WASHINGTON – Today, Reps. Jim Banks (IN-03) and Greg Steube (FL-17) announced the Fairness in Higher Education Accreditation Act.
Read the bill text here.
“Our education system should strengthen the principles that make America exceptional,” said Rep. Jim Banks. “Too many campuses have replaced open debate with mob rule, mandatory far-left loyalty oaths, and one-sided debate. Our legislation would prohibit college accreditors from mandating DEI and force them to protect free speech on college campuses.”
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Senate version of the bill last week.
Federal law mandates that Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) be accredited by an accrediting agency or an association recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Increasingly, accreditors are imposing ideological standards, such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and affirmative action policies, as part of their judgment criteria when evaluating a school’s accreditation status. This creates direct pressure on universities to comply with woke standards or risk reputational and financial ruin.
