COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new bipartisan proposal, House Bill 606, also known as the CAMPUS Act, was introduced in the Ohio House last week, seeking to address perceived gaps in universities’ anti-bias and public demonstration policies. This move comes in the wake of recent protests against the Israel-Hamas war.
The CAMPUS Act proposes the allocation of $4 million in state funds toward several new grant programs. One program is designed to enhance security for student organizations at risk of racial, religious, or ethnic harassment or intimidation.
Additionally, the bill mandates the state’s chancellor of education to establish a committee to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate. It also calls for a uniform system for schools to submit detailed data on hate incidents to state officials. This requirement responds to concerns from Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson), a member of the House Jewish Caucus, about the underreporting of hate incidents.
In a related development, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost recently sent a letter to Ohio university presidents, suggesting that recent protesters who were arrested might have committed a felony by wearing a mask, referencing a 1953 Ohio law.
The bill also seeks to balance these provisions with protesters’ First Amendment rights. It requires schools to publicize any restrictions they place on protests or other activities regarding time, place, and manner.
Last month, state and local agencies arrested three dozen people at Ohio State University following six hours of pro-Palestine protests against the war in Gaza. The arrests were made under a policy that prohibited students from protesting on the main greens, including the South Oval, after 10 p.m.