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Timeline › 2025 › May

May 2025

46 entries from May 2025.

May 30

HHS directed NIAID to terminate Consortia for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development funding, ending $258M federal HIV vaccine program

On May 30, 2025, NIAID verbally notified researchers at Scripps Research and Duke University that the Trump administration was terminating the Consortia for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), a $258 million, seven-year NIH-funded program representing the largest single federal investment in HIV vaccine research. NIAID also ended funding for three monkey-model vaccine research groups. The termination came as CHAVD researchers were preparing to begin clinical trials on a broadly neutralizing antibody approach that scientists described as the most promising HIV vaccine lead in decades. An HHS spokesperson cited "complex and duplicative health programs" as justification.

Supreme Court 7-2 stayed injunction blocking CHNV parole termination, enabling DHS to revoke status for 532,000 noncitizens

On May 30, 2025, the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration's emergency application to stay a federal injunction, allowing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to proceed with terminating humanitarian parole for more than 532,000 noncitizens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela admitted under the Biden-era CHNV programs. The unsigned 7-2 order — with Justices Jackson and Sotomayor dissenting — cleared the way to revoke parole status without the individualized case-by-case review that the district court's injunction had required. Justice Jackson wrote that the majority had "plainly botched" the ruling and decried the "devastating consequences" of upending the lives of nearly half a million people while their legal claims remained pending.

May 28

Secretary Rubio announced U.S. would aggressively revoke visas of Chinese students with CCP ties or in critical fields

On May 28, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the State Department, working with DHS, would "aggressively revoke" visas for Chinese students with "connections to the Chinese Communist Party" or studying in "critical fields," with neither term defined. A senior administration official confirmed to Axios that the directive applied to all students from China, potentially affecting approximately 280,000 Chinese nationals then lawfully enrolled in U.S. high schools, universities, and graduate programs. Trump announced on June 11 that Chinese students would continue to be welcome and that their visas would not be revoked, but the original announcement had already disrupted fall enrollment planning at hundreds of U.S. universities.

President Trump commuted donor Imaad Zuberi's sentence, voiding his prison term and about $16 million in restitution

On May 28, 2025, President Trump commuted the 12-year federal sentence of political donor Imaad Zuberi, who had pleaded guilty to illegal campaign contributions, acting as an undisclosed foreign agent, tax evasion, and obstructing the probe of Trump's 2017 inaugural committee. The commutation freed Zuberi years into his term and, by its terms, voided a nearly $2 million fine and roughly $16 million in restitution owed to victims.

DHS falsely accused Milwaukee immigrant of threatening to assassinate Trump, then pursued his deportation without retracting the claim

On May 28, 2025, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly accused Milwaukee immigrant Ramón Morales Reyes of sending a letter threatening to assassinate President Trump, days after Milwaukee police and the U.S. Secret Service had reason to doubt he wrote it. DHS pursued his detention and deportation on that basis, and the agency's original accusation remains online without retraction even after Wisconsin authorities convicted and sentenced the actual author, Demetric Scott, to more than 16 years in prison for forging the letter to prevent Morales Reyes from testifying against him.

May 27

State Department cable halted new student and exchange visitor visa interviews pending expanded social media and political-views screening

On May 27, 2025, the State Department issued a cable ordering U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide to immediately stop scheduling new visa interview appointments for all foreign nationals applying for F-1 academic student, J-1 exchange visitor, and M-1 vocational student visas, pending expanded social media vetting guidance. A follow-on cable on May 30 directed consular officers to apply "extra vigilance" in screening applicants for hostility toward the U.S. government and values — including ties to political activism and associations with disfavored groups — making political views an operative criterion for visa denial. The pause affected new interview scheduling for more than 1.5 million F/M visa holders and nearly 300,000 J-1 exchange visitors, a category that includes Fulbright scholars, professors, au pairs, and Summer Work Travel workers.

GSA directed all federal agencies to cancel ~$100M in Harvard operating contracts, escalating political retaliation campaign

On May 27, 2025, the General Services Administration sent a letter to all federal agencies directing them to identify and cancel remaining contracts with Harvard University — approximately 30 contracts worth an estimated $100 million — and to seek alternative vendors for future services. The directive escalated the administration's retaliatory campaign against Harvard, which had publicly refused White House demands to alter its hiring, admissions, and governance practices. The contract-cancellation mechanism targeted operating agreements distinct from the $2.6 billion in research grants already frozen or cancelled since April 2025.

