Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2026
Official title: To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for certain freedom of association protections, and for other purposes.
| Date | Chamber | What was voted on | Result | Yes–No | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 2003 | Senate · vote #306 | On Passage of the Bill H.R. 2555 | Passed | 93–1 | See who voted → |
Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 682.
Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2025
This bill establishes freedom of association protections for college students in single-sex social organizations.
Specifically, the bill gives students (or groups of students) enrolled at institutions of higher education (IHEs) the right to form or join social organizations, including single-sex social organizations.
Additionally, the bill prohibits IHEs that participate in federal student aid programs from
- taking adverse actions against single-sex social organizations or students who are members or prospective members of such organizations based solely on the practice of limiting membership to only individuals of one sex;
- taking actions that require or coerce members or prospective members of such organizations to waive protections provided under the bill, including as a condition of enrolling in the IHE; or
- imposing a recruitment restriction on a single-sex social organization that is not imposed upon other student organizations, unless the organization and IHE have entered into a written agreement allowing the restriction.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
- Reported in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
- MEHLMAN CONSULTING, INC.
- ARNOLD & PORTER KAYE SCHOLER LLP
- FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION (FIRE)
- ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM
- FOUNDATION FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND EXPRESSION (FIRE)
- AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
Bodies those filers lobbied
- HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- SENATE
- Education, Dept of
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- White House Office
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Health & Human Services, Dept of (HHS)
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2555: Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2026. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2555/
"H.R. 2555: Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2026." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2555/.
H.R. 2555, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2555/.
[H.R. 2555: Freedom of Association in Higher Education Act of 2026](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-2555/)