The Florida Board of Education on Wednesday approved Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request to expand his Parental Rights in Education law, which currently prevents school employees or third parties from giving classroom instruction on "sexual orientation" or "gender identity" in elementary school.
The move will expand the rule, which currently only applies to kindergarten through 3rd grade, to all grades unless required by existing state standards or as part of reproductive health instruction that students can choose not to take.
The proposal will take effect for 4th through 12th grade in the state after a procedural notice period that lasts about a month, according to an education department spokesman.
DeSantis has not commented on the proposal. He previously directed questions to Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., who said it was meant to clarify confusion around the existing law and reinforce that teachers should not deviate from existing curriculums.