Iowa Gov. Reynolds signed HF856 banning DEI offices across state and local government

On May 27, 2025, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed House File 856 into law, barring state agencies, cities, counties, and other governmental entities from spending public money to establish or maintain diversity, equity, and inclusion offices or to employ DEI officers. The law also prohibits those entities from promoting an enumerated list of concepts — including "transgender ideology," "systemic oppression," "intersectionality," and "implicit bias" — and creates a private cause of action allowing students, alumni, and public employees to sue to stop violations. Its core prohibitions took effect upon enactment.

May 26

Milwaukee police officer misused Flock license-plate database to track ex-partner and new partner about 179 times

Milwaukee Police Officer Josue Ayala used the department's Flock automated license-plate-reader system to track the locations of an ex-partner and that ex-partner's new partner roughly 179 times between March 26 and May 26, 2025, logging each search under a false "investigation" justification. The misuse surfaced after one victim searched her own plate on haveibeenflocked.com; a department audit and a criminal complaint filed February 24, 2026 confirmed the unauthorized searches and Ayala was charged with misdemeanor attempted misconduct in public office. Ayala resigned from MPD in March 2026 and pleaded guilty in June 2026.

May 24

Texas enacted SB 1257 requiring plans that cover gender-transition care to also cover detransition and lifelong monitoring

On May 24, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1257, which requires any health benefit plan covering gender-transition procedures or treatments to also cover all adverse effects of that care, "detransition" and reversal procedures, and testing and annual health screenings for the life of anyone who received transition-related treatment. Authored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes and sponsored in the House by Rep. Jeff Leach, the law took effect September 1, 2025 and applies to plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. LGBTQ+ advocates warned the added mandates are designed to make such coverage prohibitively expensive and push insurers to drop gender-affirming care entirely.

May 22

DHS Secretary Noem revoked Harvard's SEVP certification, threatening enrollment of ~6,000 international students

On May 22, 2025, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem summarily revoked Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, the administrative authorization that allows universities to enroll international students on F-1, J-1, and M-1 visas. Citing alleged 'pro-terrorist conduct' and cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party — with no independent factual finding or adjudicatory process — the action threatened immediate displacement of more than 6,000 international students and scholars. Harvard filed for a Temporary Restraining Order the following day; District Judge Allison Burroughs granted the TRO, and a preliminary injunction issued June 20 extended the block pending full litigation.

DOJ filed motion to terminate Flores Settlement Agreement, eliminating court-ordered protections for immigrant children in custody

On May 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion in federal court to terminate the Flores Settlement Agreement, a 1997 court settlement that has set minimum care standards and a 20-day detention cap for immigrant children in federal custody for nearly three decades. Attorney General Pam Bondi's DOJ argued termination was warranted by post-settlement regulations and a 2022 Supreme Court ruling. Judge Dolly Gee denied the motion in August 2025, finding the government remained in substantial noncompliance with the settlement's terms.

May 21

Alabama Gov. Ivey signed SB101, raising minors' medical consent age to 16 and requiring parental access to health records

On May 21, 2025, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 101 (Act 2025-455), raising the age at which minors can independently consent to medical, dental, and mental-health treatment from 14 to 16, effective October 1, 2025. The law requires health care providers to grant parents access to a minor's medical records except by court order or when a parent is under criminal investigation involving the child, and requires written parental permission for minors under 16 to participate in school counseling. Adolescent-health advocates warned the change strips confidentiality that had let vulnerable minors, including LGBTQ+ youth, seek sensitive care without risking involuntary disclosure to parents.

ICE arrested Bronx high school student Dylan Lopez Contreras in Manhattan courthouse lobby after his scheduled immigration hearing

On May 21, 2025, ICE agents arrested 20-year-old Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras, a Venezuelan Bronx high school student, in the lobby of 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan after he appeared for a scheduled immigration hearing. During the hearing, government lawyers asked the judge to dismiss Dylan's case and immediately reopen it as an expedited removal — leaving him without legal protection and enabling the on-site arrest. Dylan, who had entered the country lawfully under a Biden-era humanitarian program and held a work permit, had no criminal record. He was subsequently detained at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania for nearly ten months before being released on March 18, 2026.

