Subcommittee approves amended due-process protections for campus discipline after debate over cross-examination

The chair of the Public Higher Education Subcommittee opened debate on HB 510, an amendment package the committee unanimously had earlier approved in part, saying the draft clarifies definitions for 'public institution of higher education,' 'student' and 'student organization' and adds procedural protections for disciplinary proceedings.

Representative Popovich, the bill sponsor, said the amendment is designed to ensure accused students and faculty have recognized rights during campus disciplinary processes. "All we have are claims," Popovich said. "Somebody claims something bad happened. Somebody claims they didn't do it. The whole point of the language is to recognize that at this stage, those are accusations and defenses, and nothing has been established to the facts yet." He argued the measure either codifies rights that already exist or requires institutions to implement protections that are not consistently provided.

Opponents said the bill risks intimidating victims and duplicated existing university procedures. One member described…