CS/CS/HB 999 - Postsecondary Educational Institutions

• Revises Board of Governors duties regarding university missions and strategic planning, requiring review of academic programs for alignment with institutional missions and excluding curricula violating section 1000.05 or based on systemic oppression theories

• Makes post-tenure review of state university faculty mandatory every 5 years rather than optional, with regulations addressing accomplishments, productivity, performance metrics, and compensation considerations

• Creates section 1001.741 granting state university presidents responsibility for hiring provosts, deans, and faculty; prohibits requiring oaths beyond upholding law and constitutions; prevents personnel appeals beyond the university president level; mandates boards review president selection of executive management team members

• Establishes three new educational institutes: Institute for Risk Management and Insurance Education at University of Central Florida (located in Volusia County), expands Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education at University of Florida, and renames Florida Institute of Politics as Florida Institute for Governance and Civics at Florida State University

• Prohibits colleges and universities from expending funds on organizations that discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion; bans state/federal funds for programs advocating diversity/equity/inclusion or promoting political/social activism

• Revises general education course requirements and prohibits curricula teaching identity politics or theories of systemic racism inherent in U.S. institutions; restricts accrediting agency changes to once per institution

• Takes effect July 1, 2023, with some provisions effective upon enactment