Civil rights: speech and assembly; student free press act for public high schools and public community colleges and universities; create. Creates new act.

HB 4849, the "Student Free Press Act," protects student journalists in Michigan public high schools and state colleges/universities by treating school-sponsored media as a public forum for expression. It prohibits schools from censoring student journalism unless a regulation is strictly necessary to serve an important government interest and doesn’t target specific viewpoints. The bill also shields schools and advisors from liability for student publications and prevents retaliation against advisors who uphold these rights. It further guarantees students’ broader free speech rights on campus, including distributing materials and organizing demonstrations, while allowing limited, content-neutral time/place/manner restrictions.