Georgia’s House of Representatives passed a hotly debated bill Tuesday aimed at stopping people from heckling college students and guest speakers.

Senate Bill 339 passed on a 110-57 vote. The bill passed along party lines in the Georgia Senate last month.

The legislation was written by Republicans who’ve been worried about speakers, particularly conservatives, who say they have been heckled or harassed when making speeches on college campuses.

The bill also requires Georgia’s public colleges and universities to create less restrictive policies for groups trying to get permits to speak or post displays at their preferred locations on campus. Two student groups have sued Kennesaw State University in recent weeks, complaining its guidelines are discriminatory.

Several college and universities presidents have testified against the bill, noting the Georgia Board of Regents updated its campus speech guidelines last year. The bill’s proponents countered that the changes didn’t go far enough.

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Children in the Head Start program play outside with lead teacher Genesis Lavanway at the Arthur M. Blank Early Learning Center. It's one of the Head Start programs in Georgia that may not receive its annual funding on Nov. 1 due to the ongoing government shutdown. A bridge loan from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta will keep the programs running for another 45 days. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

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(Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC | Source: Getty, Unsplash)

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC