Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §10006 is enacted to read:

§10006.__Protection of student speech and association rights

1.__Definitions.__As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A.__"Institution" means any postsecondary institution incorporated or chartered under the laws of this State.

B.__"Official sanction" means expulsion, suspension, probation, censure, condemnation, reprimand, coercion, intimidation, harassment or any other actual or threatened adverse action or sanction taken or threatened to be taken by an institution.__It includes oral or written warnings, threats or harassment made by any official of an institution when that official is acting in an official capacity for an institution.

C.__"Protected association" means the joining, assembling or residing with others in activities that are protected or guaranteed under the United States Constitution, Amendments I and XIV and under the Constitution of Maine.

D.__"Protected speech" means speech that is protected or guaranteed under the United States Constitution, Amendments I and XIV and under the Constitution of Maine.

2.__Protection of rights.__A student attending an institution on a full-time or part-time basis may not, on the basis of participation in protected speech or protected association, be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, subjected to harassment, discrimination or intimidation in or denied any rights officially or unofficially sanctioned under any education program, activity, division or function of the institution, whether or not the education program, activity, division or function is sponsored or officially sanctioned by the institution.

3.__Construction.__Nothing in this section may be construed to:

A.__Discourage or prevent the imposition of official sanction on a student who has willfully participated in the disruption of a lecture, class, speech, presentation, performance, activity or function made or officially scheduled to be made under the auspices of an institution; or