Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation that prohibits public colleges from requiring students to take “DEI-CRT” courses, while directing the Kansas Board of Regents to define the term by the end of July. The new policy is scheduled to take effect for the 2028-29 academic year. Critics argue the measure will censor classroom discussion related to race and gender and could narrow how programs address systemic racism. A key feature is that exemptions may be possible for programs whose titles clearly indicate a primarily race- or gender-focused curriculum, but colleges cannot mandate those courses elsewhere under the law. Higher education leaders will need to monitor regents rulemaking, institutional policy revisions, and how requirement changes affect compliance risk for accreditation and civil-rights obligations.