Governor DeSantis signs bills that strengthen protections for consumers, teachers, and employees

Press release from the Office of Governor Ron DeSantis

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation to further strengthen Florida’s protections for consumers, teachers, and employees from being forced to adopt ideologies or reflect a preferred political behavior.

With today’s actions, Governor DeSantis is bolstering protections for:

• Consumers, by providing recourse for individuals who believe they have been de-banked for political reasons;
• Teachers, by ensuring they are not subjected to trainings that teach an ideology of hate, but instead focus on achieving mastery of academic content; and
• Employees, by taking steps to prevent ideological discrimination or harassment in the workplace. 

Governor DeSantis signed HB 989 and HB 1291 into law. 

HB 989 does the following:

• Increases protection for customers of financial institutions operating in Florida from unwarranted account cancellations and restrictions through a coordinated complaint and investigatory process within the Office of Financial Regulation.
• Removes Florida’s exclusive preference of holding public funds with banks, particularly with out-of-state big banks, by allowing community-based credit unions to hold public funds.
• Permits the Chief Financial Officer to have a dedicated consumer-liaison for assistance dealing with the Federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

HB 1291 does the following:

• Prohibits teacher preparation programs from indoctrinating prospective teachers by teaching distorted versions of significant historical events; and
• Prevents the infusion of identity politics in teaching methods and prohibits instructing that theories such as systemic racism, sexism, oppression, and privilege are inherent in America’s institutions.

Governor DeSantis is also working with the Attorney General’s office to bolster Florida’s protections from ideological discrimination and harassment in the workplace. Companies do not have a right to create a hostile work environment by forcing an employee to sit through trainings that tell that employee he or she is inherently racist or sexist. This includes efforts to mandate trainings meant to guilt employees or think less of themselves because of racial, religious, or social upbringing.

“We reject a global elite trying to force their ideology on us by capturing major institutions,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “We are not going to allow big banks to discriminate based on someone’s political or religious beliefs, and we will continue to fight back against indoctrination in education and the workplace.”

“For too long, credit unions were barred from participating in Florida’s Qualified Depositor program, which didn’t make sense,” said Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. “Government entities should have more tools in their toolbox for maximizing taxpayer returns, and by opening it up to credit unions, we’ll not only bolster competition but give banks more incentive to drop the woke nonsense and focus on returns. Thanks to Governor DeSantis, Florida is where woke goes to die, and we were proud to partner with him and his team in getting this important legislation over the finish line.”