May 20

Interior Secretary Burgum ordered National Park Service to review and remove public content deemed to disparage Americans

On May 20, 2025, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued Secretary's Order 3431, implementing President Trump's Executive Order 14253 and directing the National Park Service and other Interior land-management bureaus to review all public-facing interpretive content and remove anything that "inappropriately disparages Americans" or, for natural features, emphasizes matters unrelated to their beauty and grandeur. Under the order, the Park Service removed or flagged signs, exhibits, and materials on slavery, immigration, and climate change at sites nationwide, with an initial content-removal deadline of September 17, 2025. Interior also posted signage inviting visitors to report content they viewed as negative about past or living Americans.

FTC issued sweeping records demand to media-rating firm NewsGuard following chairman's public criticism

The Federal Trade Commission under Chairman Andrew Ferguson issued a 21-page, 31-item Civil Investigative Demand to NewsGuard, which publishes journalist-produced credibility ratings for news outlets, on May 20, 2025, seeking internal memos, methodology documents, subscriber lists, and communications dating back to the company's 2018 founding. The demand followed months of public criticism from Ferguson, who as an FTC commissioner in November 2024 accused NewsGuard of running "collusive ad boycotts" against conservative and independent media.

Laramie County Sheriff Kozak signed ICE 287(g) agreements without county commission approval or public notice

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak signed three Section 287(g) agreements deputizing his office for federal immigration enforcement -- the first taking effect May 20, 2025, the other two about a month later -- without submitting the decision to the Laramie County Board of County Commissioners or following Wyoming's public rulemaking process. The sheriff's office went on to spend an estimated $75,000 on the resulting program between September 2025 and January 2026 without written commission authorization, and 287(g)-certified deputies later joined ICE and the Wyoming Highway Patrol in operations such as a December 22, 2025 stop-and-check campaign on Wyoming Highway 214. The ACLU of Wyoming and three local plaintiffs sued Kozak in May 2026, arguing he lacked authority to bind the county without the commissioners' approval.

May 19

Deputy AG Blanche directed DOJ to weaponize False Claims Act against federal grantees maintaining DEI and trans-inclusive policies

On May 19, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum establishing the DOJ Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, directing attorneys across the Civil Division's Fraud Section and the Civil Rights Division to pursue False Claims Act cases against any federal grantee — including universities, hospitals, and state governments — that maintains DEI programs or transgender-inclusive policies while certifying compliance with federal civil rights laws. The initiative identifies diversity programs, single-sex bathroom policies, and women's sports participation standards as triggering FCA liability, and invites private whistleblower lawsuits seeking treble damages. It converts a procurement-fraud statute into an ideological enforcement mechanism against institutions dependent on federal funding.

Texas enacted SB 412, exposing teachers and librarians to prosecution by removing 'harmful material' defenses

On May 19, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 412, which stripped the affirmative-defense protections in the state Penal Code that had shielded public schools, libraries, and museums from prosecution for distributing material "harmful to minors" when that material carried educational, medical, scientific, or artistic value. By removing those defenses, the law exposes teachers, librarians, and parents to criminal charges over books available in public institutions. The measure took effect September 1, 2025, and civil-liberties and library groups warned it would drive broad removals of books, disproportionately affecting LGBTQ+ titles.

May 15

Trump administration pressured Secret Service to warrantlessly surveil Comey after 'seashells' post

On the night of May 15, 2025, President Trump and administration officials pressured U.S. Secret Service agents to warrantlessly access former FBI Director James Comey's phone location data after Comey posted an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to spell "86 47." Secret Service personnel warned internally that they lacked a warrant or a reasonable basis to believe Comey posed an imminent threat, but the agency issued an emergency request to Verizon and tracked Comey's phone as he drove from North Carolina toward Virginia. The pressure and warrantless tracking were disclosed in July 2026 through internal Secret Service records filed in Comey's separate federal criminal case.

May 14

United States and Eswatini signed MOU for third-country deportations

The United States and Eswatini signed a Memorandum of Understanding dated May 14, 2025, made available on the State Department website that June. Under it, at least 30 people have been forcibly sent to Eswatini across four flights between July 2025 and July 2026; a DHS spokesperson described the initial group as "depraved monsters" despite several having U.S.-granted humanitarian protections.

