Senate Bill 160 ensures that colleges and universities can no longer force Christian student groups to accept members or leaders who don’t share their core beliefs or who reject biblical truth.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, R, has signed Senate Bill 160, which, among other things, protects the rights of student organizations at public colleges and universities by reinforcing the ability of student groups to set membership and leadership standards based on their religious, ideological, or political beliefs — without fear of losing campus recognition.
Though SB 160 was amended to include additional provisions unrelated to student associations, advocates say the heart of the legislation remains a critical win for student rights and religious liberty.
Under the new law, public colleges and universities in Missouri are prohibited from taking adverse action against a student association or prospective association for any of the following reasons:
- The association is political, ideological, or religious;
- The association expresses a viewpoint, or its members do; or
- The group requires its leaders to support its mission or abide by its sincerely held beliefs, practices, or conduct standards.
Supporters say the measure addresses longstanding concerns about inconsistent or discriminatory enforcement of university policies.
“Universities should encourage freedom of speech and religion, not shut it down. That includes safeguarding the ability of belief-based student organizations to associate with those who align with the organization’s mission and purpose. We wouldn’t require a Democrat club to select a registered Republican as its president or an environmental club to be led by someone who supports drilling in the Arctic,” said Matt Sharp, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF).
“In the same way, religious clubs must remain free to require their leaders to adhere to their religious beliefs and values. This critical legislation ensures that student groups at public universities can freely choose leaders who further their mission without fear of discrimination.”
Civil liberties advocates point to instances where faith-based student groups have been penalized for requiring members or leaders to share their beliefs. In contrast, secular groups have not faced the same scrutiny when setting their criteria.
“Freedom of association is a core component of the First Amendment,” the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a national organization that has pushed for similar protections in other states, said in a statement. “It makes no sense to force a Muslim student group to allow atheists as voting members or require an environmental club to let climate change skeptics lead awareness efforts.”
FIRE and other free speech advocates cite several U.S. Supreme Court decisions that uphold student association rights at public colleges. In Healy v. James, the Court ruled that public colleges cannot deny recognition to student groups based on their views or affiliations. In Widmar v. Vincent, the Court held that a religious student organization has the right to access campus facilities despite its religious nature.
However, the 2010 decision in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez allowed public colleges to adopt “all-comers” policies, which require student organizations to accept all students as members or leaders regardless of their belief, so long as the policy is applied uniformly. Critics argue that in practice, schools often enforce such policies selectively, allowing some groups to maintain belief-based standards while denying that same freedom to others.
The legislation aligns Missouri with 19 other states that have enacted similar protections. In March, Utah adopted comparable legislation affirming student organizations’ rights to establish leadership standards rooted in their mission and beliefs.
Opponents, including some civil rights groups, argue that such laws could be misused to justify discriminatory practices. But proponents counter that the law doesn’t allow illegal discrimination but simply protects student organizations from being forced to admit leaders who don’t share the group’s beliefs, which, they say, undermines the group’s ability to function.
With SB 160 now law, public institutions across Missouri must revise policies to comply with the new protections. Student groups that previously risked losing recognition or funding due to belief-based membership rules may now operate without those threats.
For Christian students and campus ministries, Missouri’s new law serves not just as a legal win but as a spiritual reminder of the importance of standing firm in truth. The ability to gather, speak, and organize around biblical convictions is essential for living out the Great Commission and being salt and light in the academic world.
Scripture reminds us in 2 Timothy 3:12 that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
This doesn’t always come in the form of physical danger; sometimes, it shows up as institutional pressure to dilute or hide one’s faith. When Christian organizations are forced to accept leadership from those who reject biblical truth, their mission is undermined and weakened. This law helps guard against that.
SB 160 protects the right of Christian students to form communities rooted in Scripture and led by those who affirm the Gospel. It creates space for discipleship, outreach, and bold witness without fear of being silenced or punished for holding to unpopular truths. More than a political issue, this is a matter of religious liberty that allows students to fully follow Christ in one of the most spiritually contested arenas of our day.
Christian students in Missouri are now freer to share the hope of Christ without compromising the message. The challenge is to walk in truth and love, speaking boldly yet graciously, and showing the campus and culture that conviction does not equal hate and that faithfulness to Christ is never something to be ashamed of.
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