S. 439: Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-02-10 · Education · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-02-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2015

Plain summary

Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2015 Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct made unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Authorizes the Attorney General to institute a civil action in any appropriate U.S. district court for a violation of this Act. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN] · 41 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Patty Murray (D-WA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s439.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s439 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114