Bill > HB2299

This bill declares antisemitism and antisemitic acts to be against public policy in Kansas, adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism from May 26, 2016. The bill specifically defines antisemitism to include encouraging or supporting violence against Jewish people or property, wearing masks to conceal identity while harassing Jewish students, faculty, or employees on school property, and incorporating or allowing funding of antisemitic curriculum in domestic or study abroad programs. Importantly, the bill includes a crucial caveat that nothing in the act should be interpreted as diminishing or infringing upon First Amendment rights of the United States Constitution or the Kansas state constitution's bill of rights. While the definition is described as "non-legally binding," it establishes a clear stance against antisemitism in public educational institutions and law enforcement agencies. The bill will take effect upon publication in the state statute book, providing a formal state-level declaration against antisemitism and establishing a standardized understanding of what constitutes antisemitic acts.

Education, Government Affairs

Education (House)

https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2299/