Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits certain restrictions of free speech and expressive activities on college campuses.

Highlights:

• Prohibits a public institution of higher education from designating an area of campus as a free speech zone or otherwise policies restricting expressive activities to a particular outdoor area of campus (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes a person to engage in an expressive activity in an outdoor area of campus as long as their conduct is lawful and does not materially and substantially disrupt the functioning of the public institution of higher education (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes a public institution of higher education to create and enforce restrictions on the time, place, and manner of expression that are reasonable and content-neutral, and that are narrowly tailored to achieve a significant institutional interest, and such restrictions must be made clear and must be posted on the institution’s website (Sec. 3).

• Defines “free speech zone” as an area of campus of a public institution of higher education that is designated for the purpose of engaging in expressive activity (Sec. 2).

• Defines “material and substantial disruption” as conduct that intentionally and significantly hinders another person’s or group’s expressive activity, or in the case of the functioning of an institution, conduct that intentionally and significantly hinders the functioning of that institution (Sec. 2).

• Specifies that a person’s whose rights to conduct an expressive activity are violated by an action under this bill may bring action against a public institution of higher education to recover compensatory damages (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that if the court finds the institution violated this bill they may award damages of at least $500 for the initial violation and $50 for each day thereafter that the person’s rights are violated, but damages stemming from a single violation may not exceed $100,000 (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits certain restrictions of free speech and expressive activities on college campuses.

Highlights:

• Prohibits a public institution of higher education from designating an area of campus as a free speech zone or otherwise policies restricting expressive activities to a particular outdoor area of campus (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes a person to engage in an expressive activity in an outdoor area of campus as long as their conduct is lawful and does not materially and substantially disrupt the functioning of the public institution of higher education (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes a public institution of higher education to create and enforce restrictions on the time, place, and manner of expression that are reasonable and content-neutral, and that are narrowly tailored to achieve a significant institutional interest, and such restrictions must be made clear and must be posted on the institution’s website (Sec. 3).

• Defines “free speech zone” as an area of campus of a public institution of higher education that is designated for the purpose of engaging in expressive activity (Sec. 2).

• Defines “material and substantial disruption” as conduct that intentionally and significantly hinders another person’s or group’s expressive activity, or in the case of the functioning of an institution, conduct that intentionally and significantly hinders the functioning of that institution (Sec. 2).

• Specifies that a person’s whose rights to conduct an expressive activity are violated by an action under this bill may bring action against a public institution of higher education to recover compensatory damages (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that if the court finds the institution violated this bill they may award damages of at least $500 for the initial violation and $50 for each day thereafter that the person’s rights are violated, but damages stemming from a single violation may not exceed $100,000 (Sec. 5).

Full Bill Text