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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5108
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 5746
Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
Introduced by:
(HED)
AN ACT REQUIRING PUB LIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
TO ESTABLISH A POLICY REGARDING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
ON CAMPUS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) Not later than January 1, 2022, the 1
Board of Trustees of The University of Connecticut and the Board of 2
Regents for Higher Education shall develop and adopt a policy on 3
freedom of expression at the public institutions of higher education 4
governed by said boards. Such policy shall include, but not be limited 5
to, (1) the goal of prioritizing freedom of expression in the fulfillment of 6
such institution's mission, including, but not limited to, freedom of 7
expression in research, teaching, discussion and debate, (2) the role of 8
the institution in protecting freedom of expression on campus, 9
including when the ideas or opinions expressed are disagreeable or 10
offensive, (3) reasonable limitations on time, place and manner of 11
expression, provided such limitations are content-neutral and necessary 12
to a compelling institutional interest, (4) allowance for protest or 13
demonstration by any person lawfully present on campus, including a 14 Committee Bill No. 5108
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spontaneous protest or demonstration, provided such protest or 15
demonstration does not substantially or materially interfere with such 16
institution's function or in the ability of others to engage in or listen to 17
an expressive activity, (5) the designation of public areas on campus as 18
public forums that are open on the same terms to any speaker, and (6) 19
the availability of resources for protecting the safety and freedom of 20
expression of any speaker invited on campus by any student, student 21
group or faculty member, which resources shall be available on the same 22
terms to any invited speaker. 23
(b) Not later than February 1, 2022, the Board of Trustees of The 24
University of Connecticut and the Board of Regents for Higher 25
Education shall submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-26
4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General 27
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education the 28
policy adopted pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this 29
section. 30
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 New section
HED Joint Favorable