Senators re-introduce bill to crack down on anti-Semitism on college campuses

WASHINGTON

A bipartisan pair of senators re-introduced a bill Tuesday that would make it easier for students to file civil rights complaints against their universities "amid rampant antisemitic incidents on college campuses in the aftermath of Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel."

Sens. John Fetterman and Bill Cassidy reintroduced the legislation that they previously brought up in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group and Israel's subsequent indiscriminate campaign against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. The bill ultimately stalled in the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions after being introduced in January 2024.

“The threats and attacks against Jewish students since October 7 are despicable. No one should fear for their safety at school because of who they are,” said Cassidy. "This bipartisan bill holds universities accountable to address discrimination and maintain a safe learning environment for all students."

The senators said in a joint statement that the legislation would increase awareness for students on how to report alleged civil rights violations and ensure that federally-funded colleges "properly handle discrimination complaints." The Assistant Secretary of Civil Rights would also be required to brief Congress monthly on how many reports the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights is receiving, broken down by types of discrimination.