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HB 5313

AN ACT CONCERNING FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND OF THE PRESS FOR STUDENTS.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Anne Dauphinais and 2 co-sponsors

Connecticut bill protects student journalist and expression rights in schools while defining administrative authority to limit harmful or disruptive student speech.

REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Education
#freedomofspeech #freedomofthepress #students
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Bill Summary · HB 5313

Legislative bill overview

HB 5313 establishes protections for student freedom of expression and press rights in Connecticut schools. The bill aims to safeguard student journalists and student-led media from administrative censorship while clarifying the limits of student speech rights within educational settings.

Why is this important

Student press freedom directly affects how young people learn civic engagement, investigative journalism, and accountability journalism. Schools balance institutional needs with First Amendment protections, and this bill clarifies where that line falls—impacting both student journalists investigating school issues and administrators managing school communications.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition of "harmful" speech: The bill must clarify what constitutes unprotected student speech (threats, harassment, obscenity) versus protected criticism of school policies, potentially creating litigation over borderline cases
  • Prior restraint concerns: Restrictions on administrators' ability to review/censor student publications before distribution could conflict with schools' liability concerns for published content
  • Scope ambiguity: Unclear whether protections apply equally to social media, unofficial student blogs, and print publications, or only official school-sponsored media outlets

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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