HR 5505: Equal Campus Access Act of 2026

HR 5505 in plain English: This bill would bar public colleges and universities from receiving federal funding under the Higher Education Act of 1965 if they deny religious student organizations the same rights, benefits, or privileges given to other student groups. The restriction applies when a school treats a religious organization differently because of its beliefs, practices, speech, leadership standards, or conduct standards.

Stated purpose

To ensure that religious student organizations at public colleges and universities have the same access, benefits, and recognition as other student groups, by tying Higher Education Act funding to compliance with this requirement.

Key points

• Ties eligibility for Higher Education Act funds to equal treatment of religious student groups on campus
• Prohibits public colleges from denying religious organizations rights available to other student groups
• Covers differences based on a religious group's beliefs, practices, speech, or leadership and conduct standards

Arguments supporters make

• Religious student groups deserve the same access to campus resources and recognition as any other student organization — denying them equal treatment is discrimination based on belief.
• Public universities that receive federal funding should not be allowed to single out religious groups for unequal treatment, and tying funding to compliance gives the rule real force.
• This protects students' First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion and free association on public campuses, which the government is already obligated to uphold.

Arguments opponents make

• If religious groups are allowed to set their own leadership or membership standards — for example, excluding members based on sexual orientation or gender — then equal-access protections could conflict with campus nondiscrimination policies meant to protect other students.
• Using the threat of losing federal funding as leverage pressures universities to comply, which critics may see as federal overreach into how public institutions manage their own student organization policies.
• Existing law and court decisions already address religious groups' rights on public campuses, raising questions about whether this bill solves a real widespread problem or is largely duplicative.

Tradeoffs

Protecting religious student organizations from unequal treatment may conflict with universities' efforts to enforce nondiscrimination rules for all students; the bill prioritizes equal access for religious groups, which may limit how schools balance competing campus policies.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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