House passes higher ed bill banning political loyalty tests, requiring diverse speakers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – The Florida House approved legislation 82-34 to require state universities hold debates and lectures providing a “wide diversity of perspectives” Wednesday.

The legislation aims to modify provisions related to intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity, the use of political loyalty tests in hiring and admissions, and due process for students participating in student governments.

It requires higher education institutions create the Office of Public Policy that is responsible for hosting debates and group forums each year. No less than four events should be sponsored by the university every year.

“They’re required to have speakers that present widely held but diverse viewpoints,” Rep. Spencer Roach, R-Fort Myers, who sponsored, the legislation said.

“The bill is designed to expose students to ideas that they find offensive, distasteful, to learn how to critically think about them and argue against them,” he said.

The universities would be required to give the Board of Governors a report that details the number of debates and group forums and the calendar list of each event, as well as the number of enrolled students attending each event.

A video of the debate and forum organized by the office must be posted on the office’s website for at least five years.

The bill prohibits these institutions from requiring someone complete a political loyalty test as a condition of employment or as a condition of admission into a school.

Rep. Ashley Gantt, D-Miami, called the legislation “vague.”

“We are subjecting our students to a vague bill that does not have clear direction,” Gantt said. “They are going to have to fight and at most clean up the mess that we’re making now.”

A similar bill has already been approved in the Senate by three committees.