Text of MO HB 1518 (2024)

SECOND REGULAR SESSION HOUSE BILL NO. 1518 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON. 2975H.01I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk AN ACT To amend chapter 173, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to student associations at public institutions of higher learning. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows: Section A. Chapter 173, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be 2 known as sections 173.1555 and 173.1556, to read as follows: 173.1555. As used in this section and section 173.1556, the following terms mean: 2 (1) "Adverse action", any action or policy that denies a belief-based student 3 association any benefit available to other student associations or organizations or that 4 otherwise discriminates with respect to any such benefit; 5 (2) "Belief-based student association" includes, but is not limited to, any political 6 or ideological student association or any religious student association; 7 (3) "Benefit", recognition, registration, the use of facilities of a public institution 8 of higher learning for meetings or speaking purposes, the use of channels of 9 communication of a public institution of higher learning, or such other assistance, 10 aid, or advantage as is made available to student associations by a public institution of 11 higher learning; 12 (4) "Public institution of higher learning", any state postsecondary educational 13 institution governed or supervised by a board erected under chapter 172, 174, 175, or 14 178; a board of trustees of a community college; or any state board for any other 15 technical school. EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. 173.1556. 1. (1) No public institution of higher learning shall take any adverse 2 action against a belief-based student association or an applicant to be recognized as 3 such: 4 (a) Because such association is political, ideological, or religious; 5 (b) On the basis of such association's viewpoint or expression of the viewpoint by 6 the association or the association's members; or 7 (c) Based on such association's requirement that the association's leaders be 8 committed to furthering the association's mission or that the association's leaders 9 adhere to the association's sincerely held beliefs, sincere practice requirements, or 10 sincere standards of conduct. 11 (2) Leaders referred to in paragraph (c) of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall 12 include, but not be limited to, any person who holds a position within the association 13 that authorizes such person to participate in the leadership or governance of the 14 association or in establishing criteria for the association's leadership or governance. 15 (3) The mission, beliefs, practice requirements, and standards of conduct 16 referred to in paragraph (c) of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be interpreted as 17 defined by the association. 18 2. Any belief-based student association or applicant to be recognized as such that 19 has been aggrieved as a result of a violation or threatened violation of subsection 1 of 20 this section may assert that violation or threatened violation as a claim or defense in a 21 judicial proceeding or in an administrative proceeding involving the public institution of 22 higher learning and obtain appropriate relief. ✔ HB 1518 2