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The Kansas House Committee on Education held a hearing on Tuesday where a new bill — HB 2299 — to address and prohibit antisemitic discrimination in the state’s public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education was presented.
The legislation — supported by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach — defines antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, including its 11 contemporary examples, which was adopted by the Senate and House in 2022.
The bill reads, “It is declared to be the policy of the state that public educational institutions that receive and expend tax dollars are prohibited from engaging in practices or implementing policies that: (A) Discriminate or cause prejudice on the basis of religion; or (B) promote or tolerate antisemitism or antisemitic acts.”
It also authorizes the Attorney General to “investigate and assess penalties” and the Kansas Human Rights Commission to “refer complaints to the attorney general for investigation and initiation of legal proceedings.”
The legislation is backed by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), and CAM Founder Adam Beren spoke before the committee at Tuesday’s hearing.
“This legislation is a timely and critical bill that will hopefully prevent any further issues in our K-20 schools,” Beren testified. “While antisemitism is thankfully not as pervasive like in other states, passage of HB 2299 will demonstrate that Kansas legislators are taking a proactive measure. It also sends a message in Kansas and to the rest of the country of our commitment to combating hatred in all forms, while ensuring the safety and dignity of its Jewish community. Every student, faculty, and staff member deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued at any educational institution.
Robert Metz, a recent Jewish graduate of the the University of Kansas, shared with the committee his personal experiences with on-campus antisemitism following the October 7th attack in Israel 16 months ago.
Among other incidents, Metz and his roommates received online threats for having an Israeli flag in their window, and a October 7th massacre survivor from Kibbutz Re’im had an on-campus speaking appearance disrupted by anti-Israel demonstrators.
“These are but a glimpse of the many stories of Jewish and non-Jewish students who were victims of the lawless fearmongering that has occurred since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses,” Metz said. “As the University of Kansas has struggled to protect the emotional and physical well-being of students, faculty, and staff, it is evermore important that this esteemed institution [the Kansas State Legislature] brings accountability and decorum to public education. HB 2299 empowers the Attorney General to investigate acts of discrimination, providing a means of legal action for victims. I trust that this committee will ensure that the great state of Kansas will not tolerate hate, fear, and intimidation in its classrooms and campuses.”
Other speakers in favor of the legislation included Jewish community activist David Soffer and representatives of the JCRB|AJC.
HB 2299’s companion version in the Kansas State Senate is SB 164.
CAM is leading an organized effort to engage and educate state legislators across the United States on antisemitism-related issues and potential policy remedies, such as the bill now under consideration in Kansas.
Similar legislation was deliberated on at the Nebraska Legislature Education Committee last week.
The texts of HB 2299 and SB 164 can be read in full HERE and HERE.
