AUSTIN – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), James Lankford (R-OK), and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced the Equal Campus Access Act, which would codify a U.S. Department of Education (DoED) policy from the first Trump administration to ensure religious student organizations on college campuses do not face discrimination:

“Freedom of religion is among our chief constitutional rights, and it is imperative that college campuses do not attempt to infringe upon that liberty,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I am proud to introduce this legislation to ensure no federal funding goes to public colleges that police the activity of on-campus religious organizations and restrict students from exercising their First Amendment rights.”

Additional cosponsors include Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Ted Budd (R-NC), Todd Young (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Jim Banks (R-IN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jim Risch (R-ID), and John Kennedy (R-LA). In the House of Representatives, this legislation is led by Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-5).

Background:

In 2023, the Biden-Harris administration attempted to roll back parts of the DoED’s “Free Inquiry Rule” from the first Trump administration that barred federal funding from going to public colleges that restrict the activities of campus religious organizations.

The Equal Campus Access Act would codify this policy and prevent future administrations from attempting to take away this first amendment protection for student religious organizations.