Chris O'Meara/AP
- Florida's new bill would force state colleges to shut down diversity programs and some majors.
- American history courses would be standardized to remove what the bill called "identity politics."
- The bill is the latest effort from Florida GOP to restrict statewide education.
A new Florida GOP-sponsored education bill would force state colleges and universities to shut down any diversity, inclusion, and equity programs, as well as gut a variety of gender studies and race majors.
The bill, HB 999, was filed by Representative Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, on Tuesday.
If passed, the bill would force state colleges to remove "from its programs any major or minor in Critical Race Theory, Gender Studies, or Intersectionality, or any derivative major or minor of these belief systems."
Universities would also be prohibited from funding or supporting any "programs or campus activities" that "espouse diversity, equity, and inclusion or Critical Race Theory," the bill says.
And core classes will be prohibited from presenting American history "contrary to the creation of a new nation based on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence," the bill says, adding that course cannot feature "identity politics, such as Critical Race Theory."
The bill features "Breathtaking control of viewpoint and content throughout all academic activity in the entire Florida system," according to a tweet from University of Michigan Professor of Law Julian Davis Mortenson, who specializes in constitutional and international law.
Mortenson broke down the bill in a Twitter thread, saying that it bans colleges from spending "any money to fund pedagogy, programming, or activities" related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and changes who is allowed to hire university faculty and complete post-tenure reviews.
The bill is the latest effort from Florida Republicans to restrict what's taught in higher education. Insider previously reported that Gov. Ron DeSantis' recent budget, which he calls the 'Framework for Freedom," would block state universities from using funding to support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
In late January, the governor announced legislative plans to "ensure Florida's public universities and colleges are grounded in the history and philosophy of Western Civilization," which included prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as so-called "Critical Race Theory."
DeSantis then tweeted the details of these plans for "higher education reform." Much of DeSantis' outline, such as points forbidding colleges from supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion activities and programs, are reflected in HB 999.
The bill comes after a battle between DeSantis and the College Board, which offers AP college-level courses to high school students across the country, over an AP African American Studies course. DeSantis rejected the course in January, saying it imposed "a political agenda."
DeSantis' office told Insider the governor would "decide on the merits of the bill in final form if and when it passes."