As Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law – or what critics have called the “Don’t Say Gay” law – goes into effect on Friday, some school districts state publics have begun introducing new policies to limit LGBTQ issues and identities from being discussed in class.
On Tuesday night, the Leon County School Board unanimously approved its “LGBTQ Inclusive School Guide,” which includes a provision to notify parents if a student who is “ open about their gender identity ”would be in their children’s physical education class or with them. overnight school trip.
“Upon notification or determination of a student who is open about their gender identity, the parents of the affected students will be notified of reasonable accommodation options available,” the guidelines read. “Parents or students who have concerns about rooming assignments for their student’s next overnight event based on religious or privacy concerns may request accommodation.”
Representatives of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association accused school officials on Monday of verbally warning educators not to wear rainbow clothing items, to remove pictures of spouses of their same sex from their desks and to remove LGBTQ safe space stickers from classroom doors. The district’s legal department confirmed in a statement given to the Orlando area teachers ’association that staff who come in contact with students from kindergarten through third grade have been warned about LGBTQ issues.
And late last month, the Palm Beach County School District sent a questionnaire to its teachers, asking them to review all course material and mark any books with references to sexual orientation, gender identity. gender or race, special education of Palm Beach County High School. a teacher, Michael Woods, told NBC News. Several weeks earlier, the district removed two books – “I Am Jazz” and “Call Me Max” – that touch on gender identity, he said.
The so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, HB 1557, prohibits “instruction” on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner inappropriate to age or adapted for development for students by state. standards. ” A provision in the law also requires school staff to warn parents about “critical decisions that affect the mental, emotional or physical health or well-being of the student,” which many lawyers have interpreted as a method of forcing the student to do so. educators come out to their gay or trans students. . In cases where teachers “believe that the disclosure results in abuse, neglect, or negligence,” they are exempt from doing so.
Lawmakers who support the legislation – which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed in March – have repeatedly stressed that it will only apply to children in kindergarten through third grade and are about giving more jurisdiction to parents on the education of their young children. They also argued that it will not prohibit teachers and students from talking about their LGBTQ families or bar class discussions about LGBTQ history, including events such as the 2016 attack at the gay nightclub Pulse f ‘Orlando.
But critics and legal experts have said the broad language of the law could open up school districts and teachers to lawsuits from parents who believe any conversation about LGBTQ people or issues is “inappropriate. for age ”. (Parents will be able to sue school districts for alleged violations, damages or legal fees.)
The state Department of Education is expected to release more information on its standards parameters later this summer. In an April interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, DeSantis suggested that standards apply the law beyond third grade and added “things like the raised gender ideology have no place in schools , period. “
State Representative Carlos Smith, a Florida Democrat who is gay and has been a clear critic of the new law, said he was “not surprised” by the policies and guidelines being announced by schools in the state. .
“We talked about it from the beginning,” he said. “What’s happening right now – with the censorship of rainbow flags and school districts preparing to basically push LGBTQ students and teachers into the closet – is exactly what we said will happen with the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law. “
Asked if the governor wanted to respond to new school district guidelines on LGBTQ issues that appear to replace the parameters of the new law, DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw said that the state Department of Education is responsible for working with school districts to implement policies.
“This is not something the governor himself does,” she wrote in an email.
Beyond Florida, five other states – all in the South – have enacted laws limiting instruction or discussions about LGBTQ people or issues at school, and at least 32 other states have proposed such measures so far this year. -year, according to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ think tank that has been tracking bills.
Smith stressed that these policies will have consequences for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students, and pointed to the disproportionate rates of suicide attempts among the nation’s LGBTQ youth. A survey this year by The Trevor Project, an organization to prevent LGBTQ youth suicide and crisis intervention, found that nearly 50% of the 35,000 LGBTQ youth surveyed said they had seriously considered suicide in the past year.
“Creating safe spaces for LGBTQ children in schools is a matter of life and death,” Smith said. “Ron DeSantis is creating toxic environments in our classrooms that can have devastating consequences for queer youth, and it doesn’t matter. It’s all about politics for him. “
In a letter to the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, the district’s general counsel stated that a number of statements about what the Parental Rights law will prohibit in the Education is inaccurate, including a statement that “safe space stickers will be removed from classroom doors. ”However, the letter then states that it is“ recommended that safe space stickers be removed from classes K-3 so that instruction in the classroom did not inadvertently occur on the prohibited content of sexual orientation or identity. of the genre. “
“On the one hand, they’re saying it’s inaccurate, and on the other, they’re saying, ‘Yes, you may want to be careful,'” Clinton McCracken, president-elect of Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, he said.
He expressed general frustration with the new law and said his district’s attempt to clarify the legislation created even more confusion.
