Rawlings Seeks Universities’ Compliance with DEI Legislation

Sen. Steve Rawlings (District 11)
“I commend the Goldwater Institute for its attention to ensuring compliance by our state funded universities with House Bill 4. It is vitally important for all public institutions to adhere to state law and to ensure laws are being followed in both letter and spirit. Though the University of Kentucky’s testimony in committee was misleading, I am encouraged to see steps now being taken to comply with the law as written, and I trust our flagship institution will work in good faith to fully meet those requirements.”

BACKGROUND
The Goldwater Institute has issued a public letter demanding that the University of Kentucky (UK) comply with HB 4 by adopting a viewpoint-neutrality policy, as required no later than June 30. In the letter, the Institute points out that UK’s board of trustees failed to adopt such a policy and instead delegated the responsibility to the university president—who issued a deficient “Institutional Neutrality Statement,” lacking any reference to prohibiting viewpoint-based discrimination or promoting intellectual diversity—and is urging state enforcement of HB 4.

For reference, the University of Kentucky’s testimony on HB 4 can be viewed in the July 15, 2025, meeting of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Education, beginning at the 34:35 timestamp. 

House Bill 4, passed during the 2025 Legislative Session, prohibits Kentucky’s public universities from funding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and requires the closure of DEI offices and positions by June 30. It prevents institutions from influencing admissions, hiring, scholarships, and campus programs based on race, religion, sex, color, or national origin.

The bill also bans mandatory DEI training and prohibits universities from requiring any student to enroll in or complete an academic course of which the primary purpose is to indoctrinate participants with a discriminatory concept, as defined by the bill. Additionally, HB 4 prohibits public universities from requiring diversity statements on applications for employment, promotion, contract, contract renewal, admission, housing, financial aid, or scholarships.

The law makes clear, however, that it does not prohibit any activities, programs, or initiatives for military veterans, Pell Grant recipients, first-generation college students, nontraditional students, transfer students from KCTCS, or those with unique disabilities.