Democrats kill House bill proposing tax penalties for colleges allowing anti-Semitism to go unchecked
Democrats killed legislation that would have imposed tax penalties on schools that allow campus anti-Semitism to go unchecked.
Democrats killed legislation that would have imposed tax penalties on schools that allow campus anti-Semitism to go unchecked.
The House Ways and Means Committee voted along party lines Tuesday over the University Accountability Act proposed by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), according to Jewish Insider.
The bill states that colleges and universities would be fined after a civil judgement has been entered against them by a federal court for violating the civil rights of a student under Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based upon race, color, and national origin.
Under the legislation, colleges and universities who are issued a civil judgment would be required to pay a fine of 5% of the school’s aggregate administrative compensation or $100,000, whichever is deemed greater.
[RELATED: CUNY, UMich mishandled complaints of anti-Semitism, Department of Education finds]
Following the third civil rights violation, under the legislation, the Internal Revenue Service would be required to review the tax-exempt status of the college or university.
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) said the legislation didn’t correctly address anti-Semitism on campus.
“This bill fails to address the issue head-on and focuses on punishing schools instead of working to improve them,” Schneider said. “I’m concerned about this bill’s unintended consequence: the very real potential for creating a vicious cycle of aggressive and tendentious claims against universities.”
Malliotakis, who wrote the bill, argued “It’s time that these universities learn their inaction has consequences...They have a responsibility to keep their students safe.”