FBI Director Patel ordered 2,000 agents permanently shifted to immigration enforcement, gutting counterterrorism capacity

FBI Director Kash Patel directed field offices nationwide to permanently shift approximately 2,000 special agents — roughly 45% of agents in the 25 largest field offices — to full-time immigration enforcement operations during the week of May 12–14, 2025. The directive siphoned resources from counterterrorism, counterintelligence, organized crime, and fraud investigations; individual field offices lost half or more of their agents to immigration work, and the Justice Department simultaneously deprioritized white-collar and corporate crime investigation.

El Monte, California City Manager Alma Martinez arranged a $150,000 compensation raise for herself in a closed-door 2025 vote

El Monte, California City Manager Alma Martinez arranged a closed-door City Council vote on May 14, 2025 that raised her total compensation from about $280,000 to nearly $430,000, including a 25% base-salary increase, car and education allowances, lifetime medical benefits, back pay, and 18 months' severance. The raise came as the city faced a roughly $5 million budget deficit and most other employees received only 5% raises; Mayor Jessica Ancona publicly called the deal a "blank check." Whistleblower Ed Rardin, a city code enforcement officer, filed complaints with the Los Angeles County District Attorney, the FBI, and the state Fair Political Practices Commission alleging Martinez engineered the raise after rejecting an independent compensation study's findings.

Oklahoma Gov. Stitt signed SB796 banning state funds for DEI programs at public universities

On May 14, 2025, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 796, barring the use of state funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion positions, offices, and programs at the state's public colleges and universities. The law also prohibits institutions from requiring diversity statements in admissions or hiring, from mandating the disclosure of a person's pronouns, and from requiring DEI-related training. It took effect July 1, 2025, with a compliance deadline of July 1, 2026.

May 13

ICE and GEO Group denied diabetic detainee Elton Purvis insulin and care, causing repeated hospitalizations at Pearsall facility

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and GEO Group, which operates the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, Texas, confiscated detainee Elton Purvis's insulin and malaria medication and denied him food meeting his diabetic and religious dietary needs during his May-to-December 2025 detention. Purvis, a 55-year-old legal permanent resident and Type 1 diabetic, was found unresponsive and hospitalized for dangerously abnormal blood sugar at least three times — the first on June 2, 2025 — after guards repeatedly ignored his pleas for help and his more than 100 grievances to ICE went unanswered.

Interagency task force terminated additional ~$450M in Harvard research grants after president publicly defied administration demands

On May 13, 2025, the interagency Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced the termination of approximately $450 million in additional federal research grants to Harvard University — on top of the $2.2 billion already frozen since April 14, 2025. The escalation came one week after Harvard President Alan Garber publicly stated the university would not comply with the administration's demands to alter governance, admissions, hiring, and student conduct policies. The task force declared Harvard had "forfeited the school's claim to taxpayer support." A federal court later ruled the entire Harvard funding campaign constituted unlawful retaliation for First Amendment-protected speech.

Montana Gov. Gianforte signed HB819, banning Pride flags from schools and government buildings

On May 13, 2025, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 819, restricting the flags that may be displayed in K-12 schools and on state and local government buildings to the U.S. flag, Montana's state flag, other official government flags, and school mascot flags — explicitly excluding Pride flags and other nongovernmental banners. Sponsored by Rep. Braxton Mitchell, the bill passed the Montana House 57-42 and the Senate 32-18.

Montana Gov. Gianforte signed HB682 imposing liability on gender-affirming care providers and framing the care as fraudulent

On May 13, 2025, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 682, sponsored by Rep. Greg Kmetz, which imposes heightened civil liability on medical providers who deliver gender-affirming care and characterizes that care as harmful and fraudulent. The law revises Montana statute governing gender transition treatment and follows the state's 2023 ban on such care for minors (SB99) and a related 2025 liability measure, Senate Bill 218.

Montana Gov. Gianforte signed HB690 excluding non-affirmation of a child's gender identity from child abuse and neglect definitions

On May 13, 2025, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 690, sponsored by Rep. Bill Mercer, which revises the state's child abuse and neglect statutes to exclude "referring to or raising a child in a manner consistent with the child's biological sex, including in the making of related mental health or medical decisions" from the legal definitions of abuse, neglect, and physical or psychological harm. The law passed the Montana House 57-42 and the Senate 34-16 before reaching the governor's desk.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed SB418 mandating birth-sex segregation of prison facilities and barring transgender inmates from opposite-sex housing

On May 13, 2025, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 418, requiring the Department of Corrections and its contracted facilities to designate every multi-occupancy restroom, changing room, and sleeping quarter for the exclusive use of either males or females and barring incarcerated people from facilities designated for the opposite sex, with narrow exceptions for staff, medical, law-enforcement, and emergency access. The law creates a private cause of action, with attorney fees, for individuals who encounter an opposite-sex person in a designated facility. It took effect November 1, 2025.

