Expressive activities at public institutions of higher education

Texas Senate Bill 2972, effective September 1, 2025, protects free expression at public universities by designating common outdoor campus areas as traditional public forums. This allows students and employees to engage in lawful expressive activities, such as protests, speeches, and distributing materials, without significant disruption to campus operations. Universities can impose reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions but cannot prohibit these activities outright. The law explicitly excludes commercial speech, defamation, unlawful harassment, incitement to imminent unlawful activity, obscenity, and threats to engage in unlawful activity from its protections. ([legiscan.com](https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB2972/2025?utm_source=openai))

The bill has been praised for upholding First Amendment rights on college campuses. Supporters argue that it ensures students and faculty can freely express their views without undue restrictions. The law's clear delineation of protected activities and permissible restrictions is seen as a balanced approach to maintaining campus order while safeguarding free speech.

Critics contend that the bill's vague definition of "expressive activities" could lead to unintended consequences, such as restricting late-night study groups or religious gatherings. A lawsuit filed by University of Texas at Dallas students challenges the law, arguing it infringes on First Amendment rights by banning expressive activities between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. ([axios.com](https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/09/04/ut-students-sue-university-system-protest-ban?utm_source=openai)) Faculty members have also expressed concerns that the law may suppress academic freedom and open discourse on campus. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/14da92667846c2b23a36eec64e1d8ff3?utm_source=openai))