Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), joined by 34 other senators, will reintroduce the Senate version of the Antisemitism Awareness Act on Wednesday, following the bill’s reintroduction in the House last week.

Senate Republican leadership has vowed to take the bill up this year; it languished in the upper chamber last year and ultimately failed to pass after receiving bipartisan support in the House.

“In the continued aftermath of the October 7th attacks on Israel by Hamas and Iran, we have seen college campuses across our nation become hotbeds of antisemitism where Jewish students’ rights are being threatened,” Scott said in a statement to Jewish Insider. “It’s critical the Department of Education has the tools and resources it needs to investigate antisemitism and root out this vile hatred wherever it rears its ugly head. There can be no equivocating when it comes to the issue of anti-Jewish violence and harassment.”

Rosen, who is replacing Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) as the bill’s lead Democratic sponsor, said in a statement, “Antisemitism is on the rise across the nation, particularly on college campuses, and Congress has a responsibility to do everything in its power to fight back against this hate.” 

“I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation today with Senator Tim Scott to help protect Jewish students from antisemitic bigotry,” Rosen continued. “I’ll keep working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bill passed and signed into law.”

Other lawmakers supporting the bill include Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Rick Scott (R-FL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), John Cornyn (R-TX), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Boozman (R-AR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Mark Warner (D-VA), John Barrasso (R-WY), Gary Peters (D-MI), Steve Daines. (R-MT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

The strong bipartisan support for the bill, particularly from a sizable number of Democrats, suggests that, if and when it does come up for a vote in the Senate, the legislation should have the votes to pass.

Schumer’s sponsorship, previously reported by JI, is especially notable given that, as then-majority leader, he did not bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote in the last Congress; instead, Schumer said he would work to incorporate the bill into year-end must-pass legislation, but was blocked by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Some in the Jewish community saw Schumer as the primary obstacle to the bill’s passage last year.

Norm Brownstein, the founder of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, who advocated for the bill on behalf of major Jewish organizations, told JI he was “very appreciative of the support Senator Schumer gave to the reintroduction of this bill.”

“[Schumer] continues to support this bill and will work hard to get it done,” Schumer spokesperson Angelo Roefaro said.

Outside groups supporting the bill include the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Christians United for Israel, the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee.