[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6643590,"mediaKeyId","2531979-0e6d4da0fd3a4df418f805b4c5fb4d77","parentId",2531979,"title","Senate education committee approves bill limiting DEI programs at public colleges","audioSeconds",4553,"startMs",2795000,"endMs",7348000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531979-0e6d4da0fd3a4df418f805b4c5fb4d77&start=2795&end=7348","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531979-0e6d4da0fd3a4df418f805b4c5fb4d77/thumbnail_2795000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6643590/Kentucky/Senate-education-committee-approves-bill-limiting-DEI-programs-at-public-colleges","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643590-318c922e6720eaa8314f8d0b454c4bb9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139768&Signature=aUkekL2e9t9eW4xEA-qy69UmGgEQw3YpSOoWG-5oKQZ7uMz~4PhzU9PjX5KfgTqgdSLgfrardDXuA95bxKMiTpZiI4U3xClIskePegHVv67~Bc4pSGP3fSaojZdQibzQoBcDdjje-qR4yGpQLvEBwmXBr4VVQVgExLUyUpx7~ISI59O75jRS47Je0irm-4uTHZOt9Uz2mjyS2yvviZWpXlfr1q6BuT6wt~HyNJMGaQsBLIso5zl2WU~vuPToKZXMg5MqQm1uTtKqhn5S~jw78jlhz5v7sxNUxhxcTlcnaNxG-oNyQL-GKbF9ddwWigGNHoeg3q9xX675708tfDIbBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kentucky Legislature","date","2025-03-10T21:56:22.503Z","article","The Senate standing committee on education voted to give House Bill 4 a favorable report, advancing a bill that would limit the use of state resources for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and activities at Kentucky’s public colleges and universities.

Representative Jennifer Decker (R), the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the measure is aimed at “dismantl[ing] the failed and misguided DEI bureaucracy” and at ensuring public institutions do not engage in “unconstitutional differential treatment based on religion, race, color, [sex], and national origin.” She cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard decision and said state law must align with the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Supporters and opponents framed the bill differently. Gerald Neal, state senator for the 30th District, and a coalition of faculty, students and civic groups opposed HB 4 in committee testimony, saying its language is vague, risks unintended consequences for scholarships and accreditation, and could reduce programs that serve first-generation, low-income, veteran and disabled students. \"There is no unconstitutionality per se as it relates to using race as a factor,\" said Dr. Ray Horton of United Campus Workers, arguing the bill misunderstands existing law on race-conscious considerations.

Students and faculty described concrete campus impacts they expect if the bill becomes law. Bradley Price, a student at the University of Louisville, said campus events and programs that help students “see reflections of my own experience” would be curtailed. Noah Cameron, also a UofL student, said orientation programs that “put inclusion on stage” would be forced to cut skits and activities that help first-year students feel welcomed.

University-affiliated witnesses and professional groups raised concerns beyond campus programming. Dr. Eric Russ, executive director of the Kentucky Psychological Association, cautioned that licensure-related language inserted in earlier drafts could limit boards' ability to sanction practitioners and thereby weaken public protections. Janie Lindell of the League of Women Voters of Kentucky warned that the bill’s process has limited public involvement and could undermine state educational attainment goals.

Representative Decker and supporters said the bill specifically exempts veteran services, student support programs (including programs for Pell recipients, first-generation students and students with disabilities), and privately funded scholarships that are grandfathered; the sponsor also told the committee that she is not asserting DEI is the sole cause of enrollment declines but that some DEI practices risk legal exposure to institutions.

After debate and public testimony the committee voted on a committee substitute that would have narrowed potential collateral impacts; senators rejected that substitute and then took up the bill. The final vote in committee was recorded after a series of member explanations; the clerk announced, \"House Bill 4 passes with favorable expression.\" The bill now moves to the full Senate for further consideration.

Committee members who spoke in favor argued the measure protects equal protection principles and prevents state monies from being used for race- or religion-based preferences. Opponents argued the bill is overbroad, risks harming accreditation-dependent programs (nursing, business, social work and others), could jeopardize scholarship administration, and would chill campus speech and programs that help underrepresented students succeed.

The committee’s consideration included public testimony from more than a dozen students, faculty and civic groups. Several witnesses urged the panel to revise the text to add clearer definitions, carve out program- and donor-restricted funds, and explicitly preserve program-level accreditation requirements.