Oklahoma Gov. Stitt signed SB658 barring denial of foster or adoptive applicants over beliefs about sexual orientation and gender identity

On May 13, 2025, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 658, which bars the Oklahoma Department of Human Services from denying a prospective foster or adoptive parent on the basis of the applicant's religious or moral beliefs about sexual orientation and gender identity, and prohibits DHS from requiring applicants to affirm state positions on those subjects as a condition of approval. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Julie Daniels, took effect November 1, 2025. Advocates for LGBTQ youth warned that it legitimizes belief-based refusal to support affirming placements within the state child-welfare system.

May 12

ICE Acting Director Lyons issued classified memo authorizing warrantless home entry for immigration arrests

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons issued an internal memo on May 12, 2025, directing agents to forcibly enter private homes using administrative warrants signed by ICE supervisors rather than judges, departing from longstanding Fourth Amendment practice and prior DHS policy requiring judicial warrants for home entry. The memo was classified for restricted internal distribution—agents were required to return it and take no notes—and was reportedly used to train new ICE agents. Whistleblowers disclosed the memo to Senator Blumenthal in January 2026; NBC News published the full account.

May 10

United States and South Sudan agreed to single deportation flight via diplomatic notes

The United States and South Sudan reached the only written agreement made public to date via an exchange of diplomatic notes from early May 2025, covering a single flight of third-country nationals. Eight men were deported under it in July 2025 in violation of a standing federal court injunction requiring meaningful notice and a chance to raise fear-based claims; the agreement was not disclosed until January 2026, and the men were held in a guarded compound lacking reliable electricity.

May 9

NSF eliminated Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM, fired all 65 staff in reduction-in-force

On May 9, 2025, NSF Chief Management Officer Micah Cheatham circulated an internal memo announcing the full elimination of NSF's Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM by July 12 via a reduction-in-force, firing all 65 permanent EES staff. Simultaneously, 84 of NSF's 143 Senior Executive Service positions were eliminated and the temporary workforce was cut from 368 to 70, reducing NSF's workforce by roughly 37 percent. The division housed congressionally mandated programs serving underrepresented minorities and disabled students in STEM.

Tennessee Gov. Lee signed SB0937, barring public schools from requiring anyone to provide their preferred pronouns

On May 9, 2025, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed SB0937 into law as Public Chapter 453 of the 114th General Assembly. The act prohibits any public school, local education agency, teacher, employee, or contractor from requiring a student, teacher, employee, or contractor to provide the individual's preferred pronouns. Framed as a freedom-of-speech measure, it removes any school mandate around the use or disclosure of preferred pronouns and is the originating statute in Tennessee's series of pronoun-refusal laws.

May 8

Georgia Gov. Kemp signed SB185, barring state-funded gender dysphoria treatment for transgender people in state prisons

On May 8, 2025, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 185 into law, barring the use of state funds or resources to provide gender dysphoria treatment - including hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery - to people in Georgia state custody. The law singled out incarcerated transgender people for the denial of medically recognized care that many had already been receiving.

May 7

State Department pressed tariff-threatened nations to approve Musk's Starlink, cables showed

Internal U.S. embassy and State Department cables obtained by The Washington Post and reported on May 7, 2025, showed officials repeatedly pressing foreign governments facing Trump administration tariff threats to approve regulatory access for Starlink, the satellite company owned by White House adviser Elon Musk. Lesotho received a 10-year Starlink license two weeks after Trump announced 50% tariffs, and India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo saw similar fast-tracked approvals. Eleven U.S. senators subsequently requested a federal ethics investigation into the arrangement.

May 5

White House used unvetted TeleMessage Signal clone for records after Signalgate; May 2025 hack exposed CBP staff data

After the original Signalgate incident exposed deleted official Signal messages in violation of federal records law, senior officials including then-National Security Advisor Mike Waltz adopted TM SGNL, a modified Signal clone from Israeli company TeleMessage, without National Archives review. On May 4-5, 2025, hackers exploited a flaw that routed messages to the vendor's server as plain text, exposing U.S. Customs and Border Protection staff communications and stealing a large cache of files, prompting TeleMessage to suspend service.

