‘End Woke Higher Education Act’ passes House, bill aims to fight political indoctrination on campus
The bill would not allow institutes of higher ed to impose political tests in ‘admission, appointment, hiring, employment, or promotion of any covered individual, or in the granting of tenure to any covered individual.’
It would also stop accreditation agencies from forcing political ideologies on schools.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed legislation to fight back against political indoctrination in colleges and universities.
The bill, H.R. 3724, is also known as the “End Woke Higher Education Act,” and is composed of two other bills: The Accreditation for College Excellence Act, introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah), and the Respecting the First Amendment on Campus Act, introduced by Rep. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.), as noted by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
The End Woke Higher Education Act passed in the House on Sept. 19 in a 213-201 vote. It now awaits consideration in the Senate.
The legislation stops accreditation agencies from forcing institutions of higher education to adopt or oppose “a specific partisan, political, or ideological viewpoint or belief or set of such viewpoints or beliefs” or “a specific viewpoint or belief or set of viewpoints or beliefs on social, cultural, or political issues.” This measure would also defend colleges and universities from being forced to adopt Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
The bill would also require colleges and universities that want to take part in Title IV programs to inform “current and prospective students and faculty” about the respective school’s speech policies.
Among other measures, the legislation would also defend student organizations against mistreatment on the basis of political ideology, and states that colleges and universities may not “consider, require, or discriminate on the basis of a political test in the admission, appointment, hiring, employment, or promotion of any covered individual, or in the granting of tenure to any covered individual.”
The End Woke Higher Education Act has been denounced by President Joe Biden, who asserted that the legislation would supposedly hurt “diversity” in higher education.
The bill, however, also has its defenders.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) praised the bill, noting that “[a]ccreditation bodies and universities have increasingly promoted DEI initiatives that risk undermining intellectual diversity and free expression.”
Campus Reform has contacted the office of Rep. Burgess Owens for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.