institution of higher education  
the primary mission of which is to      
prepare individuals for service in the  
,armed ,forces or the merchant marine4