Education Secretary McMahon barred Harvard from new federal grants, demanding governance overhaul and DEI compliance

On May 5, 2025, Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent Harvard President Alan Garber a letter formally announcing that the university would receive no new federal grants until it demonstrated "responsible management" and met the Trump administration's demands for governance restructuring, admissions changes, and anti-DEI compliance. The action was a prospective escalation beyond the earlier April 14 freeze of existing Harvard grants, imposing a forward-looking embargo on all new grant funding. Harvard characterized the move as retaliation for its lawsuit challenging the April freeze and called the demands an attempt to impose "unprecedented and improper control."

May 1

Trump signed EO 14290 directing CPB to cease all federal funding to NPR and PBS

President Trump signed Executive Order 14290 on May 1, 2025, directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop all direct and indirect federal funding to National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, citing what the order called their "biased and partisan news coverage." The order also required every federal agency to terminate existing contracts and grants with NPR and PBS, and ordered CPB to revise its 2025 grant criteria by June 30, 2025 to bar grantees from channeling funds to either organization. CPB, NPR, and PBS each stated the order was unlawful; CPB's board declined to comply.

Indiana Gov. Braun signed HB1412, shielding parents' non-affirmation of transgender children from child-neglect review

On May 1, 2025, Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed House Bill 1412 into law as Public Law 168, revising the state's child-abuse-and-neglect reporting statutes. The law specifies that a child is not a "child in need of services" solely because a parent, guardian, or custodian refers to and raises the child consistent with the child's biological sex. The provision shields a parent's non-affirmation of a transgender child's gender identity from being treated as neglect by the Indiana Department of Child Services.

Montana Gov. Gianforte signed HB471, requiring parental opt-in before LGBTQ-related school instruction

On May 1, 2025, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed HB471, which creates an "identity instruction" category covering lessons on gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation and bars students from participating without prior written parental consent, revocable at any time. The law requires schools to give 5-14 school days' advance notice before such instruction, publish annual notice of covered courses, and make curriculum materials available for public inspection, while barring use of instructional materials from abortion service providers. It took effect July 1, 2025 and is being challenged in state court by the Montana School Counselors Association and the ACLU of Montana.

Montana Gov. Gianforte signed HB400 'Free to Speak Act' shielding refusal to use transgender students' pronouns from discipline

On May 1, 2025, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 400, the "Free to Speak Act," which bars public schools and state agencies from disciplining students, teachers, or state employees who refuse to use a person's preferred name, pronouns, or gender identity that does not match their sex assigned at birth. Sponsored by Rep. Braxton Mitchell, the law passed the Senate 28-20, with three Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition, and creates a private right of action for people punished for refusing to use another person's preferred name or pronouns. Opponents, including tribal representatives, school administrators, and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, said the measure legitimizes harassment of transgender students.

Montana Gov. Gianforte signed HB655, letting foster and adoption agencies opt out of LGBTQ+-inclusive training on religious grounds

On May 1, 2025, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed HB655 into law, prohibiting state agencies and foster or adoptive-placement entities from taking discriminatory action against foster and adoptive parents who decline, on religious grounds, to affirm LGBTQ+-inclusive training, policies, or a child's gender identity or sexual orientation. The bill passed the Montana House 59-40 and Senate 29-19 before Gianforte signed it into law.

Montana Gov. Gianforte signed HB638, banning diversity statements referencing sexual orientation and gender identity in state hiring

On May 1, 2025, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed HB638, "Revise human rights laws," which bars state and local government agencies from requiring, requesting, or soliciting a "diversity statement" from job applicants or employees and prohibits granting preferential consideration based on one. The law defines a diversity statement as any submission promoting differential treatment based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or gender identity, and permits agencies to accept such statements only to the minimum extent federal law requires. Sponsored by Rep. Randyn Gregg, the bill leaves existing anti-discrimination and anti-harassment compliance policies in place.

North Dakota Gov. Armstrong signed HB1144 restricting transgender students' bathroom access and requiring schools to out them to parents

On May 1, 2025, North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong signed House Bill 1144, barring K-12 public schools from maintaining all-gender multi-stall restrooms or shower rooms and requiring such facilities be designated for one sex only. The law also requires school staff to notify a student's parents if they learn the student is transgender, with violations enforceable by the state Attorney General through fines up to $2,500.