Bill > HR1672

This bill, the Free Right to Expression in Education Act, amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure that public institutions of higher education protect expressive activities in the outdoor areas on campus. The key provisions of the bill are: 1) It requires public institutions to allow individuals to engage in noncommercial, expressive activities such as distributing literature, carrying signs, circulating petitions, and peacefully assembling, protesting, or speaking in outdoor areas on campus, as long as their conduct is lawful. 2) It allows institutions to maintain reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on these expressive activities, as long as the restrictions are narrowly tailored, content-neutral, and leave open ample alternative channels of communication. 3) It authorizes the Attorney General or individuals whose expressive activity rights have been violated to bring a civil action to enjoin violations and seek monetary damages. 4) It establishes a one-year statute of limitations for such actions, with a continuing violation exception.