Written by Don Byrd
The Kansas Senate has passed a measure supporting the right of religious student groups to maintain exclusive memberships. SB 175 was advanced on a 30-8 party-line vote.
The core of the bill reads:
No postsecondary educational institution may take any action or enforce any policy that would deny a religious student association any benefit available to any other student association, or discriminate against a religious student association with respect to such benefit, based on such association’s requirement that the leaders or members of such association:
(a) Adhere to the association’s sincerely held religious beliefs;
(b) comply with the association’s sincerely held religious beliefs;
(c) comply with the association’s sincere religious standards of conduct; or
(d) be committed to furthering the association’s religious missions, as such religious beliefs, observance requirements, standards of conduct or missions are defined by the religious student association, or the religion on which the association is based.
The bill moves on to the House for consideration.
In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of UC-Hastings to refuse recognition to a religious student group because it insisted on restricting its membership based on religious belief.
