Education
Texas House approves bill banning DEI offices at public universities
Senate Bill 17 received a preliminary approval with 83-60 votes after an hours-long debate between Texas Democrats and Republicans
May 23, 2023 8:45am
Updated: May 23, 2023 9:15am
The Texas House on Friday passed a bill to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices in public colleges and universities, following Florida’s footsteps.
“There is virtually no evidence that DEI programs have closed the gap in terms of minority student outcomes, minority recruitment, and faculty hiring,” Rep. John Kuempel, one of the bill’s sponsors, said when he laid out his version of the Senate bill on the House floor Friday.
Senate Bill 17 received a preliminary approval with 83-60 votes after an hours-long debate between Texas Democrats and Republicans.
“Conservatives began this session by recognizing this simple truth: Texas has allowed leftists to infiltrate our universities for far too long,” Rep. Tony Tinderholt told the House.
“If you’re voting to keep these people on the Texas tax payroll at these universities, you are complicit in their subversion,” he added.
Senate Democrats argued that the bill could mean that several state schools might lose federal grants if such programs were removed, as well as make some students less welcome on campus, according to The Texas Tribune.
Tinderholt offered an amendment to the bill to quell the concerns from Democrats requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to conduct a study to determine whether the elimination of DEI offices from schools has negative impacts on recruitment rates and students' grades.
The amendment also requires colleges and universities with DEI offices to attempt to reassign employees currently working there to other positions within the university or college.
The legislation will now go to the upper chamber of the Senate, where lawmakers will decide if the changes can be accepted. If passed, the legislation will be signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott and take effect on January 1, following Florida’s footsteps and becoming the second state to enact such a ban.
Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill ending state funding for DEI programs around the state, claiming that they imposed a “political agenda” on educational institutions.