“So, what is it? Teachers in K by eight are supposed to go back in the closet, according to our legal team? Or are they allowed to act like any other heterosexual teacher with a picture of a spouse on their desk? ”
In Palm Beach County, Woods, who is gay, said that after receiving the questionnaire from school officials to mark course material or books with LGBTQ references, many of his colleagues are nervous that they will be rebuked if they lose something.
“I had colleagues tell me,‘ Well, I’m going to pack all my books away and have nothing outside, ’” he said. “It sounds like a knee-jerk reaction, but when you’re in that situation, it’s just one more stress you will put on yourself. And is that really the hill you want to die on? ”
Some LGBTQ teachers in school districts where guidelines are yet to be issued are even less certain of what they may or may not say and wear next school year.
Brian Kerekes teaches math at a high school in Osceola County, which has yet to issue a guide to complying with the new law. Without guidelines in place, he worries that mistakes are bound to occur. Recently, he said, an employee was asked to remove a “gender person” – an animated diagram used to teach children about gender identity – from his office.
“We’re just caught in the middle trying to figure out what’s and what’s OK while still trying to do what is our primary function, which is supporting our students and giving them a safe space to learn,” he said. “It will be a mess.”
Kerekes said he also anticipates that school districts will start letting teachers who are accused of breaking the law even if they are found to have done nothing wrong. It points to the fact that all state public school teachers are hired on a contractual basis from year to year and that the law prohibits school districts from recovering legal fees in cases where they win.
“Even if an investigation turns out to be false, a principal may still decide that you just don’t agree to have the teacher around anymore and just drop them,” he said. “I’m just worried we’ll spend our time on non-issue clothes instead of doing our job.”
Follow NBC Out on Twitter, Facebook & amp; Instagram
1: detailed list or statement of details (such as list of materials or members of the crew of a vessel) statement of quantities. 2: document or written note. 3 obsolete: formal petition. 4a: detailed account of the separate cost of goods sold, services performed, or work done: invoice account of payments.
How does a bill become a law Constitution?
The Clause provides that a bill may become law only if, after passing through both Houses of Congress, it is presented to the President. The President then has ten days to either sign the bill into law or reject the bill and return it to Congress with an explanation of his or her objections.
What are the 7 steps to making a bill law? How a Bill Becomes a Law
- STEP 1: Create a Bill. Members of the House or Senate draft, sponsor and introduce bills for consideration by Congress. …
- STEP 2: Committee action. …
- STEP 3: Art action. …
- STEP 4: Vote. …
- STEP 5: Conference Committees. …
- STEP 6: Presidential Action. …
- STEP 7: Creating a Law.
How are bills passed Constitution?
In order to pass legislation and send it to the President for his or her signature, both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by a majority vote. If the President vetoes a draft, they may overcome its veto by re-passing the draft in each chamber with at least two-thirds of each body voting in favor.
How is a bill passed into law step by step?
First, a representative sponsors an account. The draft is then assigned to a study committee. If issued by the committee, the draft is placed on a calendar to be voted on, discussed or amended. If the bill passes by a simple majority (218 out of 435), the bill passes to the Senate.
How does a bill become a law?
After both the House and the Senate have approved a bill in identical form, the bill is forwarded to the President. If the President approves the legislation, it is signed and becomes law. If the President takes no action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law.
Does a bill always start in the House?
The bills may originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate with one notable exception.
Do the bills first go to the House or the Senate? First, a representative sponsors an account. The draft is then assigned to a study committee. If issued by the committee, the draft is placed on a calendar to be voted on, discussed or amended. If the bill passes by a simple majority (218 out of 435), the bill passes to the Senate.
Where does a bill always start?
In the US House of Representatives, a bill is introduced when placed in the hopper – a special box on the side of the clerk’s desk. Only Representatives may introduce bills in the United States House of Representatives.
What is a bill in government easy definition?
Government. proposed form or draft statute submitted to the legislature, but not yet enacted or passed and enacted.
Whats is a bill?
A bill is a legislative proposal before Congress. Accounts from each household are assigned a number in the order in which they are introduced, beginning at the beginning of each Congress (first and second sessions).
Can the Senate pass a bill without the House?
Ultimately, a law can only be passed if both the Senate and the House of Representatives introduce, debate, and vote on similar pieces of legislation.
What can the Senate do that the House Cannot?
Under the Constitution, the House of Representatives has the power to appoint a government official, in fact serving as a prosecutor. The Senate has the sole power to conduct impeachment proceedings, essentially serving as a jury and judge.
Do bills have to go through the Senate?
Most bills require a majority vote (it must pass 21 votes in the Senate and 41 votes in the Assembly), while urgency measures and appropriation bills require a majority vote. two-thirds (27 in the Senate, 54 in the Assembly).
Do bills have to pass the House or Senate first?
