The original Florida House sponsor of what’s been dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill has withdrawn an amendment to require school principals to disclose a child’s sexual orientation to parents within six weeks if they find out a student has come out as other than straight, USA Today noted.
The amendment by Republican state Rep. Joe Harding was to be debated and voted on the House floor Feb. 22—but was pulled less than an hour before the House was to meet.
In a statement, the state representative explained that “the exaggeration and misrepresentation in reporting about the amendment was a distraction; all the amendment did was create procedures around how, when and how long information was withheld from parents so that there was a clear process and kids knew what to expect.”
The underlying bill still generally seeks to regulate discussions in schools of sexual orientation and gender identity, and would give parents the power to sue violators. A version of the legislation is expected to reach Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk; if signed into law, it will go into effect July 1.