The committee did not adopt the suggested substitute amendments. With the favorable committee report, House Bill 4 proceeds to the Senate calendar; further amendments and floor debate remain possible.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Standing Committee on Education (3-10-25)","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate standing committee on education voted to give House Bill 4 a favorable report, advancing a bill that would limit the use of state resources for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and activities at Kentucky’s public colleges and universities.","taxTitle","Education, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Kentucky","taxId",29200,"location","Kentucky","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6643576,"Committee roundup: two concurrent resolutions and one K‑12 promotion bill pass unanimously",147,79000,226000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531979-0e6d4da0fd3a4df418f805b4c5fb4d77&start=79&end=226","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531979-0e6d4da0fd3a4df418f805b4c5fb4d77/thumbnail_79000.jpg","/articles/6643576/Kentucky/Committee-roundup-two-concurrent-resolutions-and-one-K12-promotion-bill-pass-unanimously","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643576-40a1aff57f3f644f304cb86b5c8326a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139768&Signature=oG-ZtkVS9VoGfG3ryZOn9I988LyT5ExZ1DFENv4Bk0M7N5ZZYy4svJu9iCsKLt80jDyl-jMPi0PwM8UkHBzI9CwaSev3hcpKO0IaLhW-9TQVQV7S~kuXOSLptiglaaML2cwJOUd8xiYC--I4wYTDrxTN50~Oge91McQKm5V1OFTqx8SqAvKzrWGPHqvsJr~D3FcwAh4onMNT1tqTBIizJdgu3JI2OIrpKCrnNRpPD0MVaDSBru99nA4NwD78GGLqFdkqUGsd2Wz9t-29y3CXqc0WGc1L7ekQEgGZc1e3Rap610dKuJSLDUqOrC7NNUaYhTUyDpX9mc8V7OfqQVVA~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","In addition to the larger bills heard in depth, the Senate standing committee on education advanced three other items with brief presentations and unanimous committee approval.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 76: The committee passed SCR 76 unanimously. Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe presented the measure, which would direct the Legislative Research Commission to establish a Kentucky School for the Deaf Governance Task Force to examine governance options and relationships between the school and the state education department. Bledsoe noted the Kentucky School for the Deaf was established by the Kentucky General Assembly on April 10, 1823, and currently serves a small student population. The committee recorded the motion and, after a roll call, the clerk announced \"Senate concurrent resolution 76 passes unanimously with favorable expression.\"

Senate Concurrent Resolution 131: Senator Max Wise presented SCR 131, described as a carryover from an interim 2024 task force and proposed to continue a legislator-only task force to examine district effectiveness and student achievement. The committee voted and the clerk announced \"Senate concurrent resolution 131 passes unanimously with favorable expression.\"

House Bill 240: Representative Truitt presented House Bill 240, relating to primary-school advancement and so-called \"ungraded primary\" promotion decisions. The original house language required that kindergarten students not ready for first grade be held back one year; an amendment adopted in committee made retention permissive in kindergarten but mandatory in first grade under certain conditions, giving schools discretion to try struggling students in first grade before requiring retention. Representative Truitt and several senators spoke in support; the committee recorded a unanimous passage and the clerk announced \"House bill 240 passes with favorable expression unanimously.\"

All three measures were advanced to the Senate calendar with favorable reports. These items were handled early in the session and drew relatively limited public testimony in the committee record.

","The Senate Education Committee also approved two concurrent resolutions establishing task forces and approved House Bill 240 on primary-school advancement policies; all three items passed unanimously with favorable expression.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6643581,"Committee backs bill to identify struggling schools annually and strengthen misconduct rules",410,834000,1244000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531979-0e6d4da0fd3a4df418f805b4c5fb4d77&start=834&end=1244","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531979-0e6d4da0fd3a4df418f805b4c5fb4d77/thumbnail_834000.jpg","/articles/6643581/Kentucky/Committee-backs-bill-to-identify-struggling-schools-annually-and-strengthen-misconduct-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643581-6ebc581bc53d2e77022d685554963ad1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139768&Signature=RINg-8MWzxp7SQGde8Qeiws21tqXTujfSa~-NB-pgLtWCr1Sy3BjUfi4O1mbuxKT4SRdXRzlurRzu1YWAijNs0rvmhtrYK-n3~nnCGg6zioIpjcvosuokRcEF1Iruq9mNdzikc7xk2G82nSALC7vL4J7ztrN7XtM1qKr1qslgvReXZdyCIKdhPoWWrlNfrHnKepvj6LHxK1J0twfW8fqAmYKOxqpowHiWnasFZzf-s~utDvtws5VG01Wz3Y8GR6eE4bH0e3vHB~uu9V8bkvbD6f7BuK9qoFUomEcTmCTB61xf3iQs7Clz5OTH6BM0CqTJjvXFT2h6~jWczp4vhbUIA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Education Committee gave a favorable report to House Bill 298, a measure that would change how Kentucky identifies and supports schools designated for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and would add provisions aimed at addressing employee misconduct in schools.

Representative James Tipton, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure would require annual identification of CSI schools rather than the current three-year cycle under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). He told the committee that regular identification would allow the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to conduct management audits, recommend actions regarding principals’ capacity to lead turnarounds, require professional development in reading and math for teachers at identified schools, and require districts to use high-quality instructional resources.

