Senate Passes College Anti-Semitism Bill

The proposal, known as the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, passed the upper chamber by unanimous consent two days after it was introduced. It codifies what qualifies as anti-Semitism, using a definition adopted by the State Department.

“This legislation will help the Department of Education investigate incidents of discrimination motivated by anti-Semitism in our schools,” Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) said in a statement.

The legislation is backed by Casey, as well as Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). It still needs to be passed by the House before it can be sent to President Obama’s desk.

According to the legislation, when the Department of Education is trying to determine if a crime violates the Civil Rights Act it should “take into consideration the definition of anti-Semitism as part of the Department’s assessment.” […]