Senators Introduce Equal Campus Access Act to Protect Religious Student Groups

Strategic Insights -

U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) have introduced the Equal Campus Access Act of 2025, aimed at ensuring that religious student organizations are not discriminated against on college campuses. The legislation is a response to the Biden Administration's proposal to roll back protections for these groups, which was met with opposition from Senators Scott and Lankford in 2023. The bill is supported by over 30 organizations, including the Christian Legal Society, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee for Religious Liberty.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Equal Campus Access Act of 2025 is a bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting religious student organizations from discrimination on college campuses.
  • The bill is supported by over 30 organizations, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Catholic groups.
  • Senators Scott and Lankford introduced the legislation in response to the Biden Administration's proposal to roll back protections for religious student organizations.
  • The bill is part of an ongoing effort to protect academic freedom and the right to religious expression on college campuses.
  • Senators Bill Cassidy, Rick Scott, and Kevin Cramer are among the co-sponsors of the legislation.
  • The bill has been endorsed by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention (ERLC), the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), and the American Association of Christian Schools.

Statistics:

  • Over 30 organizations have endorsed the Equal Campus Access Act of 2025, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Catholic groups.
  • The bill has been introduced in 2025, following a public comment letter urging the Department of Education to maintain the Trump-era Religious Liberty and Free Inquiry Rule in 2023.
  • Senators Scott and Lankford have been leading efforts to protect academic freedom and the right to religious expression on college campuses since 2023.

Sources:

  • South Carolina Senator Tim Scott
  • Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.)
  • Congressman Tim Walberg (R-Minn.)
  • Christian Legal Society
  • Cru
  • InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA
  • Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
  • Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
  • US Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee for Religious Liberty
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
  • Seventh-day Adventist Church -- North American Division
  • Coalition for Jewish Values
  • Religious Freedom Institute
  • Coalition of Virtue
  • Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty
  • Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention (ERLC)
  • National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)
  • 1st Amendment Partnership
  • Faith and Liberty in the Nation's Capital
  • Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee
  • Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty (CALL)
  • Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society / Asian American Christian Fellowship
  • The Impact Movement
  • ReJOYce in Jesus Campus Fellowship
  • Reformed University Fellowship National (RUF)
  • US Navigators
  • Young Life
  • Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
  • FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students)
  • Ratio Christi
  • Chi Alpha Campus Ministries
  • Sigma Alpha Omega Christian Sorority
  • Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
  • Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
  • Catholic Medical Association
  • Christian Medical and Dental Associations
  • Coptic Medical Association of North America (CMANA)
  • Anglican Chaplains / Anglican Office for Government and International Affairs (AOGIA)
  • Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE)
  • Association of Christian Schools International
  • American Association of Christian Schools
  • Fellowship of Christian University Students (Dallas, TX)
  • Georgia Baptist Mission Board
  • Michigan Catholic Conference
  • Queens Federation of Churches
  • Kansas Family Voice
  • Frontline Policy Council (Georgia)
  • New Jersey Family Policy Center
  • Maryland Family Institute