Section 3345.0217
(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Controversial belief or policy" means any belief or policy that is the subject of political controversy, including issues such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.
(2) "Intellectual diversity" means multiple, divergent, and varied perspectives on an extensive range of public policy issues.
(3) "State institution of higher education" has the same meaning as in section 3345.011 of the Revised Code.
(B) Not later than ninety days after the effective date of this section, the board of trustees of each state institution of higher education shall adopt and the institution shall enforce a policy that requires the institution to do all of the following:
(1)(a) Prohibit all of the following:
(i) Any orientation or training course regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, unless the institution submits a written request for an exception to the chancellor of higher education because the institution determines the orientation or training course is exempt from that prohibition because all aspects of the orientation or course are required to do any of the following:
(I) Comply with state and federal laws or regulations;
(II) Comply with state or federal professional licensure requirements;
(III) Obtain or retain accreditation.
The exception request shall include an explanation of the circumstances and the effort made by the institution to comply with division (B)(1)(a)(i) of this section.
(ii) The continuation of existing diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or departments;
(iii) Establishing new diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or departments;
(iv) Using diversity, equity, and inclusion in job descriptions;
(v) Contracting with consultants or third-parties whose role is or would be to promote admissions, hiring, or promotion on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;
(vi) The establishment of any new institutional scholarships that use diversity, equity, and inclusion in any manner. For any institutional scholarships existing on the effective date of this section, a state institution shall, to the extent possible, eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements. If the state institution is unable to do so because of donor requirements, the institution may continue to offer those institutional scholarships. However, the state institution shall not accept any additional funds for the operation of institutional scholarships that have diversity, equity, and inclusion requirements.
(b) A state institution shall not replace any orientation, training, office, or position designated for the purpose of diversity, equity, and inclusion that is prohibited under this division with an orientation, training, office, or position under a different designation that serves the same or similar purposes, or that uses the same or similar means.
(c) In the event that the requirements to obtain a research grant conflict with the prohibitions listed under division (B)(1)(a) of this section, a state institution shall endeavor, to the extent possible, to comply with division (B)(1)(a) of this section while retaining eligibility for the research grant, including by consulting with legal counsel. A state institution that is unable to comply with division (B)(1)(a) of this section with respect to a research grant shall submit a written request for an exception to the chancellor. The exception request shall include an explanation of the circumstances and the effort made by the state institution to comply with division (B)(1)(a) of this section while retaining eligibility for the research grant.
(d) Divisions (B)(1)(a) and (c) of this section do not apply to agreements or contracts regarding any research grants entered into prior to the effective date of this section. Divisions (B)(1)(a) and (c) of this section apply to any renewal of such agreements or contracts occurring on or after the effective date of this section.
(2) Affirm and declare that its primary function is to practice, or support the practice, discovery, improvement, transmission, and dissemination of knowledge and citizenship education by means of research, teaching, discussion, and debate;
(3) Affirm and declare that, to fulfill the function described in division (B)(2) of this section, the state institution shall ensure the fullest degree of intellectual diversity;
(4) Affirm and declare that faculty and staff shall allow and encourage students to reach their own conclusions about all controversial beliefs or policies and shall not seek to indoctrinate any social, political, or religious point of view;
(5) Demonstrate intellectual diversity for course approval, approval of courses to satisfy general education requirements, student course evaluations, common reading programs, annual reviews, strategic goals for each department, and student learning outcomes.
Divisions (B)(2) to (5) of this section do not apply to the exercise of professional judgment about how to accomplish intellectual diversity within an academic discipline, unless that exercise is misused to constrict intellectual diversity.
(6) Declare that it will not endorse or oppose, as an institution, any controversial belief or policy, except on matters that directly impact the institution's funding or mission of discovery, improvement, and dissemination of knowledge. The institution may also endorse the congress of the United States when it establishes a state of armed hostility against a foreign power.
This division does not include the recognition of national and state holidays, support for the Constitution and laws of the United States or the state of Ohio, or the display of the American or Ohio flag.
(7) Affirm and declare that the state institution will not encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology, political stance, or view of a social policy, nor will the institution require students to do any of those things to obtain an undergraduate or post-graduate degree.
Divisions (B)(6) and (7) of this section do not apply to the exercise of professional judgment about whether to endorse the consensus or foundational beliefs of an academic discipline, unless that exercise is misused to take an action prohibited in division (B)(6) of this section.
(8) Prohibit political and ideological litmus tests in all hiring, promotion, and admissions decisions, including diversity statements and any other requirement that applicants describe their commitment to any ideology, principle, concept, or formulation that requires commitment to any controversial belief or policy;
(9) Affirm and declare that no hiring, promotion, or admissions process or decision shall encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology or political stance;
(10) Affirm and declare that the state institution will not use a diversity statement or any other assessment of an applicant's political or ideological views in any hiring, promotions, or admissions process or decision;
(11) Affirm and declare that no process or decision regulating conditions of work or study, such as committee assignments, course scheduling, or workload adjustment policies, shall encourage, discourage, require, or forbid students, faculty, or administrators to endorse, assent to, or publicly express a given ideology or political stance;
(12) Affirm and declare that the state institution will seek out invited speakers who have diverse ideological or political views;
(13) Post prominently on its web site a complete list of all speaker fees, honoraria, and other emoluments in excess of five hundred dollars for events that are sponsored by the state institution. That information shall be all of the following:
(a) Accessible from the main page of the institution's web site by use of not more than three links;
(b) Searchable by keywords and phrases;
(c) Accessible to the public without requiring user registration of any kind.
(C) Each state institution of higher education shall respond to complaints from any student, student group, or faculty member about an alleged violation of the prohibitions and requirements included in the policy adopted under this section using the process established under division (C) of section 3345.0215 of the Revised Code.
(D)(1) Nothing in this section prohibits faculty or students from classroom instruction, discussion, or debate, so long as faculty members allow students to express intellectual diversity.
(2) Nothing in this section prohibits a state institution of higher education from complying with any state or federal law to provide disability services or to permit student organizations, including fraternities and sororities.
(E) The general assembly may withhold or reduce any state operating subsidy payments, state capital improvement funds, or other state appropriation to a state institution of higher education if the general assembly determines the institution has failed to comply with the requirements established under this section.
Last updated April 29, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Available Versions of this Section
- June 27, 2025 – Enacted by Senate Bill 1 - 136th General Assembly [ View June 27, 2025 Version ]