Prohibiting certain requirements for students and faculty at regents institutions relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory and including applicability provisions

This bill prohibits certain requirements for students and faculty at regents institutions relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory. The bill requires the state board of regents to establish a policy that ensures that regents institutions do not require or constrain students to enroll in a diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory-related course, as defined in the bill, in order to satisfy the requirements of any academic degree program, including general education, major, minor, or certificate requirements. The bill provides that a regents institution or any employee, appointee, or committee acting on its behalf, shall not require, solicit, or incentivize faculty of the institution to apply or participate in diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory practices or include diversity, equity, inclusion, and critical race theory-related content, as defined in the bill, in any course as a condition of approval, designation, or listing as part of any academic degree program, including general education; major, minor, or certificate requirements; or as a condition of consideration in any faculty member’s performance assessment, promotion, tenure, salary adjustment, or any other incentive. The bill authorizes the board to grant an exemption from these provisions for the academic degree program requirements of any major, minor, certificate, or academic unit if the title thereof clearly establishes its course of study as primarily focused on racial, ethnic, or gender studies. However, a student shall not be required or constrained to enroll in any such program or course in order to satisfy the requirements of any other academic degree program, including general education requirements, or any other major, minor, or certificate requirements. The bill authorizes any person to notify the attorney general of a potential violation of the requirements of the bill by a regents institution. The attorney general may bring an action against a regents institution for a writ of mandamus to compel the institution, or any employee, appointee, or committee acting on its behalf, to comply with the requirements of the bill. The bill shall not be construed to limit the academic freedom of any individual course instructor to direct the instruction within the instructor’s own course or to limit the free discussion of ideas in a classroom setting. The bill applies to academic years at public institutions of higher education beginning on or after July 1, 2026.