Nick DiCeglie’s bill to strip DEI from state agencies moves forward

Despite loud opposition from Democrats and activists, a Senate panel passed Sen. Nick DiCeglie’s bill Tuesday. It’s the latest attempt to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in state agencies. The bill could affect admission processes at Florida’s universities, although the senator said he expects to amend it as it moves through the committee process.

“This bill clearly lays out that a state agency — we just do not want them to utilize DEI,” the Indian Rocks Beach Republican said before the Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee voted 6-2 to advance SB 1710. “In practice, DEI often leads to discrimination, favoring some groups over others under the guise of equity. This isn’t fairness. It’s favoritism dressed up as progress.”

Currently, SB 1710 includes several provisions, including requiring state contractors or grantees to certify to the Chief Financial Officer that they are not using state funds on DEI initiatives. The bill would also ban state agencies from spending money on a DEI office or DEI chief, although a staff analysis said it’s unclear how many state employees work in DEI at Florida’s public agencies.

Other proposed changes include adding new requirements for state agencies applying for federal health care grants regarding DEI. The state agencies would be required to post the grant information online and give the Senate Health Policy Committee and House Human Services Committee copies of the grant proposals.

“It’s in the interest of the state to have that transparency when it comes to the state agencies. We want to hold them accountable,” DiCeglie said.

DiCeglie’s bill, as written now, also targets higher education.

Any “medical institution of higher education” would be required to use a “standardized admissions test focused on knowledge of and critical thinking skills for science and medical training.” It doesn’t say which tests would be required.

It was the bill’s first Committee stop. DiCeglie warned that his bill would likely change significantly, and he is considering amending the higher education section to remove it from his bill.

“We have two different subjects in this bill, and I’m going to have to make a decision after this Committee stop which subject I’m going to want to focus on here because it can’t be both,” he said.

Throughout the nearly two-hour debate Tuesday afternoon, Sen. Tina Polsky pushed back and raised concerns about what DiCeglie’s bill could impact.

Would health agencies still be able to work on issues affecting specific groups of people — like for research on sickle cell disease, maternal health or AIDS?

“Some groups are marginalized in health care,” the Democrat said. “Is that allowed under the bill? Because it sounds like it would not be recognized.”

DiCeglie answered, “’ I’m going to simply read the bill, because it’s very clear in what it says. It says: ‘Any effort to promote as the official position of a state agency a particular opinion referencing unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation … anti-racism, systemic oppression, social justice … You talk about sickle cell, I’m not sure that falls into any of these categories.”

She asked if the Attorney General’s Office could recruit from FAMU’s law school since it was a historically Black university.

“I don’t see why they wouldn’t be able to do that,” DiCeglie said.

Polsky questioned how state agencies are using DEI, which concerns DiCeglie.

“I don’t have a specific example. I don’t need a specific example,” DiCeglie said. “What I do know is … these DEI programs, over time, have just been proven to be ineffective.”

The outnumbered Democrats also voiced frustrations the bill would also allow the state to have a say in private companies’ DEI policies and training if they want to do business with the state.

“This is an extreme overreach into private business,” said Sen. Kristen Arrington. “Businesses, including nonprofits and those with a minority client base, should be free in free Florida to set their own supportive workplace culture without forfeiting government grants or contracts.”

As the meeting drew to a close, Sen. Randy Fine, a congressional candidate, said, “One of the things I’m not going to miss about this process is hours of debate and public testimony and questions about bills that really aren’t before us. The bill is not that complicated. It doesn’t say that we don’t celebrate diversity. It doesn’t say that we can’t do things that are historically Black colleges.”

The bill’s next stops are the Education Postsecondary or the Appropriations Committee.