ATLANTA - In a hearing that essentially put political correctness on trial, students from the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech told a House committee Wednesday that a law is needed to require schools to report ways to protect academic freedom. But other students said the measure wasn't needed.

UGA senior Bradley Alexander, of Macon, told of a history professor ridiculing him about his political beliefs on the first day of class. The honors student said he complained to administrators who, only warned the professor against using profanity.

He said he's also been insulted by other professors for his writing in the conservative publication Georgia GuardDawg.

The publication's publisher, UGA senior David Kirby, told members of the House Higher Education Committee that House Bill 154 would address similar problems experienced by others.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tom Rice, R-Norcross, would require universities and colleges to publicly report their efforts to ensure "intellectual diversity" by balancing the speakers on campus events and establishing hiring policies that protect individuals with unpopular views. It would also outlaw "speech codes" that prohibit students from making disparaging remarks about certain groups or topics.

Tech aerospace Ph.D. student Bjorn Cole of Tenio, Wash., told the committee that the school already promotes intellectual diversity through professors' challenging students to defend their thought process.

"There's no room for unchallenged opinion," said Mr. Cole, a member of Young Democrats.

Representatives of the University System of Georgia promised to continue to address every student grievance. Last year, there were 38 filed out of 62 million class periods taught, what system lobbyist Jim Flowers termed a very small error rate.

Mr. Rice's bill is too late to pass this year, but the committee can tee it up for next session.