Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override the Governor's veto and pass a bill that prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at public colleges and universities in Kentucky.

Highlights:

• Prohibits a public postsecondary education institution from (Sec. 1-18):

• Providing differential treatment or benefits based on an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• Influencing the composition of the student body or scholarship recipients based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• implementing a student housing assignment plan based on religion, race, color, or national origin with designated exceptions;

• Expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the promotion of discriminatory topics, or bias incident investigations;

• Soliciting statements on an applicant's experience with or views on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• Requiring a course dedicated to discriminatory concepts; or

• Disseminating or profiting from any research, work product, or material that promotes or justifies discriminatory concepts

• Prohibits a public postsecondary education institution from requiring any individual to endorse or condemn a specific ideology or viewpoint (Sec. ).

• Prohibits the Council on Postsecondary Education from providing differential treatment or benefits based on an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin or from expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion or discriminatory topics (Sec. 1-18).

• Establishes exclusions for legal compliance and requires each governing board of a public postsecondary education institution to ensure compliance with specific sections of this Act no later than June 30, 2025 (Sec. 1-18).

• Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action for a writ of mandamus to compel the council or a public postsecondary education institution to comply and creates a cause of action to permit a qualified individual to file a civil action against the council or a public postsecondary education institution for injunctive relief and limited damages arising from a violation of certain sections of this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Repeals and ends sovereign and governmental immunity for the limited purpose of bringing this claim; prohibit retaliation (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires each public postsecondary education institution to submit and publish a certified annual report on governmentally mandated discrimination to the Legislative Research Commission by October 1 each year (Sec. 1-18).

• Specifies that a public postsecondary education institution or the council cannot claim a federal, state, judicial, contractual, or accreditation mandate as a defense to a civil action filed under this Act unless the policy, practice, or procedure upon which the complaint is founded is listed and clearly and accurately described in the public institution's annual report filed under this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires each public postsecondary education institution to provide the Personnel Cabinet and State Treasurer the name, job title, duty station, and salary or wages of each employee each month beginning January 1, 2025, and to post its itemized annual budget (Sec. 1-18).

• Prohibits the Council on Postsecondary Education from approving a degree, certificate, or diploma program that includes discriminatory concepts or diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires the Council on Postsecondary Education to consider certain enumerated conditions when considering the elimination of an existing program and directs each public postsecondary education institution and the Council on Postsecondary Education to discontinue designated programs and follow designated procedures when implementing this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Establishes specific instructions for public postsecondary education institutions and the Council on Postsecondary Education to follow in implementing this Act and directs public postsecondary education institutions and the council to submit a report on the implementation of this Act (Sec. 1-18).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override the Governor's veto and pass a bill that prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at public colleges and universities in Kentucky.

Highlights:

• Prohibits a public postsecondary education institution from (Sec. 1-18):

• Providing differential treatment or benefits based on an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• Influencing the composition of the student body or scholarship recipients based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• implementing a student housing assignment plan based on religion, race, color, or national origin with designated exceptions;

• Expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the promotion of discriminatory topics, or bias incident investigations;

• Soliciting statements on an applicant's experience with or views on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• Requiring a course dedicated to discriminatory concepts; or

• Disseminating or profiting from any research, work product, or material that promotes or justifies discriminatory concepts

• Prohibits a public postsecondary education institution from requiring any individual to endorse or condemn a specific ideology or viewpoint (Sec. ).

• Prohibits the Council on Postsecondary Education from providing differential treatment or benefits based on an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin or from expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion or discriminatory topics (Sec. 1-18).

• Establishes exclusions for legal compliance and requires each governing board of a public postsecondary education institution to ensure compliance with specific sections of this Act no later than June 30, 2025 (Sec. 1-18).

• Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action for a writ of mandamus to compel the council or a public postsecondary education institution to comply and creates a cause of action to permit a qualified individual to file a civil action against the council or a public postsecondary education institution for injunctive relief and limited damages arising from a violation of certain sections of this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Repeals and ends sovereign and governmental immunity for the limited purpose of bringing this claim; prohibit retaliation (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires each public postsecondary education institution to submit and publish a certified annual report on governmentally mandated discrimination to the Legislative Research Commission by October 1 each year (Sec. 1-18).

• Specifies that a public postsecondary education institution or the council cannot claim a federal, state, judicial, contractual, or accreditation mandate as a defense to a civil action filed under this Act unless the policy, practice, or procedure upon which the complaint is founded is listed and clearly and accurately described in the public institution's annual report filed under this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires each public postsecondary education institution to provide the Personnel Cabinet and State Treasurer the name, job title, duty station, and salary or wages of each employee each month beginning January 1, 2025, and to post its itemized annual budget (Sec. 1-18).

• Prohibits the Council on Postsecondary Education from approving a degree, certificate, or diploma program that includes discriminatory concepts or diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires the Council on Postsecondary Education to consider certain enumerated conditions when considering the elimination of an existing program and directs each public postsecondary education institution and the Council on Postsecondary Education to discontinue designated programs and follow designated procedures when implementing this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Establishes specific instructions for public postsecondary education institutions and the Council on Postsecondary Education to follow in implementing this Act and directs public postsecondary education institutions and the council to submit a report on the implementation of this Act (Sec. 1-18).

Full Bill Text

Vetoed by Governor Andy Beshear

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at public colleges and universities in Kentucky.

