SECONDREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.1737
102NDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVERICHEY.
3484H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Toamendchapter173,RSMo,byaddingtheretotwonewsectionsrelatingtoprohibiting
ideologicaldiscriminationinpostsecondaryeducation.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Chapter173,RSMo,isamendedbyaddingtheretotwonewsections,tobe
2knownassections173.2176and173.2177,toreadasfollows:
173.2176.1.Asusedinthissectionandsection173.2177,thefollowingterms
2mean:
3 (1)"Applicant",anindividualorentitythatappliestoaninstitutionfor
4employment,admission,orasapotentialcontractor;
5 (2)"Contractor",anindividualorentityengagedbyaninstitutionforthe
6purposeofprovidinggoodsorservicestosuchinstitutionbutthatisnotanemployeeof
7suchinstitution;
8 (3)"Discriminatoryideology",anideologythatpromotesthedifferential
9treatmentofanyindividualorgroupofindividualsbasedonrace,color,religion,sex,
10gender,sexuality,ethnicity,nationalorigin,orancestry;
11 (4)"Diversity,equity,andinclusionstatement",awrittenororal
12communicationrelatingtotheapplicant's,employee's,student's,orcontractor's:
13 (a)Race,color,religion,sex,gender,sexuality,ethnicity,nationalorigin,or
14ancestry,exceptwhennecessarytorecordrequireddemographicinformationofsuch
15individual;
16 (b)Viewson,experiencewith,orpastorplannedcontributionstoefforts
17involving:
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 18 a.Diversity,equity,inclusion,andbelonging,whichincludesanyadministrative,
19ideological,orprogrammaticeffortorperspectivethat:
20 (i)Requiresapplicantstopromoteorsupporttheideathatdisparitiesare
21necessarilytiedtooppression;
22 (ii)Involvescollectiveguiltideologies;or
23 (iii)Emphasizestheimportanceofactivismandstructuralreformsbasedupon
24intersectional,divisive,orpoliticalidentities;
25 b.Marginalizedgroups;
26 c.Antiracism;
27 d.Socialjustice;
28 e.Intersectionality;or
29 f.Relatedconcepts;or
30 (c)Viewsonorexperiencewithrace,color,religion,sex,gender,sexuality,
31ethnicity,nationalorigin,ancestry,orotherimmutablecharacteristicsofstudentsand
32coworkers;
33 (5)"Employee",anindividualemployedbyaninstitution;
34 (6)"Entity",acorporation,partnership,limitedliabilitycompany,business
35trust,trust,association,otherorganization,otherlegalentity,oraprotectedseriesor
36registeredseriesofadomesticlimitedliabilitycompany;
37 (7)"Institution",anypublicinstitutionofpostsecondaryeducationinthisstate
38thatissubjecttothecoordinatingboardforhighereducationundersection173.005;
39 (8)"Preferentialconsideration",anyactthatpositivelyimpactsanindividual's
40orentity'sadmissionto,employmentwith,engagementasacontractorby,orpromotion
41withinaninstitutionincluding,butnotlimitedto:
42 (a)Applicationsforadmissions,aid,assistance,andbenefitsforwhichthe
43individualorentityiseligible;and
44 (b)Employmentterms,benefits,senioritystatus,promotions,transfers,and
45appointmentsforwhichtheindividualorentityiseligible;
46 (9)"Student",anindividualenrolledasastudentataninstitution.
47 2.Noinstitutionshall:
48 (1)Compel,require,induce,orsolicitanyapplicant,employee,student,or
49contractortoendorseanydiscriminatoryideology;
50 (2)Compel,require,induce,orsolicitanyapplicant,employee,student,or
51contractortosubmitadiversity,equity,andinclusionstatement;or
52 (3)Providepreferentialconsiderationtoanyapplicant,employee,student,or
53contractoronthebasisofsuchindividual'sorentity'ssubmissionofanunsolicited
54statementrelatingtoadiscriminatoryideology.
