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This bill would make colleges and universities that take part in federal student aid programs do more to tell students about their rights under federal civil rights law, especially protections against discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. It would require schools to post a direct link on their homepages to the Education Department office where students can file discrimination complaints, and to display easy-to-read awareness materials in busy campus areas and on key websites. The bill also adds more reporting and oversight so Congress and the Education Department can better track complaints and how schools handle them. It also changes how the federal civil rights office handles complaints so they cannot be closed just because a different agency or the school’s own grievance process has already looked at them.
- The Education Department would run a yearly public awareness campaign about students’ rights under Title VI, using clear visual and audio materials that schools must post on campus and online.
- Colleges participating in federal aid programs would have to put a link on their homepage to the Office for Civil Rights complaint page and annually display the campaign materials in high-traffic places, like student centers, and on major web pages, like student services.
- For one year after the bill becomes law, the Education Department’s civil rights office would give Congress monthly updates on complaints, how they are being handled, and how long they stay open. A written report would have to be sent 48 hours before each briefing.
- Schools receiving federal funds would have to send annual complaint reports to the Education Department’s Inspector General, who would also audit schools with the highest complaint rates and study why more complaints are filed with schools than with the federal office.
The bill would also stop the federal civil rights office from dismissing a complaint just because another government agency or the school’s internal process has already addressed it.
Official Summaries
Protecting Students on Campus Act of 2025
This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) and institutions of higher education (IHEs) participating in federal student aid programs to distribute information on how to report alleged violations of civil rights under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs or activities.)
Specifically, the bill requires ED's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to conduct a public awareness campaign regarding the rights of individuals under Title VI. This campaign must be updated annually and distributed to IHEs.
The bill requires an IHE to post a link on its website on how to file a Title VI complaint with OCR. Additionally, the IHE must annually post the materials from OCR's public awareness campaign. The information must be posted in high-traffic public places on campus (e.g., student centers) and high-traffic websites (e.g., the website for student services).
OCR must give monthly congressional briefings on (1) the number of complaints filed with OCR, (2) how OCR plans to address those complaints and the investigations opened in response to those complaints, and (3) how long those complaints remain open. Additionally, the bill prohibits OCR from closing or dismissing a complaint due to resolution via another agency or avenue.
The bill also requires annual reporting by IHEs on discrimination complaints. Further, the bill directs ED's Office of Inspector General to audit and study discrimination complaints.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 163 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 163
To require institutions of higher education participating in Federal
student aid programs to share information about title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, including a link to the webpage of the Office for
Civil Rights where an individual can submit a complaint regarding
discrimination in violation of such title, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 21, 2025
Mr. Cassidy (for himself and Mr. Fetterman) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require institutions of higher education participating in Federal
student aid programs to share information about title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, including a link to the webpage of the Office for
Civil Rights where an individual can submit a complaint regarding
discrimination in violation of such title, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Students on Campus Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. TITLE VI AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.
(a) Title VI Awareness Campaign.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Education, acting through
the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of
Education, shall carry out a public awareness campaign
regarding the availability of rights provided to individuals
under title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d
et seq.).
(2) Awareness campaign.--The public awareness campaign
shall include appealing visual and auditory elements and shall
be updated annually and distributed to institutions of higher
education for physical posting in 1 or more high traffic public
places, such as student centers, and digital posting on 1 or
more high traffic institution web pages, such as student
services. The campaign shall utilize such methods and materials
as necessary to maximize student accessibility.
(3) Ability to contract.--The Secretary may carry out this
subsection directly or through a contract with a nonprofit
organization that specializes in public awareness
communications.
(b) HEA Amendments.--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) The institution--
``(A) has prominently displayed on the homepage of
the institution a link to the webpage of the Office for
Civil Rights of the Department of Education where an
individual can submit a complaint regarding
discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national
origin in violation of title VI of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.); and
``(B) will annually display and post the public
awareness campaign materials created and distributed
under section 2(a) of the Protecting Students on Campus
Act of 2025 in high traffic public places on campus,
such as student centers, and high traffic institution
web pages, such as student services.''.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFINGS.
(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act and ending 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of
Education shall give a monthly briefing to Congress--
(1) explaining the number of complaints that the Office for
Civil Rights of the Department of Education (referred to in
this Act as the ``Office'') has received in the previous month
regarding discrimination on the basis of race, color, or
national origin in violation of title VI of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), disaggregated by the
basis of discrimination;
(2) describing how the Office plans to address those
complaints and the investigations opened in response to those
complaints; and
(3) providing data about the length of time that those
complaints remain open after being received by the Office.
(b) Report.--Not later than 48 hours prior to each briefing
described in subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
of the Department of Education shall provide a written report to
Congress that contains the information that will be presented at the
next briefing, in a manner that protects personally identifiable
information in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
SEC. 4. AUDIT AND STUDY.
(a) Requirement To Submit Data.--Each institution of higher
education receiving Federal funds shall submit an annual report to the
Inspector General of the Department of Education that includes--
(1) the number of complaints regarding discrimination on
the basis of race, color, or national origin in violation of
title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et
seq.) that were submitted to the institution in the previous
year;
(2) an analysis of the number of such complaints and their
substance; and
(3) a narrative of the action the institution took with
respect to such complaints.
(b) Audit.--The Inspector General of the Department of Education
shall complete an annual audit of the institutions of higher education
that are in the top 5 percent of institutions based on the per capita
number of complaints described in subsection (a) received by the
institutions, controlling for student population, to examine the
process for addressing such complaints and the need for any referrals
to the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Education.
(c) Study.--The Inspector General of the Department of Education
shall conduct a study--
(1) regarding why there is a disparity between the
complaints regarding discrimination on the basis of race,
color, or national origin in violation of title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.) that are submitted
to institutions of higher education and such complaints that
are submitted to the Office; and
(2) quantifying the distinction described in paragraph (1).
SEC. 5. OCR PROCESS REFORMS.
The Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Education shall
not close or dismiss any complaint due to resolution by another
Federal, State, or local civil rights enforcement agency or through a
recipient's internal grievance procedures.
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