Updated May 30, 2023.

SB 16 as revised and passed by the Senate in April requires that a faculty member “may not compel or attempt to compel a student enrolled at the institution to adopt a belief that any race, sex, or ethnicity or social, political, or religious belief is inherently superior to any other race, sex, ethnicity, or belief.”

This prohibition applies to any interaction between a faculty member and a student at the institution and carries a penalty of termination of the faculty member for violating this provision, regardless of tenure status.

This bill censors speech on the topics of race, sex, and ethnicity as well as social, political, and religious beliefs, both inside and outside the classroom.

This bill did not advance in the House during the regular Legislative session — it never received a hearing by the House Higher Education Committee.

Resources

• Talking points on bills limiting academic freedom, eliminating tenure and banning DEI practices (SB 16, 17, 18) April 29, 2023
• Op-ed: T. Scott Johnson, “Opinion: Texas SB 16 Set to Undermine Academic Integrity“, Caller Times, USA Today Network, April 28, 2023.
• AAUP/AFT Analysis of Texas SB 16, 17 & 18 (see SB 16)
• Banning CRT: one-page white paper and two-page talking points
• Texas AAUP Supporting Higher Education Values in Texas, Feb. 2023