Bipartisan legislation was introduced by New York lawmakers on Friday, aiming to address rising antisemitism on college campuses. The proposed bill, known as the College Oversight and Legal Updates Mandating Bias Investigations and Accountability (COLUMBIA) Act, would authorize the US Department of Education to appoint a third-party antisemitism monitor at institutions of higher education that receive federal funding.
The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres and Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, outlines that colleges selected for monitoring would be responsible for covering the costs of the monitorship. Failure to comply with the monitoring requirements could result in the loss of federal funds for the institution. The appointed monitor would be tasked with issuing quarterly reports on the college or university's efforts to combat antisemitism and providing recommendations for improvement.
