A group of Senate Republicans, led by Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, introduced the Campus Free Speech Restoration Act on Wednesday, which aims to hold universities accountable for violating freedom of speech by making them liable for court damages.
The proposed legislation would prohibit public colleges and universities from limiting student expression and would allow affected parties or the US attorney general to sue institutions for damages if they restricted the free speech rights of students.
“Too many of America’s public colleges have attacked the First Amendment rights of their students using so-called free speech zones and unconstitutional speech codes,” Cotton said in a statement. “This bill fights back against campus censors in order to defend open debate and free speech, which lead us to truth.”
