Bill > HB1322

This bill, the Maryland Campus Area Free Expression Act, aims to protect freedom of expression on the campuses of public higher education institutions by defining certain outdoor areas as public forums where members of the "campus community" — students, administrators, faculty, staff, and invited guests — can engage in "expressive activity," which includes various forms of communication like speeches, protests, and distributing literature. The bill prohibits institutions from restricting expressive activities to designated "free speech zones" and allows for reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions only if they are in furtherance of significant institutional interests, use clear and neutral criteria, provide alternative means of expression, and allow for spontaneous assembly and literature distribution. It also clarifies that members of the campus community can engage in noncommercial expressive activity freely as long as it doesn't substantially disrupt the institution's functioning, and prohibits actions that intentionally disrupt others' expressive activities. While institutions can require permits for exclusive use of a location, the permitting process must not be overly burdensome and must use content- and viewpoint-neutral criteria, and any security fees charged must also be based on neutral factors and not the content of the expression. The bill also allows institutions to provide resources to students affected by speech that cannot be sanctioned and establishes that the Attorney General or an aggrieved individual can sue an institution or its employees for violations, with potential financial penalties for the institution.

Budget and Finance

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB1322?ys=2026RS