Relates to the enactment of the student journalism education act
What changed between versions
The bill title and section headers were changed from 'Student Journalist Free Speech Act' and 'Student journalist free speech rights' to 'Student Journalism Education Act' and 'Student journalism education principles,' indicating a shift in legislative intent toward education rather than just free speech protection.
A new subsection was added requiring school officials to explicitly identify the specific provisions of the law under which they are limiting student expression, ensuring that any restriction is clearly justified by the statute's exemptions.
The liability section was reorganized to explicitly state that the law does not require administrators to review school media prior to publication, clarifying that pre-publication review is optional, not mandatory.
The list of unprotected expression in the exemptions section was expanded to include 'profane' speech alongside libelous, slanderous, obscene, and privacy-invasive content.