Kentucky - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Research and Resources - LibGuides at Women in Engineering ProActive Network

Senate

Senate Bill 6 (the bill failed to pass by a March 28 deadline that would allow lawmakers to override the Kentucky governor's certain veto of the bill, making it dead for the year)
In January 2024, State Sen. Mike Wilson, a Republican, introduced a bill that would bar public colleges from conducting mandatory training that includes “divisive concepts." Students and employees who reject such concepts could sue the colleges if they believed they had been discriminated against for doing so. Public colleges would also be prohibited from requiring prospective students or employees to submit diversity statements or to endorse a specific ideological or political viewpoint for hiring, promotion, or admissions purposes. The bill passed the Senate and the House, which amended it on March 15, 2024, to contain stronger language from House Bill 9, including a ban on identity-based preferences and spending money on DEI training, DEI offices, or DEI officers. The Senate opted not to accept the changes, and the bill failed to pass by a March 28 deadline that would allow lawmakers to override the Kentucky governor's certain veto of the bill, making it dead for the year.

House

House Bill 9 (provisions from the bill were included in a similar bill from the Senate that failed to pass by a March 28 "veto-proof" deadline, making it dead for the yea)
In January 2024, State Rep. Jennifer Decker, a Republican, introduced a bill that would ban public colleges from granting preference in hiring and admissions based on an applicant's religion, race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, and prevent them from spending money to establish or maintain a diversity, equity, and inclusion office or hire diversity, equity, and inclusion officers. Public colleges would also be prohibited from requiring mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion training, and from making diversity statements part of the admissions or hiring process. In March, provisions from the bill were included in a similar bill from the Senate that failed to pass by a March 28 "veto-proof" deadline, making it dead for the year.

Colleges Affected by DEI Legislation

Northern Kentucky University

Details: Northern Kentucky University is closing its Office of Inclusive Excellence following the resignation of its chief diversity office

Details: The University of Kentucky is closing its Office of Institutional Diversity and will no longer require employees and applicants to write diversity statements. The university will open the Office for Community Relations in place of the Office of Institutional Diversity.

In the Media

Renewed push for DEI legislation expected next year in Kentucky, new Senate majority leader says
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lawmakers seem ready to resume work on a bill dealing with diversity, equity and inclusion practices at public universities. But the outcome could be different next year because they have had months to try to work out their differences, the state Senate’s new majority floor leader said Tuesday.
NKU to dissolve DEI office following resignation of Chief Diversity Officer
Northern Kentucky University will dissolve its Office of Inclusive Excellence following the resignation of the university’s chief diversity officer, the president announced in an email on Thursday.
Nebraska and Kentucky universities to shut down DEI offices
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Kentucky announced this week that they are closing their diversity, equity, and inclusion offices.
IN-DEPTH: UK is closing its DEI office, but it's part of a much larger national trend
LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The University of Kentucky is just one of the many universities across the country shuttering their offices dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

What it means

In January 2024, Kentucky legislators introduced two bills aimed at eliminating DEI practices in higher education. Senate Bill 6, introduced on Jan. 2 by Republican State Sen. Majority Whip Mike Wilson, would have banned the promotion of "divisive concepts" from training students and employees had it passed. These concepts include the belief that "the Commonwealth of Kentucky or the United States of America is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist," and the belief that "an individual, by virtue of the individual's race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex."

House Bill 9, introduced Jan. 19, will prohibit race-based and sex-based scholarships, DEI offices, and DEI training as a program requirement at the state's public colleges. Should the bill pass, Kentucky institutions will have until June 30 to comply.

On Friday, March 15, a heavily amended version of SB 6 passed in the House and was sent back to the Senate for approval. But on March 28, the bill died in the Senate, reportedly due to a lack of votes within the Republican caucus.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Research and Resources: Kentucky