The Biden administration issued new rules on Friday cementing protections for L.G.B.T.Q. students under federal law and updating the procedure schools must follow when investigating and adjudicating cases of alleged sexual misconduct on campus.
The new rules, which take effect on Aug. 1, effectively broadened the scope of Title IX, the 1972 law prohibiting sex discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. They extend the law’s reach to prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“These regulations make it crystal clear that everyone can access schools that are safe, welcoming and that respect their rights,” Miguel A. Cardona, the education secretary, said in a call with reporters on Thursday.
Through the new regulations, the administration moved to include students in its interpretation of Bostock v. Clayton County, the landmark 2020 Supreme Court case in which the court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination. And the administration took steps to roll back some of the more rigid campus sexual assault policies issued during the Trump administration, which drew condemnation from Democrats, including Mr. Biden, for being overly deferential to students accused of sexual violence.
The rules deliver on a key campaign promise for Mr. Biden, who has faced pressure from Democrats and civil rights leaders to release them. They come as he tries to galvanize groups such as women who have lost abortion access and Black and progressive voters who have expressed disappointment with the president’s civil rights record.
While the new rules are expected to restore protections for accusers and expand the set of harassment complaints that schools are required to investigate, they are far from the sweeping rollback of Trump-era rules that was anticipated.
