Effective Jan. 1, a new Texas law prohibits public institutions of higher education from establishing or maintaining inclusion, equity and diversity (IED) offices or hiring or assigning officers, employees, or contractors to perform the duties of an IED office.

Institutions are required to adopt new policies to ensure compliance by their employees. This law does not apply to private schools in Texas.

The push to eliminate IED offices and initiatives began in Florida and Texas but rapidly spread to other states, with numerous bills being introduced in the most recent legislative sessions of state legislatures nationwide. In recent months, a few states enacted laws eliminating IED offices and/or limiting public institutions’ IED initiatives.

On June 17, 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 17.

Except as required by federal law, and starting in the spring semester of the 2023–2024 academic year, a public institution of higher education in Texas may not:

• Establish or maintain an IED office.
• Hire or assign an employee or contractor to perform the duties of an IED office.
• Compel, require, induce, or solicit any person to provide an IED statement or give preferential consideration to any person based on the provision of an IED statement.
• Give preference on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin to an applicant for employment, an employee, or a participant in any function of the institution.
• Require participation in IED training as a...

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