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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. PROHIBITION RELATING TO IDEOLOGICAL 
OATHS AND SIMILAR STATEMENTS. 
Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(30)(A) The institution will not— 
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‘‘(i) compel, require, induce, or solicit a 
student enrolled at the institution, an employee 
or contractor of the institution, or an applicant 
for admission to or employment or contracting 
at the institution to— 
‘‘(I) endorse an ideology that pro-
motes the differential treatment of an indi-
vidual or group of individuals based on 
race, color, or ethnicity; or 
‘‘(II) provide a statement indicating 
the person’s— 
‘‘(aa) race, color, ethnicity, or na-
tional origin, except to the minimum 
extent needed record any necessary 
demographic information; 
‘‘(bb) views on, experience with, 
or past or planned contributions to ef-
forts involving diversity, equity, and 
inclusion, 
marginalized 
groups, 
antiracism, 
social 
justice, 
intersectionality, or related concepts; 
or 
‘‘(cc) views on or experience with 
race, color, ethnicity, national origin, 
or other immutable characteristics; or 
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‘‘(ii) provide preferential consideration to a 
student enrolled at the institution, an employee 
or contractor of the institution, or an applicant 
for admission to or employment or contracting 
at the institution on the basis of the person’s 
unsolicited statement in support of an ideology 
described in clause (i)(I). 
‘‘(B) Nothing in this paragraph may be 
construed— 
‘‘(i) to restrict academic research or 
coursework; 
‘‘(ii) to prevent a person from providing to 
an institution of higher education the informa-
tion described in subparagraph (A) on the per-
son’s own initiative separate from any specific 
requirement or request from the institution; or 
‘‘(iii) to prevent an institution from requir-
ing an applicant for admission to or employ-
ment or contracting at the institution to— 
‘‘(I) disclose or discuss the content of 
the applicant’s research or artistic cre-
ations; 
‘‘(II) certify compliance with State 
and Federal antidiscrimination law; or 
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‘‘(III) discuss pedagogical approaches 
or experience with students with learning 
disabilities.’’. 
Æ 
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