Legislation covering LGBTQ issues teed up for DeSantis

The Senate and House on Tuesday formally sent bills to Gov. Ron DeSantis that would prevent doctors from offering treatments such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy to transgender minors and expand a law that restricts instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

The Senate website listed them among numerous bills formally sent Tuesday to DeSantis.

Related coverage –

• Florida medical boards block treatments for transgender minors
• Proposal to expand law on sexual orientation, gender identity moves in Florida Legislature
• Florida Legislature passes ban on medical treatment for trans minors

The bills were among the most-controversial issues of the 2023 legislative session, which ended May 5.

At the DeSantis administration’s urging, the state Board of Medicine and the state Board of Osteopathic Medicine approved rules that prevent doctors from providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy and certain surgical procedures to transgender minors.

One of the bills (SB 254) would go further by putting a prohibition on the treatments into state law.

Also, the Republican-controlled Legislature passed a bill (HB 1069) that would expand a 2022 law that barred instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. The new bill would broaden the prohibition to pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

And teachers and other school employees would be prohibited from telling students their preferred pronouns and would be barred from asking students about their preferred pronouns.

The 2022 law is officially known as the “Parental Rights in Education Act,” but opponents dubbed it the “don’t say gay” bill.

Previous coverage – Florida's so-called 'Don't Say Gay' law survives legal challenge