HB1737 2 55 3.Noprovisionofthissectionshallbeconstruedto:
56 (1)Restrictacademicresearchorcoursework;
57 (2)Preventaninstitutionfromrequiringanapplicantto:
58 (a)Discloseordiscussthecontentofsuchapplicant'sresearchorartistic
59creations;
60 (b)Certifycompliancewithstateandfederalantidiscriminationlaw;
61 (c)Discusspedagogicalapproachesorexperiencewithstudentswithlearning
62disabilities;or
63 (d)Discusscurriculumorcontentofaproposedclassoranapplicant'sprevious
64academicexperience;or
65 (3)Preventanapplicantorcandidatefromproviding,onsuchapplicant'sor
66candidate'sowninitiativeandundernospecificrequirementorrequestfromthe
67institution,anyinformationdescribedinsubsection2or3ofthissection.
68 4.(1)Anapplicant,employee,student,orcontractorwhoiscompelled,
69required,induced,orsolicitedtoendorseadiscriminatoryideologyorsubmita
70diversity,equity,andinclusionstatementorwhoisadverselyaffectedbyaninstitution's
71preferentialconsiderationofanotherforsuchindividual'sorentity'sunsolicited
72statementrelatingtoadiscriminatoryideologyinviolationofsubsection2or3ofthis
73sectionmaypursueanactionforinjunctiveordeclaratoryreliefagainstsuchinstitution.
74 (2)Aninjunctiongrantedunderthissubsectioninfavorofanapplicant,
75employee,student,orcontractoragainstaninstitutionbecauseofaviolationof
76subsection2or3ofthissectionmayincludeanorderrequiringtheinstitutionto:
77 (a)Admittheapplicantforenrollmentasastudent;
78 (b)Reenrollastudentwhowassuspendedorexpelled;
79 (c)Hireanindividualforthepositionforwhichsuchindividual'semployment
80applicationwasrejected;
81 (d)Rehireinthesameorequalpositionanemployeewhowasdispossessedof
82suchemployee'sjob;
83 (e)Promoteanemployeewhowasdeniedapromotion;or
84 (f)Providetenuretoanemployeewhowasdeniedtenure.
85 (3)Allclaimsofsovereignorgovernmentalimmunityforaninstitutionrelating
86toclaimsfiledunderthissubsectionagainstsuchinstitutionareherebywaived.
87 (4)Notwithstandinganyotherprovisionoflawtothecontrary,anindividualor
88entitymaycommenceanactionunderthissubsectionandreliefmaybegranted
89regardlessofwhethersuchindividualorentityseeksorexhaustsotheravailable
90administrativeorlegalremedies.
HB1737 3 91 (5)Thecourtmayawardreasonableattorney'sfeesandcourtcoststothe
92prevailingparty.
93 5.(1)Anyemployee,whethertenured,employedat-will,orworkingundera
94contract,whoviolatesthissubsectionshallbedisciplinedbytheemployee'semployer
95forthereasonsprovidedundersubdivision(2)ofthissubsection.
96 (2)Anemployershalldisciplineanemployeedescribedinsubdivision(1)ofthis
97subsectionifsuchemployeeisfoundtohave:
98 (a)Compelled,required,orinducedanapplicant,employee,student,or
99contractortoendorseadiscriminatoryideologyorprovideadiversity,equity,and
100inclusionstatement;or
101 (b)Providedpreferentialconsiderationtoanapplicant,employee,student,or
102contractoronthebasisofsuchindividual'sorentity'ssubmissionofanunsolicited
103statementrelatingtoadiscriminatoryideology.
173.2177.1.ByJuly1,2025,eachinstitutionshalldevelopapolicyfor
2compliancewiththeprovisionsofsection173.2176.Suchpolicyshallinclude
3disciplinarymeasuresforanemployeewhoviolatestheprovisionsofsuchsection.
4 2.BeginningJuly1,2026,andeachyearthereafter,eachinstitution'sofficeof
5generalcounselorsubstantiallyequivalentofficeshallannuallysubmittothejoint
6committeeonhighereducationawrittenreportoncompliancewithsection173.2176
7thatincludes,ataminimum,thefollowing:
8 (1)Theinstitution'spolicydescribedinsubsection1ofthissection;
9 (2)Adescriptionofallviolationsofsuchpolicybyanemployeeoftheinstitution;
10and
11 (3)Thedisciplinaryactiontakenagainsttheemployee.
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HB1737 4