US Federal House Bill HB3282

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/8/25
• Refer: 5/8/25

Caption

Preventing Antisemitic Harassment on Campus Act of 2025

Summary

HB3282, titled the Preventing Antisemitic Harassment on Campus Act of 2025, would amend Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Higher Education Act of 1965 to strengthen federal civil rights protections against antisemitic discrimination, especially in higher education. The bill would add religion to Title VI’s protected categories, define discrimination for postsecondary institutions to include deliberate indifference to severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive harassment, and state that federal anti-discrimination policy should be enforced against antisemitism as vigorously as other Title VI violations. The bill also creates a specific enforcement framework for colleges and universities receiving federal financial assistance. If the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights finds repeated Title VI violations involving antisemitic discrimination, the Secretary of Education would be required to impose escalating financial penalties on the affected program after a second and third violation within five years, subject to notice and a hearing. The bill further requires the Department to monitor private lawsuits involving antisemitic discrimination, notify students, faculty, and staff when a violation is found, and report sanction actions to congressional education committees.

Impact

The bill would materially expand federal civil rights enforcement by making religion an explicit protected ground under Title VI and by creating new statutory tools aimed at antisemitic harassment in federally funded education programs. It would also add a new section to the Higher Education Act authorizing fines tied to repeated violations, along with reporting and notification requirements for institutions of higher education. The bill includes a carve-out for programs conducted or controlled by religious organizations and a rule of construction preserving First Amendment rights and avoiding any implied reduction in existing legal protections.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed as a strong response to antisemitic harassment on college campuses and to gaps in existing federal enforcement. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal bipartisan or partisan sentiment can be measured from proceedings. The structure of the bill suggests support from sponsors for more aggressive enforcement, while also anticipating constitutional and religious-liberty concerns through explicit exceptions and savings clauses.

Contention

The main points of contention likely involve the bill’s expansion of Title VI to cover religion, the creation of mandatory sanctions for colleges, and the definition of antisemitic discrimination for enforcement purposes. Potential critics may question whether the bill gives the Department of Education too much leverage over institutions, whether the sanction scheme is too rigid, and how the antisemitism definition will be applied in practice, especially in campus speech and protest contexts. Supporters are likely to emphasize the need for stronger protections for Jewish students and clearer federal consequences for institutions that fail to address harassment.