AN ACT Relating to providing equity and fairness in the faculties of the institutions of higher education; adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. This act may be known and cited as the higher education equity act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The legislature finds that the state has a vital interest in ensuring that institutions of higher education are as accessible as possible to the citizens of the state. The economic, intellectual, and social well-being of the state and its people is reliant upon having a well-balanced, well-educated workforce. Educational diversity is one of many factors that supports this workforce. The legislature finds that in order to ensure that equity and fairness are incorporated into ensuring educational diversity, it is important that the faculty present at the institutions of higher education equitably represent the political and ideological diversity of the citizenry of the state. The legislature also finds that hiring decisions are the most effective way to ensure ideological diversity among the faculty of the state's institution of higher education.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Institutions of higher education shall provide equity and fairness in their faculty by surveying faculty candidates to ensure that a minimum of twenty-five percent of all faculty, tenured and adjunct included, ascribe to conservative political and moral principles.

(2) In order to ensure compliance with subsection (1) of this section, institutions of higher education must:

(a)(i) Include the following statement in any faculty job posting:

(ii) "This institution believes that ideological diversity is of an utmost importance for the promotion of a safe and inclusive learning environment. It is our intent that our faculty reflect the political and ideological diversity of our student body. All qualified candidates, regardless of political ideology, are encouraged to apply"; and

(b) Ensure that the last round of candidates for any faculty position includes at least one conservative candidate.

(3) For the purposes of this section, "conservative" means an advocate of individual liberty, limited government, and free markets.

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