The first day of the next legislative session of the Missouri General Assembly starts on January 4, 2023. Bill prefiling has commenced in Jefferson City.

“…’Belief-based student association’ includes, but shall not be limited to, any political or ideological student association or any religious student association…”

Any.

A bill, prefiled:

102nd General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
HB 136 Prohibits public institutions of higher learning from discriminating against a religious student association or denying a religious student association any benefit available to any other student association
Sponsor: Hudson, Brad (138)
Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2023
LR Number: 0107H.02I
Last Action: 12/01/2022 – Prefiled (H)
Bill String: HB 136
Next House Hearing: Hearing not scheduled
Calendar: Bill currently not on a House calendar

Not exactly. The actual bill language, as introduced:

FIRST REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 136 [pdf]
102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON.
0107H.02I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 173, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to student
associations at public institutions of higher learning.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 173, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 173.1555 and 173.1556, to read as follows:

173.1555. As used in this section and section 173.1556, the following terms mean:
(1) “Adverse action”, any action or policy that denies a belief-based student association any benefit available to other student associations or organizations or that otherwise discriminates with respect to any such benefit;
(2) “Belief-based student association” includes, but shall not be limited to, any political or ideological student association or any religious student association;
(3) “Benefit”, recognition, registration, the use of facilities of a public institution of higher learning for meetings or speaking purposes, the use of channels of communication of a public institution of higher learning, or such other assistance, aid, or advantage as are made available to student associations by a public institution of higher learning;
(4) “Public institution of higher learning”, any state postsecondary educational institution governed or supervised by a board erected under chapter 172, 174, 175, or 178; a board of trustees of a community college; or any state board for any other technical school.

173.1556. 1. (1) No public institution of higher learning shall take any adverse action against a belief-based student association or an applicant to be recognized as such:
(a) Because such association is political, ideological, or religious;
(b) On the basis of such association’s viewpoint or the expression of the viewpoint by the association or the association’s members; or
(c) Based on such association’s requirement that the association’s leaders be committed to furthering the association’s mission or that the association’s leaders adhere to the association’s sincerely held beliefs, sincere practice requirements, or sincere standards of conduct.
(2) Leaders referred to in paragraph (c) of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall include, but not be limited to, any person who holds a position within the association that authorizes such person to participate in the leadership or governance of the association or in establishing criteria for the association’s leadership or governance.
(3) The mission, beliefs, practice requirements, and standards of conduct referred to in paragraph (c) of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be interpreted as defined by the association.
2. Any belief-based student association or applicant to be recognized as such that has been aggrieved as a result of a violation or threatened violation of subsection 1 of this section may assert that violation or threatened violation as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding or in an administrative proceeding involving the public institution of higher learning and obtain appropriate relief.

Think of the endless possibilities.