Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Laura Gillen (D-NY) this week introduced the Student Protection and University Accountability Act, which aims to compel schools to institute clear policies for addressing antisemitism and other forms of discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, or face losing their federal funding if they fail to do so.

The bill requires schools to designate a specified Title VI coordinator and to develop clear procedures for investigating student complaints and publicize those procedures, as well as to publicly display guidance from the Department of Education on Title VI complaints.

The bill also requires schools to provide timely notifications to complainants if an investigation is opened or declined, and on the outcome of such an investigation, as well as create a system for maintaining records of complaints and how they were addressed.

Schools would be required to certify annually to the Department of Education that they are complying with these provisions, and would be ineligible for federal funding if they fail to comply for two years in a row.

The legislation also limits the circumstances under which the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights can dismiss Title VI complaints before they are fully investigated, and requires the department to brief Congress monthly on investigations and how it plans to address them.

Some of the bill’s provisions have been included in other antisemitism legislation, including the Jewish American Security Act, a bipartisan and bicameral package of measures to combat antisemitism. Some provisions also mirror regulations around Title IX, which addresses sex-based discrimination on campuses.

“The surge of antisemitism on college campuses since October 7th is shocking and unacceptable,” Gillen said in a statement. “Colleges and universities must be held accountable for enforcing civil rights and protecting all students from harassment and discrimination. I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill to stop antisemitism and all forms of hate on campus.”

Stefanik did not respond to a request for comment.

Nathan Diament, the executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, said the bill aims to ensure that antisemitism complaints are taken seriously and addressed.

“We appreciate Reps. Stefanik and Gillen’s leadership and effort to create actionable and enforceable policy surrounding Jewish students’ legally protected rights on campus,” Diament  said. “Many university administrations give second-class status to complaints about antisemitism on campus and have ignored, dismissed, or dragged out those complaints with no resolution or accountability.” 

“Passing the Student Protection and University Accountability Act will be a critical victory for Jewish students who have faced attacks and for any student experiencing discrimination under Title VI because it will compel university administrators to put proper procedures in place or automatically lose their eligibility for federal funds,” he continued.