Bill requiring colleges to adopt certain free-speech protections, known as Charlie Kirk Act, passes TN Senate

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A bill called the Charlie Kirk Act passed in the Tennessee Senate on Thursday.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) and Sen. Paul Rose (R-District 32), would require Tennessee colleges and universities to adopt certain free-speech protections and a policy modeled after the University of Chicago’s Freedom of Expression Policy.

It would bar schools and faculty from restricting speakers, punishing protected faculty speech or discriminating against people, student groups or employers because of religious beliefs or opposition to certain topics.

The bill would also authorize residents, taxpayers and others to sue schools and individuals for violations of the Charlie Kirk Act to ensure the requirements of the bill are enforced more easily through the courts.

It will be discussed in the House on March 31.

Specifically, the below would be prohibited by the bill for institutions of higher education and faculty members:

Refusing to invite a speaker because of the viewpoints expressed or espoused by the speaker or canceling an invitation of the speaker to speak at the institution in response to threatened protests or opposition from students or faculty
Prohibiting a student organization from inviting a speaker to campus or restricting a student organization in its choice of invited speakers
Retaliating against a faculty member on account of the viewpoints expressed in the faculty member’s scholarly work, or on account of any speech or writing protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution
Discriminating or retaliating against a person on account of the person’s sincere religious beliefs
Discriminating or retaliating against a person on account of the person’s opposition to abortion, homosexuality, or transgender behavior, regardless of whether that opposition is motivated by religious or non-religious beliefs
Denying recognition to any student group, or denying any employer access to on-campus student interviews, on account of the student group’s or employer’s beliefs or opposition as described in (4) and (5).

Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.

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