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HR 980 105th Congress House Education Armed Forces and National Security Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues College discipline College students Discrimination in education Economics and Public Finance Federal aid to higher education Freedom of association Freedom of speech Government Operations and Politics Higher education Labor and Employment Military education Military training Religion Religious education Religious liberty Students' rights

Freedom of Speech and Association on Campus Act of 1997

Introduced: March 6, 1997 See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 105th Congress ended
It never became law before the 105th Congress (1997–1998) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 21, 1997
Referred to the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning.
Mar 6, 1997
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Mar 6, 1997
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Freedom of Speech and Association on Campus Act of 1997 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to provide that no students at higher education institutions shall, on the basis of their exercise of constitutionally-protected speech and association, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination or official sanction under any education program, activity, or division directly or indirectly receiving financial assistance under HEA, whether or not such program, activity, or division is sponsored or officially-sanctioned by the institution.

Prohibits the availability of HEA funds to any such institution that the Secretary of Education finds has violated this Act.

Makes such prohibition inapplicable to: (1) HEA funds for student assistance; and (2) higher education institutions controlled by religious or military organizations, if such speech or association is not consistent with the institutions' religious tenets or military training.

Provides that such prohibition shall not be construed to prevent imposition of an official sanction on a student determined to have willfully participated in the disruption or attempted disruption of a lecture, class, speech, presentation, or performance made or scheduled to be made under the auspices of the institution of higher education.

What's happening now March 21, 1997

Referred to the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Republican 1
R
Graham, Lindsey
South Carolina · May 20, 1997
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 980: Freedom of Speech and Association on Campus Act of 1997. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-980/
MLA
"H.R. 980: Freedom of Speech and Association on Campus Act of 1997." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-980/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 980, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-980/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 980: Freedom of Speech and Association on Campus Act of 1997](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-980/)
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