Tipton also described provisions carried into HB 298 regarding employee misconduct that mirror work done in prior sessions; he said the bill includes language similar to measures that passed earlier in the House and previously reached the Senate but had not been enacted. In committee questions Senator Givens asked about a small drafting change: the word \"investigation\" was removed in a subsection dealing with required applicant disclosures; Tipton confirmed the change and explained which lines were altered.

The committee adopted a committee substitute, debated the bill and voted to report HB 298 favorably. Senators explained their votes on the record and the clerk announced, \"House bill 2 98 as amended by committee sub passes unanimously with favorable expression.\" The committee also adopted a title amendment distributed in members’ packets.

Supporters argued the changes would enable KDE and districts to address struggling schools more quickly and to deploy targeted professional development and turnaround resources. The bill includes a provision allowing districts with multiple identified schools to contract with turnaround vendors. The transcript shows members repeatedly praised Tipton’s work on both CSI policy and employee-misconduct reforms.

The bill proceeds to the full Senate with the committee sub and title amendment adopted; committee members indicated the expectation that KDE and districts would implement identification and audit procedures under the new schedule.

","House Bill 298 would move Kentucky from triennial to annual identification of Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools under ESSA, require management audits and professional development, and incorporate measures on employee misconduct; the committee approved the bill and adopted a title amendment.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6643585,"Committee advances bill requiring periodic performance reviews at public universities",3155,1278000,4433000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2531979-0e6d4da0fd3a4df418f805b4c5fb4d77&start=1278&end=4433","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2531979-0e6d4da0fd3a4df418f805b4c5fb4d77/thumbnail_1278000.jpg","/articles/6643585/Kentucky/Committee-advances-bill-requiring-periodic-performance-reviews-at-public-universities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6643585-b421a12cb8da00d208a4ca9e6317842f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139768&Signature=dOdzzxW36uPHge4bDs2OwIeBdeBqD5BNhuHvOJA3CPjE4PNzMZvsrhmfBhV1GpYk4t96H20L0-0JfxIuyaTlvkXPjPzihimB-sAsp5tAYguPUn6q5qrauJuJ2vlh2e9NJgBKnjCznuysLokxg0euBPNUOa7-tokuWDVFGt9AoLBftwnNHbLCOxSeScWmr8DbmysVI5hbJS93z68uBZ-nBSdSJ9fhm7-0j1meemsL6j9M6JBYex~FxpfTxSRHkhocz7w-UitxdcUV-0KNhj4andZifFINTs~FPAPL8qWD0Q0iGEX9TYwLDWKilYK-i3ij7UqwqYEgggkALRxah2-1pw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate standing committee on education voted to advance House Bill 424 after hearing testimony from the bill sponsor and faculty representatives concerned about post-tenure review safeguards.

Representative James Tipton, sponsor of HB 424, told the committee the bill requires each university Board of Regents to adopt a performance and productivity review for faculty at least once every four years and clarifies grounds for removal to include failure to meet those performance standards. \"The main emphasis of the bill is that each Board of Regents would adopt a performance and productivity review process for all of their faculty,\" Tipton said, adding that many institutions already perform such reviews.

Senator Gerald Neal and Dr. Ray Horton presented a committee substitute that would add limiting language requiring that any measures used to evaluate performance \"relate directly to the responsibilities stipulated within a president's or faculty employment contract.\" Neal and Horton argued the change would protect academic freedom, ensure evaluations align with disciplinary norms and avoid boards imposing criteria outside existing employment agreements. Neal said the substitute was intended to guard against unintended consequences for program accreditations and faculty governance.

Representative Tipton said he had discussed the bill with the Council on Postsecondary Education and university leaders but expressed concerns that the substitute \"would weaken my bill,\" calling tenure and employment agreements distinct and saying statutory specification of tenure is not desirable. He told the committee that some universities issue letters rather than formal annual contracts, and that the bill does not aim to erode tenure protections.

After discussion the committee voted on the substitute; senators rejected the substitute in a voice vote. The committee then took a roll-call vote on the underlying bill and the clerk recorded that House Bill 424 \"passes with favorable expression.\" Committee members explained votes on the record; supporters said the bill strengthens accountability and gives institutions a uniform minimum review cadence, while opponents warned of possible administrative overreach and the need to preserve academic standards and the integrity of program-level accreditation.

HB 424 now moves to the Senate floor; proponents and critics indicated the bill could be amended in later stages to clarify the relationship between board-established review processes and faculty governance, program accreditation standards and the form of annual employment documents.

","The committee advanced House Bill 424, requiring Boards of Regents to adopt periodic faculty performance and productivity reviews and allowing boards to delegate appointment authority; a proposed substitute to limit measures to existing employment contracts failed in committee.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate education committee approves bill limiting DEI programs at public colleges

Committee roundup: two concurrent resolutions and one K‑12 promotion bill pass unanimously

Committee backs bill to identify struggling schools annually and strengthen misconduct rules

Committee advances bill requiring periodic performance reviews at public universities