HB 2563 Summary

• Prohibits universities and community colleges from restricting students' right to speak in public forums, including verbal speech, signs, and distribution of materials.

• Requires time, place, and manner restrictions on student speech to be content-neutral, reasonable, necessary to achieve a compelling government interest, and the least restrictive means to further that interest.

• Establishes that individual conduct materially and substantially infringing on others' expressive rights (such as fighting, physical blocking, or preventing attendance at events) is subject to sanctions.

• Mandates that Arizona Board of Regents and community college governing boards adopt free expression policies containing specific statements about intellectual freedom and establish committees to submit annual reports on barriers to free expression, disciplinary actions, and student activity fee allocations.

• Authorizes students, faculty, and the attorney general to sue institutions for violations and recover injunctive relief, court costs, attorney fees, and damages of at least $1,000 or actual damages, whichever is greater.