I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6848 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit institutions of 

higher education from requiring ideological oaths or similar statements, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2023 

Mr. CRENSHAW introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit 

institutions of higher education from requiring ideological 

oaths or similar statements, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. PROHIBITION RELATING TO IDEOLOGICAL 

4 OATHS AND SIMILAR STATEMENTS. 

5 Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

6 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 

7 following: 

8 ‘‘(30)(A) The institution will not— 


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1 ‘‘(i) compel, require, induce, or solicit a 

2 student enrolled at the institution, an employee 

3 or contractor of the institution, or an applicant 

4 for admission to or employment or contracting 

5 at the institution to— 

6 ‘‘(I) endorse an ideology that pro7 motes the differential treatment of an indi8 vidual or group of individuals based on 

9 race, color, or ethnicity; or 

10 ‘‘(II) provide a statement indicating 

11 the person’s— 

12 ‘‘(aa) race, color, ethnicity, or na13 tional origin, except to the minimum 

14 extent needed record any necessary 

15 demographic information; 

16 ‘‘(bb) views on, experience with, 

17 or past or planned contributions to ef18 forts involving diversity, equity, and 

19 inclusion, marginalized groups, 

20 antiracism, social justice, 

21 intersectionality, or related concepts; 

22 or 

23 ‘‘(cc) views on or experience with 

24 race, color, ethnicity, national origin, 

25 or other immutable characteristics; or 


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1 ‘‘(ii) provide preferential consideration to a 

2 student enrolled at the institution, an employee 

3 or contractor of the institution, or an applicant 

4 for admission to or employment or contracting 

5 at the institution on the basis of the person’s 

6 unsolicited statement in support of an ideology 

7 described in clause (i)(I). 

8 ‘‘(B) Nothing in this paragraph may be 

9 construed— 

10 ‘‘(i) to restrict academic research or 

11 coursework; 

12 ‘‘(ii) to prevent a person from providing to 

13 an institution of higher education the informa14 tion described in subparagraph (A) on the per15 son’s own initiative separate from any specific 

16 requirement or request from the institution; or 

17 ‘‘(iii) to prevent an institution from requir18 ing an applicant for admission to or employ19 ment or contracting at the institution to— 

20 ‘‘(I) disclose or discuss the content of 

21 the applicant’s research or artistic cre22 ations; 

23 ‘‘(II) certify compliance with State 

24 and Federal antidiscrimination law; or 


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1 ‘‘(III) discuss pedagogical approaches 

2 or experience with students with learning 

3 disabilities.’’. 

Æ 


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