Florida bills target ‘political loyalty tests’ in college diversity efforts

Florida’s public colleges and universities would be barred from basing hiring, promotion and admissions decisions on a person’s statements and actions regarding race or political ideologies under newly filed bills in the state House and Senate.

The legislation is aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the schools, which Gov. Ron DeSantis has targeted as part of a larger package of proposed changes to Florida higher education.

Colleges and universities would be prohibited from “requiring the completion of a political loyalty test or for persons to meet certain qualifications” based on race or ethnicity, the Senate bill states. The legislation would bar the schools from asking current or would-be employees to state support for the idea that the nation’s systems and institutions “are racist, oppressive or otherwise unjust.”

Senate Bill 958 was filed Monday by Sen. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville. It’s a companion to a House bill (HB 931) filed Friday by Rep. Spencer Roach, R-North Fort Myers. Aides for both lawmakers said neither was available to elaborate on the bills.

The legislation also would require the Board of Governors to create an Office of Public Policy Events with satellite offices at each of the state’s 12 public universities.

The new entity would facilitate debates, forums and lectures representing “widely held views on opposing sides of the most widely discussed public policy issues of the day.” It also would be required to maintain a publicly accessible calendar of events and keep recordings of each one. The calendars would be reported to the governor and Legislature.

The bill spells out a “political loyalty test” to include requiring or asking for an applicant to make a statement in support of “any ideology or movement that promotes the differential treatment of a person or a group of persons” based on race.

The language is a reference to diversity statements, which are used at some Florida public universities as part of the hiring or promotion process.

In the passage describing loyalty tests, the bill states the language does not apply to oaths to the state or U.S. constitutions, which Florida law requires of all public employees, including at universities.

Times staff writer Ian Hodgson contributed to this report. Hodgson is an education data reporter and Divya Kumar covers higher education for the Tampa Bay Times, in partnership with Open Campus.