DeSantis Signs Law Banning Local Government DEI Funding in Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation banning local governments from funding DEI initiatives, with violating officials facing potential removal from office.
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Wednesday that prohibits local governments from funding or promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, with violating officials facing potential removal from office.
Senate Bill 1134 defines DEI as any effort to “manipulate or otherwise influence the composition of employees with reference to race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation other than to ensure that hiring is conducted in accordance with state and federal antidiscrimination laws.”
The law also categorizes DEI as efforts to “promote or provide preferential treatment or special benefits to a person or group based on that person’s or group’s race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation; or promote or adopt training, programming, or activities designed or implemented with reference to race, color, sex, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation.”
Governor Calls DEI ‘Ideological Construct’
DeSantis described DEI as “an ideological construct” designed to promote an agenda to the detriment of white males during a press conference in Jacksonville.
“A lot of people say ‘Oh, that’s fine, that’s fine.’ No, it’s not fine,” DeSantis said. “It’s wrong. And so you do that, but you also see with some of these universities that have done it, you’ve seen discrimination against Asian-American students. They’re picking winners and losers, and I think the proper approach is to treat people based on merit and not try to divvy them up into various different groups.”
Local Government Spending Cited
State Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, who sponsored the legislation, dismissed criticism that the bill was unnecessary. He pointed to taxpayer funds being spent on DEI initiatives across Florida, including in Broward County.
“Broward County has spent almost $900,000 on DEI training as of fiscal year 2020, which included pushing something called ‘The Genderbread Person’ image, that concept, to promote gender ideology, as recent as last year,” Yarborough said.
The senator argued that such expenditures demonstrated the need for legislative action to prevent local governments from using public funds for these programs.
Enforcement and Penalties
Under the new law, local government officials found to have violated the DEI funding ban could face removal from office. The legislation represents the latest effort by Florida’s Republican leadership to restrict diversity programs in government operations.
The bill passed through the Florida Legislature during the 2026 session before reaching DeSantis for his signature. Local governments will now be required to ensure their policies and spending align with the new restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion programming.
