Senate Passes Campus Free Speech Bill from Senator Seifried

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate today passed legislation to protect free speech on public college and university campuses.

The Senate passed Senate Bill 1725 from Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, which ensures campuses remain places for open debate where students can share their ideas without the fear of censorship or retaliation.

The bill allows public colleges and universities to charge a security fee for events, but those fees must be applied without regard to the event’s content or the viewpoints expressed. Fees can be based on factors, such as the time, location or expected size of an event, but not on the speaker, the event’s message or how people might react. Colleges and universities that assess security fees must publish their criteria online.

SB 1725 prevents colleges and universities from arbitrarily punishing students over their free speech or expression by making sure the rules on harassment, as defined in state law, are applied fairly and consistently from one campus to the next. The legislation says higher education institutions cannot sanction or discipline a student’s expression as harassment unless the behavior falls under the statutory definition of harassment.

“Higher education should challenge students to think, not tell them what to think,” Seifried said. “Colleges should strive to create an environment where students are encouraged to ask questions, participate in respectful debate and form their own opinions. Senate Bill 1725 protects free speech on campuses by ensuring students aren’t punished for simply expressing different opinions.”

Seifried’s bill also directs the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee to develop free-speech training for all first-year students.

“The real world is a marketplace of ideas,” Seifried said. “When students are exposed to different viewpoints and encouraged to think for themselves, they’re better prepared for life after graduation.”

SB 1725 now advances to the House, where it is coauthored by Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton.

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For more information, contact: Communications@oksenate.gov