Highlights:

• Prohibits a public postsecondary education institution from (Sec. 1-18):

• Providing differential treatment or benefits based on an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• Influencing the composition of the student body or scholarship recipients based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• implementing a student housing assignment plan based on religion, race, color, or national origin with designated exceptions;

• Expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the promotion of discriminatory topics, or bias incident investigations;

• Soliciting statements on an applicant's experience with or views on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• Requiring a course dedicated to discriminatory concepts; or

• Disseminating or profiting from any research, work product, or material that promotes or justifies discriminatory concepts

• Prohibits a public postsecondary education institution from requiring any individual to endorse or condemn a specific ideology or viewpoint (Sec. ).

• Prohibits the Council on Postsecondary Education from providing differential treatment or benefits based on an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin or from expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion or discriminatory topics (Sec. 1-18).

• Establishes exclusions for legal compliance and requires each governing board of a public postsecondary education institution to ensure compliance with specific sections of this Act no later than June 30, 2025 (Sec. 1-18).

• Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action for a writ of mandamus to compel the council or a public postsecondary education institution to comply and creates a cause of action to permit a qualified individual to file a civil action against the council or a public postsecondary education institution for injunctive relief and limited damages arising from a violation of certain sections of this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Repeals and ends sovereign and governmental immunity for the limited purpose of bringing this claim; prohibit retaliation (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires each public postsecondary education institution to submit and publish a certified annual report on governmentally mandated discrimination to the Legislative Research Commission by October 1 each year (Sec. 1-18).

• Specifies that a public postsecondary education institution or the council cannot claim a federal, state, judicial, contractual, or accreditation mandate as a defense to a civil action filed under this Act unless the policy, practice, or procedure upon which the complaint is founded is listed and clearly and accurately described in the public institution's annual report filed under this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires each public postsecondary education institution to provide the Personnel Cabinet and State Treasurer the name, job title, duty station, and salary or wages of each employee each month beginning January 1, 2025, and to post its itemized annual budget (Sec. 1-18).

• Prohibits the Council on Postsecondary Education from approving a degree, certificate, or diploma program that includes discriminatory concepts or diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires the Council on Postsecondary Education to consider certain enumerated conditions when considering the elimination of an existing program and directs each public postsecondary education institution and the Council on Postsecondary Education to discontinue designated programs and follow designated procedures when implementing this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Establishes specific instructions for public postsecondary education institutions and the Council on Postsecondary Education to follow in implementing this Act and directs public postsecondary education institutions and the council to submit a report on the implementation of this Act (Sec. 1-18).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at public colleges and universities in Kentucky.

Highlights:

• Prohibits a public postsecondary education institution from (Sec. 1-18):

• Providing differential treatment or benefits based on an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• Influencing the composition of the student body or scholarship recipients based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• implementing a student housing assignment plan based on religion, race, color, or national origin with designated exceptions;

• Expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion, the promotion of discriminatory topics, or bias incident investigations;

• Soliciting statements on an applicant's experience with or views on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin;

• Requiring a course dedicated to discriminatory concepts; or

• Disseminating or profiting from any research, work product, or material that promotes or justifies discriminatory concepts

• Prohibits a public postsecondary education institution from requiring any individual to endorse or condemn a specific ideology or viewpoint (Sec. ).

• Prohibits the Council on Postsecondary Education from providing differential treatment or benefits based on an individual's religion, race, sex, color, or national origin or from expending any resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion or discriminatory topics (Sec. 1-18).

• Establishes exclusions for legal compliance and requires each governing board of a public postsecondary education institution to ensure compliance with specific sections of this Act no later than June 30, 2025 (Sec. 1-18).

• Authorizes the Attorney General to bring an action for a writ of mandamus to compel the council or a public postsecondary education institution to comply and creates a cause of action to permit a qualified individual to file a civil action against the council or a public postsecondary education institution for injunctive relief and limited damages arising from a violation of certain sections of this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Repeals and ends sovereign and governmental immunity for the limited purpose of bringing this claim; prohibit retaliation (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires each public postsecondary education institution to submit and publish a certified annual report on governmentally mandated discrimination to the Legislative Research Commission by October 1 each year (Sec. 1-18).

• Specifies that a public postsecondary education institution or the council cannot claim a federal, state, judicial, contractual, or accreditation mandate as a defense to a civil action filed under this Act unless the policy, practice, or procedure upon which the complaint is founded is listed and clearly and accurately described in the public institution's annual report filed under this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires each public postsecondary education institution to provide the Personnel Cabinet and State Treasurer the name, job title, duty station, and salary or wages of each employee each month beginning January 1, 2025, and to post its itemized annual budget (Sec. 1-18).

• Prohibits the Council on Postsecondary Education from approving a degree, certificate, or diploma program that includes discriminatory concepts or diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (Sec. 1-18).

• Requires the Council on Postsecondary Education to consider certain enumerated conditions when considering the elimination of an existing program and directs each public postsecondary education institution and the Council on Postsecondary Education to discontinue designated programs and follow designated procedures when implementing this Act (Sec. 1-18).

• Establishes specific instructions for public postsecondary education institutions and the Council on Postsecondary Education to follow in implementing this Act and directs public postsecondary education institutions and the council to submit a report on the implementation of this Act (Sec. 1-18).

Full Bill Text