Establishes the Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity Act; prohibits all state offices, departments, and political subdivisions, including higher education institutions and school districts, from establishing or maintaining a diversity, equity, and inclusion office or division, promoting DEI in hiring, requiring a DEI statement or giving preferential consideration, requiring DEI training; AMENDED: now requires every state agency, including institutions of higher education, school districts, charter schools, and all political subdivisions to report annually the total number and nature of complaints made under the Act; requires the report to be shared with the Legislature each year; adds a severability provision that protects the remainder of the statute if any part is held unconstitutional or invalid; FURTHER AMENDED to delete language that requires every office, division, or unit to adopt policies and procedures for appropriately disciplining, including by termination, an employee or contractor who violates the anti-DEI requirements; prohibits any spending until certification of compliance with the anti-DEI requirements to the General Assembly; requires periodic compliance audits of each department and office; requires certification by every contract awardee or grantee before receiving a grant and funding is released. FURTHER AMENDED IN HOUSE to prohibit all public entities of the state, including state agencies, cities and counties, school districts, charter schools, and public universities, from practicing DEI as defined in the bill; defines DEI as any preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, or requirements implemented by a public entity that constitutes illegal discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; prohibits public entities from allowing DEI considerations to influence employment, admissions, or preferential treatment; prohibits compulsory DEI statements and DEI training, and establishment of or support for DEI offices; requires state contractors and grantees to certify that they do not operate any DEI programs; prohibits any public funding to an organization unless it certifies that it does not operate any DEI programs; allows institutions of higher education to switch accrediting agencies if its current agency requires adherence to DEI; allows the state Inspector General to investigate alleged violations and enforce the statute; requires all public entities to report annually to the Legislature on complaints of violations; allows the state Attorney General to enforce the statute; no longer requires periodic compliance audits.
