Bill > HB05313

This bill aims to protect the free speech rights of students in public schools, colleges, and universities across the state by amending existing statutes. Specifically, the legislation ensures that students can express their religious or political viewpoints without facing discrimination or punishment, with some important limitations. Students' freedom of speech, assembly, and expression is safeguarded, but not without boundaries. The bill prohibits speech that is obscene (by minor standards), libelous (making false and harmful statements), slanderous (making false spoken statements that damage reputation), or that could incite students to commit unlawful acts or substantially disrupt school operations. The key innovation is providing explicit legal protection for student expression while maintaining reasonable restrictions to preserve a safe and orderly educational environment. By codifying these protections, the bill seeks to balance students' constitutional free speech rights with the need to maintain appropriate conduct within educational institutions.

Education

https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=HB05313&which_year=2025