100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB1560

 

Introduced 2/9/2017, by Sen. Michael Connelly

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
110 ILCS 10/2  from Ch. 144, par. 226

    Creates the Campus Free Expression Act. Deems the outdoor areas of campuses of institutions of higher education (both private and public) as traditional public forums. Provides that institutions of higher education may maintain and enforce reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions in service of a significant institutional interest only when such restrictions employ clear, published, content-neutral, and viewpoint-neutral criteria and provide for ample alternative means of expression, with any such restrictions allowing for members of the higher education community to spontaneously and contemporaneously assemble. Provides that any person who wishes to engage in noncommercial, expressive activity on campus shall be permitted to do so freely, as long as the person's conduct is not unlawful (subject to an institution's restrictions). Contains enforcement provisions. Amends the Campus Demonstrations Policy Act to make a corresponding change. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Campus
5Free Expression Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Expressive activity" includes, but is not limited to, all
8forms of peaceful assembly, protests, speeches, distributing
9literature, carrying signs, and circulating petitions.
10    "Institution of higher education" means a private
11institution of higher education approved by the Illinois
12Student Assistance Commission for purposes of the monetary
13award program under Section 35 of the Higher Education Student
14Assistance Act or a public institution of higher education in
15this State.
 
16    Section 10. Free expression on campus.
17    (a) The outdoor areas of campuses of institutions of higher
18education shall be deemed traditional public forums.
19Institutions of higher education may maintain and enforce
20reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions in service of a
21significant institutional interest only when such restrictions
22employ clear, published, content-neutral, and

 

 

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1viewpoint-neutral criteria and provide for ample alternative
2means of expression. Any such restrictions shall allow for
3members of the higher education community to spontaneously and
4contemporaneously assemble.
5    (b) Any person who wishes to engage in noncommercial,
6expressive activity on campus shall be permitted to do so
7freely, as long as the person's conduct is not unlawful,
8subject to subsection (a) of this Section.
9    (c) Nothing in this Section may be interpreted as limiting
10the right of student expression elsewhere on campus.
 
11    Section 50. Enforcement.
12    (a) The following persons may bring an action in a court of
13competent jurisdiction to enjoin any violation of this Act or
14to recover compensatory damages, reasonable court costs, and
15attorney's fees:
16        (1) The Attorney General.
17        (2) Persons whose expressive rights were violated
18    through the violation of this Act.
19    (b) In an action brought under this Section, if the court
20finds a violation, the court shall award the aggrieved person
21no less than $500 for the initial violation, plus $50 for each
22day the violation remains ongoing.
23    (c) A person shall be required to bring suit for violation
24of this Act not later than one year after the day the cause of
25action accrues. For purposes of calculating the one-year

 

 

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1limitation period, each day that the violation persists and
2each day that a policy in violation of this Act remains in
3effect shall constitute a new violation of this Act and,
4therefore, a new day that the cause of action has accrued.
 
5    Section 90. The Campus Demonstrations Policy Act is amended
6by changing Section 2 as follows:
 
7    (110 ILCS 10/2)  (from Ch. 144, par. 226)
8    Sec. 2. The administration of each State-supported
9institution of higher learning is responsible for maintaining
10decorum and order on the campus of that institution. Any Policy
11on Demonstrations of a State-supported institution of higher
12learning must comply with the Campus Free Expression Act.
13(Source: P.A. 90-372, eff. 7-1-98.)
 
14    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15becoming law.