Once the debate is over, the votes of a simple majority will pass the bill. A bill must pass both houses of Congress before passing it to the President for consideration. Although the Constitution requires that the two drafts have the exact same words, this rarely happens in practice.
What happens if the House and Senate don’t agree on a bill?
If the House and Senate pass different drafts they are sent to the Conference Committee. Most of the key legislation goes to a Conference Committee.
What bill can only start in the House?
Article I, Section 7, Clause 1: All Bills to increase Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or agree to Amendments as on other Bills.
What is the difference between a bill and a law?
When bills are passed in identical form by both Houses of Congress and signed by the president (or received by Congress on a presidential veto), laws are made.
Does a law start as a bill? All laws in the United States begin as bills. Before a bill can become law, it must be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and the President.
What makes a bill a law?
After both the House and the Senate have approved a bill in identical form, the bill is forwarded to the President. If the President approves the legislation, it is signed and becomes law. If the President takes no action for ten days while Congress is in session, the bill automatically becomes law.
Is a bill considered a law?
THE BILL BECOMES LAW Once a bill is signed by the President or his veto is exceeded by both chambers it becomes law and an official number is given.
What makes a bill into a law?
The Bill Is Law If a bill has passed both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and has been approved by the President, or if the presidential veto has been dissolved, the bill become law and be enforced by the government.
What bill Means law?
A bill is a legislative proposal before Congress. Accounts from each household are assigned a number in the order in which they are introduced, beginning at the beginning of each Congress (first and second sessions).
How is a bill different from a law?
A bill is legislation proposed under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law unless it passes the legislature and, in most cases, is approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted as law, it is called an act of the legislature, or statute.
Is a bill a law?
The Bill Is Law If a bill has passed both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and has been approved by the President, or if the presidential veto has been dissolved, the bill become law and be enforced by the government.
What is the difference between a bill and a law quizlet?
A bill is proposed legislation that is being considered by the legislature. A bill becomes law once it has passed the legislature.
Is a bill considered a law?
THE BILL BECOMES LAW Once a bill is signed by the President or his veto is exceeded by both chambers it becomes law and an official number is given.
Is a bill a new law?
Congress has two legislative bodies or chambers: the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. Anyone elected to any body can propose a new law. A bill is proposed for a new law.
Are bills the same as laws?
Act: Legislation passed by both houses of Congress and either approved by the President, or passed to Congress on his veto, and thus became law. Draft: Formally introduced legislation. Most of the ideas for new laws, called legislative proposals, are in the form of bills and are marked as H.R.
Does a bill always become a law?
Once each chamber has approved the draft, the legislation is sent to the President. The President then decides whether or not to sign the bill. If the President signs the bill, it becomes law. If the President refuses to sign it, the bill will not become law.
Who votes on a bill?
The President has ten days to sign or vote on the registered draft. If the President signs the bill, it becomes law. If the President vetoes, the bill can still become law if two-thirds of the Senate and two-thirds of the House then vote in favor of the bill.
Who is responsible for the account? The primary responsibility of Congress is to ensure that our nation has the laws and regulations we need to succeed. To do this, Senators and Members of the House of Representatives propose ideas, called bills, which they hope will one day become law.
Who votes on passing bills?
Most bills require a majority vote (it must pass 21 votes in the Senate and 41 votes in the Assembly), while urgency measures and appropriation bills require a majority vote. two-thirds (27 in the Senate, 54 in the Assembly).
Who can stop a bill from being passed?
The power of the President to refuse to approve a joint bill or resolution and thus prevent its enactment into law is the veto. The president has ten days (excluding Sundays) to sign a bill passed by Congress.
Who votes on bills in the US?
In order to pass legislation and send it to the President for his or her signature, both the House and the Senate must pass the same bill by a majority vote. If the President vetoes a draft, they may overcome its veto by re-passing the draft in each chamber with at least two-thirds of each body voting in favor.
Which branch writes and votes on bills?
Congress writes and passes bills (proposals for new laws). Bills that pass through both chambers and then signed by the president become law. This branch handles government business, including federal law enforcement.
Which branch writes and votes on bills?
Congress writes and passes bills (proposals for new laws). Bills that pass through both chambers and then signed by the president become law. This branch handles government business, including federal law enforcement.
Which branch of the government vetoes bills?
The President can vote on bills passed by Congress, but Congress can also veto a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Which branch writes and debates bills?
The legislative branch is Congress, which is made up of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. His main job is to make the laws of our nation. Congress writes, debates, and passes bills (proposals for new laws).
What government branch writes bills?
Congress, as one of the three coequal branches of government, is attributed significant powers by the Constitution. All legislative power in government is given to Congress, which means it is the only part of government that can make new laws or change existing laws.
Which branch includes takes a vote on the bill?
To pass a piece of legislation, both chambers vote on a bill. If the bill passes both houses of Congress, then it goes to the president, who can sign it into law or vote.
